Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-09-08
WEDNESDAY, EprEMBER 8. 1886,
The Tariff and the State Debt.
AZ the Danville Register puts to us
an interrogstory mot 10 provoke con-
trovsrsy," We proceed to comment
mon the same. We quote:

1.-THE people OF virginia are really 50 poor
a 10 be able only 20 pay one half OF the IN
tsyesf originally promised 70 hci ponono,o'
e. by VIA, sys oe 6 Se It's views on
the De bt and tariff questions prove thesour
people ere not only able 70 pay for the GOODS
they consume. under high protecuve
tariff. nom IS TO 40 per cent. more than ,
they would have TO pay for these sa me erti-
clcE usider the operation OF tariff for reve-
nue. but, according to the logic OF the Ds'
pofeh. win, by paying this heavy. unJns.
and Oppressive tax grow more prosperousY
We ask the Dfspufch 10 answer this cues
ton. not 10 provoke controversy, but Sim
ply and solely 10 learn by what system OF
horus pocss the tax-payer Is 70 De .auyn.
that he can pay but per cent. interest on
al honest debt, and yet 10 urged by the
came teachers that he will not only butid
up the state, but better his own indiviouai
ccrdition by paying into the United
r;opolisfs four times as much taxes for his
every- day supplies as he would have TO pay
under a revenue system that would pro-
fecf the rights OF the toiling masses In
stead OF relentlessly taxing them for the
benefit of comparatively few manufactu.
rers.
First, let us say that the Campaign
Ryormsr. quoted by the Register IS
authority for the statement that the
WAig and the Dispatch had been
writing screeds upon the tariff, no
doubt meant to say the Wing and the
State. PAGE McCARTY's pen slipped.
We have endorsed the States tariff
resolution, and deprecated controversy
on the tariff question, but we have not
written any article intended or calcu-
lated to create discord in the Demo-
cratic party. We trust that this one
viii not have that effect.
The Registers theory is that tariff
is q tax, and that the people Of Virginia
pay their just proportion of this tax.
II assumes that they pay four times as
much taxes under protective tariff as
they would have to pay under tariff
for revenue only. Is this really trueS
II direct taxes were laid for the sup.
port Of the United States Government,
Virginia would have to pay in proper
ton to population-that is, about one
thirtieth Of the amount collected IN the
Union. This would be about nine mil
lions Of dollars besides internal taxes.
She pays her tariff taxes easily. Could
abe pay the same sum in the shape OF
direct taxesi What would be the rate
Of taxstionr As her real estate is valued
at about s300,000,000, it is evident
that 1t would require tax Of three dol
lars on the hundred to raise the sum Of
nine millions of dollars. To do this
would bankrupt her. In fact, she
could not pay it at all.
Is 1t not evident, then, that there is
flaw in the Registers argument?
Again Suppose the people of vir-
ginia were to send six millions of dol
lars 10 England every year. How many
years would it take to reduce this State
to q condition infinitely worse than that
OF Ireland!
In word, there is all the difference
In the world between the policy of pay
ing money back to the people from
whom it was collected and paying 1t to
people from whom not dollar OF it was
collected.
For what article does virginian pay
four times as much as he would have
to pay under revenue TARIFF We sub
NIT the following figures for the con-
sidsration Of our Danvills contempt
rary. The workingmsn Of Richmond
do not average over 90 day for 3l2
days IN sysar--say 1924. Each man
every year spends his money about as