News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-09-09
Mr.. Blaine and the Whiskey Tax.

MR. Blaine and the WhISk6y ak.
Some of the third-party Prohibit
ionists in Maine seem to consider it
good strategy to distribute at Mr..
Blaine's meetings and elsewhere a cir
cular in these words:
''NIr. Blaine, in his speech at North
Berwick declares himself in favor of Gov
eminent liquor taxation and q distribu-
ton of the liquor revenue among the
States. Would not this result in fasten-
ing the liquor traffic upon the people?
How, as Republican prohibitionist,H lean
he advocate such a doctrine, since Gov
eminent taxation of the traffic recog-
nizes the sale of liquor and demands
compensation for the privilege of manu-
facture and sale? Does not Mr.. Blaine
place himself in the light of an open adj
vocate of a national license law?
1t is singular that gentlemen who
profess to be devoted to lofty princi-
Piles are not above such quibbling as
this. Mr.. Blaine's position is too
clear to be misunderstood, except by
those who are anxious to misunder-
stand it. Let us put a simple ques-
ton to those third-party implacables I:
The price of whiskey was quoted last
week at s1.O8 per gallon. The
whiskey sold at this price had previ-
ously paid to the Government a tax
Of ninety cents per gallon. If it had
not been for the imposition of this tax,
it could have been sold for eighteen
cents a gallon with~the same profit to
the distiller as at present. Will the
third party -ProhtbItionists telItus
which is for the interest of temper
ance, cheap whisky or dear whisky
whisky at eighteen cents a gallon Oh
whisky at one dollar and eight cents
agallon? That is the question. Sup
pose we concede, for the sake of the
argument that the Prohibltory ideal is
possible of attainment, and that the
time will come when, throughout the
length and breadth of this great coun-
try, the sale of liquor will be wholly
prohibited. The most sanguine pro,
hibitionist will admit that, if this re.
suit is possible at all, it is many
years distant. What is the true poll,
cy in the meantime-to make whisky
almost as free as water, or to make
its price high by Government tax
Here is the answer which Mr.. Blaine
gave at North Berwick-and what
sensible man can differ from this
view?
''Do you ever see the use of any article
Increased by putting heavy tax on it:
Do you think putting a heavy tax on
whisky has tended to increase its con-
sumption among the people? No, it has
constantly decreased it, and the consump-
sumption of strong drink has steadily de-
creased within the last few years. 1t has
decreased much in the last sixty years.
not by reason of the tax wholly. To-
day the people of this country do not
consume more than one-sixth part per
capita OF the strong liquors which our
grandfatherS consumed. Four years ago
movement was made by some Repub-
licans and Democrats, members of Con-
gress, to abolish the whisky tax and let
whisky 60 free, not on the ground that it
should have any immunity from taxation
but on the ground that we didn't need the
tax. and that for projections sake the
tax had better be kept up on foreign arti-
cles of consumption. If the National
Government does not need the one hum
dred millions of tax, don't you think it
had better be kept on the whisky, even if
the States had to take the money?
Would you give it license to roam every
where and leave it without tax or re-
straint, or don't you think it might very
wisely be turned into, some goDd bafpose
by holding it under taxation, and. If
necessary, increasing the taxation until
you could tax it out of existence. if it
were possible? [Cries of Good and
applause.l And 1 should, as a citizen of
the United States. | voted, believe, for
every tax that was placed on it. and if
the day comes when the National Govern
ment needs the tax no longer, L would
rather keep it on it and distribute it
among the States than to increase the tax
on the poor mans house and on every
farm and on every article of property in
this country"