The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1886-06-10


Excise duties:
spiriis........--.... ISL 00o0 900 rubles
Tobaeco.....-........ 100000 a.
-l6s, 10000 rubles
That is, very nearly one-half the entire reye-
nue. is from excuses.
The smaller countries follow the example
Of the greater ones, and one and all derive
FAR greater proportion of their income
from imports on these articles than from
any other single source Of revenue.
There is no more conclusive argument in
political economy than the results Of human
experience. All human experience supports
the statement that the taxes which make
the least sense Of burden upon the people
which yield the greatest returns with the
greatest certainty and the least friction in
collecting; and which are the most elastic in
emergencies, are those imposed upon spiritu-
Gus beverages and manufactures Of tobacco.
Our own experience demonstrates this
with wonderful force. Nobody is conscious
that there is a tax on liquors and tobacco.
Nobody, except the distillers, brewers, to-
baccOnists and saloon-keepers, appreciates
where nearly half the whole revenue of the
Government comes from. If the duties were
abolished tomorrow, no one could get his
tumbler Of whisky, his glass of beer or his
cigar cent cheaper than he does now. The
only difference would be that some $685.
600 900 year would go into the pockets Of
the brewers, distillers, rectifers, tobacconists
and saloon-keepers which now goes into the
Treasury and Is thence returned TO the
people in the shape of pensions, interest on
the public debt and payment Of the Ordi-
nary expenses of the Government. Are not
the gentlemen who run distilleries, brew
cries and saloons getting rich fast enough
or do we want to swell their plethoric purses
still more rapidly by relieving them from
these burdens2
There are still weightier reasons why We
should resist all propositions TO abolish oul
present system of internal revenue. II is {
staff that we may have urgent need Of a
any day. Though we have an oyerfowiny
Treasury now there is no telling what da.
we may have need of hundreds of millions o
dollars TO put the country in a condition o
defense against q foreign assailant. For ex
ample, If the present revival Of the old dis
pute about the Newfoundland fisheries shout,
assume the threatening aspect that il la
several times in the past, we should wan
: hundreds Of millions Of dollars to fortify III
approaches TO our great seapOrts, arm theI
with the exceedingly costly cannon re
CURED TO fight English ironclads, and to 81
4 our harbors with swarms Of tOrpedo-boais
; Has anybody stopped 10 consider how W
should raise the money for such an enel
geBy2 Every one viii say, Borrow il,
: course
!. But there are grave difficulties and objer
u tions connected with borrowing money an
issuing bonds al the threatened oncoming
a great struggle Impending war is alway
u accompanied by great disturbance Of Il
y countrys business and finances, and Il
" Government must aim 10 avoid intensifyiI
this disturbance by Withdrawing great sun
from the market for lie own use.
> The policy OF European Governments
4 TO meet these emergencies by adding som
- what 10 the rate Of taxation on leadir
4 articles. Thus we read few years ago
y the British Government meeting the e
70 pense of Egyptian war by adding penn
7, on the pound to the income tax, and raisil
Of the excise duties few pence. The Frenr
= made an increase in the match tax, and
rise in the excise duties pay the expenses