Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1886-07-17

, mill or shop product with which pro
!. tectionists do not make a pretense o
sharing the benefit OF taxes impose
for their profit. TwO-thirds OF the col
ton grown here must still find a marke
abroad. Cotton ties, which are a con
siderable item of expense and indispen
% sable to the sale of cotton abroad whel
- taken in exchange for cotton or other
wise, may be imported for $50 OH tn
800 worth. This $35 is to be increas
ed to 500 80, doubled by the bill
which, by the estimate, results in
= loss of four-fiftus of the revenue as
consequence of doubling the taxes
The receipts at the present rates ar,
S162, 744, and, if doubled with double
taxes, would be S322,373; the estimate
of the bill is $62 900.
Tin plate, and articles essential il
every house, and especially so among
: those who work in shops, mills ant
mines, and are large consumers o
canned foods, is now taxed l cent pc
pound and yields 5000, $50 to the
treasury. This is to be increased II;
per cent, or to q cents per pounds
amounting to $l,375,079, but the in
creased tax is estimated to reduce the
revenue to $1,000, 900 or one-tifth OF
the tax before the increase while the
other four-tifths and all the increase, or
$lO,375 ,079, is to be taxed II the
pockets of plate-makers-
These statements of the estimated
and intended effect of the bill are be-
!, lieved to make plain the methods by
which taxation, which on the basis of
imports aud revenue receipts in 1885
would yield $4,000 900 of revenue, is
made to divert that SUI from public
purposes to private gain. The introduce
ton of this bill would be considered
the first avowed attempt in our legisla-
tive history to empty the treasury by
the use of the taxing power, the first
confessed effort 'sfOr protection for pro-
tection's sake" but o the following
declaration from the same source as the
bill: 81 do not believe there is in the
constitution of the United States al
authority to levy import duties for
protection for protectors sake. In
other words | can find nothing which
gives authority to the congress of the
United States to raise taxes Oh import
duties for protection, per Sc. =
A high protective tariff leads to mon-
OpOly and to class legislation"
If this measure may be supposed to
have any purpose relating TO
A SYSTEM OF FINANCE,
if points to direct taxation, for when
internal revenue taxes are taken of
and custom-house axe are laid Oh so
high that the people get tine burden, and
the mOnOpolists the benefit and the
treasury nothing new sources OF supply
will be inevitable. The measure is not
supposed to fOreshadOw anysuch system
or to do more than indicate an origin
%unlearned in methods and unmindful
of results.
In reporting the bill to reduce tariff
taxes and to provide tor the better COL
lection thereof, the committee, in April
last, estimating the receipts for the
year ending June 80, 1886, at $780,
900 900, and the annual surplus as ex-
ceeding $50 1000, 900 after meeting ali
money obligations of the government. !,
This favorable estimate has been ex
ceeded by the actual facts. The re-
ceipts for the fiscal year ending June
80, 1886, were 1886 IA, or SIP, h.
290 more than the previous year. The
expenditures for 1886 were 1920, 1885,
7SS, or sic, 664, 1872 less than the previ-
Gus year, leaving the. annual surplus
S45,97S,5O2. We may therefore safely
count on a surplus OF $50, 900 900 for
the current year, allowing $4,000, 900
for the increased pensions to widows
and other additions to the rate or num-.
Der of pensions. Attempts to remove
the tobacco and other internal taxes
are usually justified by asserting these
to be war taxes and in apparent for
getfulness of the fact that, so far as
rnlatnc tn ifo yn.nu nhltnotinnc tho yyocI
is not half over and will no be over
be collected in taxes from the people.
At best taxes are a
MOST GRIEyoUs BURDEN l.
upon the Industry, thrift and comfort
of the people. They should be laid so
as to cause the least hindrance to these
and comforts; the least in
reference with freely chosen pursuits,
and as far as possible on articles the
use of which and the payment of tax
thereon would be largely voluntary.
"When, in 1866, internal war taxes
were highest, spirits, tobacco and malt
liquors paid less han 20 per cent. or
$40 OF every 800 collected. The spirit
was then 50 per gallon or more
than double the present rate. Tobacco
in different forms paid different rates.,
and the average rate was 35 cents per
pound or more than foul times the
present rates. 1t is therefore apparent !
that more than 80 per cent. Of internal
war taxes have been repealed, and less
than 10 remains, with half the war
debt yet TO be paid. In 1866 more than
200 articles were on the internal reve- {
nue. taxable list. OF these spirits, malt
liquors and tobacco in its various forms
are all that remain. The tax on all
manufactures, carriages, watches, dia-
monds, firearms, lotteries, brokers, ex-
press. insurance, railroad and telegraph t
banks, bankers and in f
comes, with more than half the liquor |
aud tobacco taxes nave been removed. I
h burden of all taxation now rests I
Oh the liquor and tobacco tax, so re- 6
duced, and on the clothing, food and
OF the people and other articles
Indispensable to industrial pursuits, c
without which no taxes could be paid. t
TARIFF TAXES. G
"Whlle internal revenue war taxes 1
a been reduced TO Is per cent. war l
.arltf taxes continue to burden the peo- I
pie II hinder their progress. Sugar, !,
which under the Morrill, tariff at the {
commencement of the war paid sc. per 9
,ound, now pays nearly &C.; rice paid L
lc. per pound and now 24c. !; wooden U
have already been shown to pay 4
touble as much nov as then, and while =
arlff taxes have been removed from a !.
comparatively few articles, in taxing G.
which p~rotectionists found no profit,
hey have not failed to continue their )
average Al per cent. to their own great T
advantage and the greater disadvantage =
the mass of their fellowmen, who II
Day it. The liquor and tobacco indus l
ries are fairly prosperous. Our people .
Use yearly IL 800 900 more gallons of d
lO,5OO, 900 barrels, or double as y
much beer; $4,000, 900 pounds, or L
as much or more OF to- {
'acco | 500 ,000, 900 more or double as '.
many cigars, and fifteen time as many /,
cigarettes as they used ten years ago, u
md the friends of these Industries NAV IL I
veil be satisfied with the progress they IL
re making. A tax on these is largely
tax on indulgence and excess and II
is payment largely voluntary. Taxes u
lot paid on these must be paid on the 1t
accessories of life. This tax should d
lot be removed. tt
1.-The official or census statistics show u
hat before 1860, in the 200 years of l.
heir territorial and national ayiofanoo u