National Republican., 1888-01-13
How TO Reduce the Revenues,

The great question OF the day is how to
reduce the revenues. They are undoubtedly
in excess OF the needs OF the government
and should be reduced. But that reduction
should be made so that neither the In.
vested labor nor the invested capital 10
American manufactures or farming, or
mining or any other form of industry, would
be damaged.
One class Of our so.called statesmen In
sist upon q change in the tariff laws, By
reduction OF tariff duties, as the meaus oi
lesseniug the revenue. A very little eximl
nation into the history of the past would
show that to reduce the customs duties is
the surcst way to increase the revenues, ex.
cept on articles not produced in the country.
such as sugar, tea, and coffee.
Those who really understand the situation
and desire to reduce the revenue with )ut
injuring the business Interests of the
country and reducing the price Of labor are
in favor of removing all, or prt a. least,
Of the internal revenue taxes.
This form OF taxation has always been
odious to the American people because Of
Its inQulsitoral aud oppressive character,
and has never been adopted except to pro-
vide for war expenditures.
The first internal tax levied was In
mciiatCly after the adoption Of the
federal constitution; 1t was only In G)rce
until the administration OF President lc.Ter-
son, who, in his first message in 1900, rec.
commended its abolition, aud Congress
adopted the suggestion.
Mr.. Jefferson, IN that message, sail;
These !sisulas 10 The Internal tays)
covering our land with officers and op!n.
ing our doors ID their Intrusion, hal al.
ready begun that process of domiciliary vCxl-
ton which, once entered, is scarcely to b. re-
strained from rcaching suaCcssively every ar
tcle Of prtdlCe and property.
The second time when iaternll taxes
were levied was in 1919, dudrg the war
with Great Britain, AMI these were re-
pealed three years after the close Of he
war, and the third time was the adoption
Of the present system.
It is claimed, by those opposed to the
repeal Of these taxes, that they are war
measure, and should not be repealed, be-
cause we are paying annually $sO,OOO,OOJ
Of pensions and $40, ,OO0,O 900 of interest upon
the war debt, and "these war taxes,' they
say, "should be retained to pay this war
debt"
Those who argue thus wlllfully forget
that we are still paying large number Of
pensions to the survivors of the war of lSl2
aud the argument they use would have
kept the internal revenue tax levied under
Washington In existence until the time OF
jackson and that levied under Madison up
to the present day. This shows the non.
sense of this stock argument Of the revenue
reformers who desire to strike down the
American system Of protection.
We have now two systems OF tax collec-
tion and two distinct armies Of tax collect
ors. One Of these is composed OF Gust Om
house officers; the other consists OF an
army Of internal revenue collectors, nun.
berirg about 1000, including s. collectors,
$50 deputies, lS4 clerks, 35 porters, G95
gaugers, 55j storekeepers, 15T acting both
as gaugers and storeleepers.
The tax gatherer o, the first class is never
seen nor heard Of by the people IL, col.
lects his revenue at the custom house,
where imported goods are brought into the
country, but the tax gatherer OF the second
class is seen everywhere, often accom- iuied
by armed bodies OF troops and deputies,
collecting revenues at the muzzle OF the
gun, which the government does not need.
1t was once the boast of the American
people that no American farmer or laborer
ever saw tax gatherer of the United
states, and it is tina to return to that
system.
Let the whole machinery OF the internal
revenue collection be swept aside; awal
with the commissioner in charge OF this
system, and the vast army OF four thousand
under his command. That Is, perhaps, TIT
wistst thing for the Congress OF the United
| States to DO.
But, If that cannot be done, take the
odious aud oppressive tax from toblac1-
the only tax there is upon the farmers o'
he country. Remove the tax from fruit
| brandy; give rebate upon all alcohol used
IN the arts and manufactures, and take a way
the duty upon sugar imported from anS
country which does not levy an export
duty on that article and will allow our flour
pork. and other agricultural product"
enter free Of duty. Germany wo"'
agree to proposition Of thb
and Austria would CO.
this bounty ST.
pound or
in this/
ET