The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1888-06-09
Abolish the Internal Tax.

1 ~ oiiu VI an IIIeuuS Vi telD p6IduCG.
The economic question before Con-
/ 2less Is the tax question. The reye-
nues must be reduced, and that OBJ
jet can be accomplished only by
feduction of taxes, There is no other
| way TO put an end to the accumulat
ins Surplus exeept by increasing ex
: lgtseftures, and Write expenditures
lnsSbe economically increased, they
ougH not to equal our present eXces-
sive eyenues. Reduction of taxa
ton is demanded by both parties
The Republican party insists that
this reduction shall be effected by the
abolition of the Internal Revenue
tax. The Democrats say that the
tariff must be revised in the direction
Of free trade. In the first place, they
do not know that their scheme Will
reduce taxation 10 the second place,
even if it would, they would destroy
American industries for the sake of
relieving the Treasury.
The Republicans seek to destroy
the vicious tax. The Internal Rev
enue tax was. devised for the purpose
of raising money for the prosecution
of the war. The war is over and the
tax remains. 1t simply brings money
into the Treasury, while custom du
ties add to the cOuntry's wealth. In
more than one way it is an Odious
tax. 1t rests in part upon the prod
uctS of the soil. 1t hampers the
farmer who grows a small crop of to
bacco. 1t sustains an army of office
haIders, many of whom are spies and
informers, 1t makes the government
partner in the liquor traffic.
Last year the taxes collected from
spirits amounted to $50, ,829,322. Much
Of this product was alcohol used in
the arts and in medicine. This tax
IshouId be abolished, because it is pro-
Eiuctive simply of evil. When the
.ltlepocrats answer this position,
'1eS say that the Republicans are in
favor of making whiskey cheap.
while they maintain the tariff tax OH
the necessaries of life, They know
that this is not ingenious. They
know that the Internal Revenue tax
on Whiskey, large as it is in the ag-
gregate, does not add more than half
a cent to the price of drink. Who
is so absurd as to say that half a cent
drink will restrain drunkrd's APP
petite? The tax does not accomplish
any good. Judge Pitman, of Massa-
chusetts, we'll known as a leading
temperance advocate, says of the
liquor tax, that it is opposed to the
better moral instincts" and is "Oper-
alive as briDe to pervert the public
conscience"
The tax enables the rich distillers
to combine and secure monopoly of
their business. When tax of ninety
cents gallon is added to the great
expense of producing whiskey, the
government enters directly into part
nership with the men who are max
ing millions of dollars every year in
the liquor traffic. Therefore, it is
"opposed to the better moral in
stincts." When the government
pays its expenses by giving this
monopoly to the large distillers, it
helps to "pervert the public con-
science" There is no escape from
this conclusion.
Similar arguments may be made
against the taxes on tobacco ana fer
mented liquor. The tax on bank cir
8 sfeSation is very small, being only
! S42SS. 1t is relic of a time when
our necessities were so great that the
government was compelled to resort
10 extraordinary methods of taxa
tion, The bank tax ought to be ahoI-
ished because if it were fany account
1t would be burden on exchange
and trade, while as it is, it is not
worth while collecting.
The whole amount collected last
year by the Internal Revenue Bu-
reau was $11S, 1897 ,30l, and the cost of
collection was S4,005, ,149. The total
abolition of the tax would therefore
wlpo out the surplus and cure the
money congestion in the Treasury.
Inc government ought to take its
countenance from the distiilers of
whlskey, the brewers Of beer and the
manufacturers of tobacco. The Re-
publican party faYors sound legisla-
lion against intemperance and the
saloon, and that legislation must be
10 The statutes of the several States.
Inc federal government is too far
away from the evil to be dealt with
even II it has the necessary power