New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-01-15
THE DISTTLLFRS MONOPOLY

The Woman's Christian Temperance Union
seems likely to give the Free Traders severe
blow, perhaps without intending to interfere
with the tariff discussion in any way. Its re-
ported efforts for the repeal of the whiskey tax
will have much influence with many puohc
men, especially from Southern States. The
speech Of Senator Brown of Georgia has already
been noticed, as an important opposition to the
Presidents plans. 1t is reported that Senator
Colquitt of Georgia will presently take the
same ground. On Friday. Senator Vance Of
North Carolina, while striving to find some
middle ground of compromise on which he can
profess to support the President and at the
same time satisfy his constituents, made it
clear that the internal revenue taxes were far
more earnestly and bitterly opposed by Demo-
Gratis of North Carolina than the duties on
imports.
The Senator's endcavor to avoid the ap-
pearance of antagonsm to the Presidents plan
} took the form of opposition to the mode of
collecting the tax rather than to the tax itself.
The Oppressive, inquisitorial and despotic"
methods of the law he would get rid of entirely,
and if these were remedicd he was sure that
the people of North Carolina would not object
to paying any tax they would then have to
pay on their whiskey. No doubt he is quite
right II the methods which make the revenue
system effective were abolished, the North
Carolina Democrats would not have to pay any
tax at all on whiskey and would not care
whether the tax were formally abolished or
not. In certain States. of which North Caro-
lima is one it has been exceedingly difficult to
enforce the law even with all the stringent
provisions for detection and punishment of its
violation Every intelligent person knows
that the law cannot be enforced at all, in that
and many other States, without such provi-
sions. When the Senate proposes to abolish
the only means by which the tax can be col
lected, and yet processes not to desire the abol-
ton Of the tax, he is more cunning than candid.
Yet This form Of disguised opposition to the
Presidents policy is really about as effective
as any other. Members of Congress whose
support is needed to carry any change in the
revenue laws are perfectly aware that very
little whiskey would pay the tax. if the pro-
visions denounced as oppressive and inquisi-
torial were repealed, and that the revenue
would thus be greatly reduced. They cannot
afford so to vote as to leave their own Admins
tration without necessary revenue. and they
VIII therefore Uc ODllScu W oppoSc ChdHEco VI
tariff corresponding in amount of reduction
with the diminution of revenue from whiskcy
This must cause division of the Democratic
forces, and by voting with the Democratic
minority Republicans have the power to render
a pending bill offensive to the majority. Tn
less the Democrats of the House can substan-
TALLY unite upon a plan they will fail to pass
any bills changing the tariff even in the House,
while the votes Of one or two Democrats with
those Republican Senators whose position is
unouestioned would suffice to defeat any change
IN the Senate.
When months have been wasted in
efforts to break down protection, and
the end of the session approaches
with no diminution in the revenue.
and with vast surplus accumuating each
week in the Treasury, Senator Browns propo-
sition to abolish internal revenue entirely will
offer one mode of escape from disgraceful fail
ure. Some Republicans would support it, as
essentially the best solution of the difficulty.
and many others when convinced that no other
curtailmcnt of the revenue is practicable this
Year The chief opposition will come from the
whiskey distillers whose monopoly it would
destroy, and from the Free Traders who are
ready to sacrifice everything else in order to
break down protection. Under such circum-
stances. if the Woman's Christian Temperance
Union as a body earnestly urges the abolition
Of the whiskcy tax, its efforts may prove moro
effective than many now anticipate.
TrT