Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1888-04-07
Entered at the postoflice at Accomac
G. IVA. as second-class matter.

me question WHICh "'"NO GU
others is now engaging public at
toatien is that of taxation. For
many years after the war, the blind
sectional policy of the Republican
party in attempting to Africanlze
the Southern States prevented the
consideration of great economic
questions by the people OF this
section. During the lark perlod
Of Republican supremacy, the reo'
ple of the South had all they could
do TO save themselves from the
curse of negro and carpet Dagger
domination. But now that the
Republicans have been driven
from p.wer in the government. the
people of The South feel safe in the
endowment of their rights and lib
critics and are free to turn their at
tention to the consideration OF So
cial and economic problems. The
sense of security which renders the
discussion of Such questions pos
siblc, results mainly if not entirely
from the fact that a Democratic
President sits in the White House
and n Democratic majority con-
tro's legislation in the popular
branch OF Congress. 1t is fortu
nate for all sections Of the country
that this is so. We are suffering
from the effects Of excessive taxa
ton, left MS as legacy of Repnbll
can miSrule. President Cleveland
in his last annual message to Con-
gress pointed out with great clear
ness and power the evils that re-
suit aud the dangers that threaten
from tie present burdenSome sys-
ten cf Federal taxation. We are
still living under q system of taxa
ton adopted during the civil war
TO meet the extraordinary exlgen
cies Of the times. We are now
paying into the Federal treasury
every year more than one hundred
million dollars over and above what
is needed for tie legitimate pur
poses of the Government. This is
an rmous sum TO be exacting
from the people merely to hoard in
the vaults of the treasury. 1t is
more than two dollars apiece for
every man woman and child in the
land. The Government has no
right to take from the pockets OF
puo rrurru Iu,Wry rnat IL uUes nUi
need. The mocrats promised
the people to free them of this bur
den. and the Ways and Means
Con mittee OF Congress have pre-
pared a bill which if adopted will
reduce taxation about N75, 100000.
AS ls Y ell known tie Federal Gov
eminent obtains the money 1t needs
mainly from two sources, namely.
int, nal revenue taxes on the man
ufacture oftobacco and liQuors,and
tariff taxes levied on goods brought
into the United States from for
eign countries. 1t has been the
policy of this government almost
from it's foundation TO obtain the
greater portion of its revenues
frcm tariff taxes, and to levy in
ternal taxes only in time OF war
or other urgent necessity. For
some reason or other, which we
have never been able to understand
fully, internal revenue taxes have
been odious to the people. The
bill now before Congress provides
for the total abolition of the tax on
tobacco except on cigars, cheroots,
and cigarettes, and reduce the tar
if on many of the necessities of
life. If the bill fails to become
law it. will be owing to the almost
solid opposition Of the Republicans
aided by a handful of spurious
Democrats under the lead Of Ran
dali of Pennsylvania. The tariff
taxes bear heaviest upon the mass
es Of the people, and it was to
Tighten these burdens that a Dem
ocratic President recommended the
revision of our system OF taxation
and the Democratic majority on
the Ways and Means Committee
have presented bill which pro
vides for a reduction or taxes abont
equal TO the surplus that annually
accumulates in the treasury. We
are heartily in sympathy with
President Cleveland and the Dem
ccratic majority in Congress on
this vital question. And while we
recognize the fact that tariff taxes
when properly levied impose the
lightcst burdens on the people and