Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-10-15

sumer mus. psY it or do without shs
goods.
Sc fs:as the tsr,6 raises revenue, It
the American does rot pay H.,
would it not be mopey-ssving
| arrangement 70. Cur people to raise all
the revenue By duties On foreign goods
! T. would be suca reliEf 30 transfer
tie heavy burdens CT cur t.xiti0u from
cur oTn shoulders 20 those OF foreigner S,
! Psrt Of this adv mage might, ii Is true,
De lost by tie tax other nati0rs might
/ compel US 10 pay on our expectations to
| support their government, bui this we
might avoid By declining TO export alto
gether.
II enc nation could compel others 70
! supper. il in this way would rot the Sit
u.tiou BE- uriq1e when all governments
would pa seen to mailtsin themselves by
the taxes which they forced fore igners to
psy, through laws which those who are
taxed have had 10 part in enactipg?
Assuming 1t as fact that the American
| consumer pays the sum which the tariff
| imposes ON importation, will irquire. In
what msnner this is done snd fer what
purpost? Primarily the duty is sevied
for the purpose of raising revenue for the
support OF the government. The goods
when brough. into this country are taken
10 public building called the custom
house. They are there examined by the
proper { GERS. They are weighed and
measured, and the amount OF the tax
which the law imposes Is thus sscertained.
This amount is then paid into the Treas
ury of the U oited S.stes, and the goods
,re delivered. to the importer, who dis
poses OF them to the American consumer.
The larger part OF the revenue which the
government receives is derived from this
s0urce.s
The tar if which is thus imposed for the
support OF the government is called tar
f for revenue. This method Of raising
money is termed indirect taxation; that
is, instead CT levying the tax upon arti-
cles OF permanent property, IS upon real
estate, 1t is put upon articles Ct consump
ton. Tns tex Is not levied upon those
things which remain rs they are being
enjoyed, but upon those which perish In
their use.
There Is no constitutional objection to
raising revenue In this wey. Large por-
| lions of the taxes Of most nations have
been so gathered, and such 8 tariff we
have always had in this country. Meyer
tuolSoe, IL iusy well Ue QUuolcu "Actuci
1t is wise system OF tsxiug. The chief
advantage which It's advocates claim for
1t is that people psy tsxee ia this way
without knowing or feeling it.
If one could say that under such g
system our citizsns did not pay the taxes
at 81 there would be force IN the nrgu
ment. If they do pay the tex they must
feel it, for their income svsil.ble for their
n sintenapce will be diminished 10 the
exact extent of the amouht which the
tariff coTpels them to psy.
OF what advantage is 1t 30 sDy one who
does pay not to know WHIST he pays? For
what reason should au American be kept
ignorant Of The amount he is obliged 10
contribute for the support OF the govern
men'? That lie is kept iguorsnt on this
point is epps7en.. One can tell how
much he psys for his city, county or s:ste
by referring to his tex receipts, hut there
is not man in the state of Ohio who csn
say how much tax he has paid to the
L li.ed States in 8 given year.
Why should he not know the amount
Of this tax? Ia mcnalchies, where vast
sums are required to maintain royol es-
.a5.ishuelt, where money! Is squsCdsred