The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-03-13
II TAX.

Ing Oh DufOensOne taxes mat were no
needed; and though we thought that the
move should have been made to effect re
auctions on a few articles and concen
trate the force Of the Democratic party
on one important point at a time, still il
was possible TO show the country how
the committee could propose a great
number OF reductions aud let discussion
shape a policy out OF this very elaborate
bill.
But when the tobacco tax bill was
formulated afterwards; to supplement the
tariff bill. the first thing on its face APP
pears to be a contradiction of every Just
principle by discriminating unjustly
between some Of the manufacturers and
the consumers, and by discriminating
again between sections Of the country
most interested in tobacco.
When the Democratic party found
itself obliged to institute the measures OF
reform in taxation that its platform had
30 often pledged the party to, ii does
seem that the first thing was to inaugu-
rate a movement on the line of Demo-
cratic principles and avoid Republican
methods.
II is Republican, not Democratic, to
legislate in the interest Of classes, or in
dividuals, or sections; and the long MIS-
tory of the party that finally brought II
to the pillory is a record of that policy of
discrimination.
In the face of this it is proposed that
the majority in the House shall not abol-
ish the tax ON tobacco, but abolish it on
smoking and plug, and leave the tax on
cigars and cigarettes, thereby causing the
following determinations:
No. |. The discrimination in favor OF
the class Of consumers who use tobacco
in pipes and chew it.
No. 9 The discrimination IN favor of
the sections that produce smoking and
plug tobacco.
No. 3. The discrimination in favor of
the manufacturers who make smoking
and plug tobacco.
We give prominence thus far to The
political aspect of the measure, and ask
members of Congress, with all respect TO
the Committee of Ways and Means, Can
they free the manufacturers and con
sumers OF one class of the same article
for the State of Kentucky and leave the
great staple Of North Carolina and Nir-
ginia under the ban of the tax
The staple for plug and smoking to-
baccO is principally from the West, while
that for cigars and cigarettes is from
North Carolina and Virginia. The bill,
therefore, if confined TO a politicians
view, has the look of a boomerang in that
it, in all the respects pointed out above,
violates Democratic principles, and will
offend a majority of the people it is in.
tended to please.
But as 10 the fundamental principles
that should obtain in dealing with the
tobacco tax, it is not sound to measure q
question involving the great material in
terests of agriculture, manufacture, trade,
and consumption simply by the tempo.
rary demands of party or popularity.
Sdch a question when taken OFF the war
footing must be reduced to its correct
bearings as they are to-day and no one
can sOberly suppose that the peoples
good, which ought to be the object, can
be promoted by such determinations as
are proposed.
Another instance Of the short-sighted
policy of the bill is the special tax of
three dollars for manufacturers and one
dollar for dealers, which, to begin with, is
simply playing with and tinkering a
measure that proposes to enact a great
change in important interests.
Why should a little manufacturer be
harried by the revenue officers for such a
paltry special tax. If the poor old oma
with an apple stand or the keeper of a
small shop sells a few dollars worth Of
tobacco it looks very far below the dig
nifty of the country to wiring the ha:d-
earned dollar out of them when it is not
wanted.
Therefore we conclude that the popu-
lar idea of the tobacco tax bill will be
the Just One-viz.: That ii the tax is
abolished 1t should be entirely wiped out.
Or, il it is proposed to reduce it, let it
be reduced one half In each branch as it
stands. But a reduction in the plan of
"A totally new treatment of the question,
founded on the proposed idea of dis
elimination, cannot possibly meet with
favor.