The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-01-13
Some Views.

The Atlanta Constitution says that the
SAVANNAH MOKNING NEWS appears TO
have some views ON the propriety of repeal
ing the internal revenue laws The Con
stitution appears to have some views, too, on
the same subject, such as they are. They are
such remarkable views that the MORNING
NEWS publishes some of them in order that
the people of Georgia may become &C
quainted with them They are as follows:
What our contemporary the MORNING
NEWS saws about the whisky tax, as tax,
is undoubtedly true. II is not much of
burden. Nobody has ever complained of 1t
as tax. We have never seen an argument
against it a a tax. We have never heard
complaint against the tax, except in so far
as 1t creates a monopoly III favor OF the
whisky ring which is thus enabled to con-
troll new and inpecunious Congressman,
and some that are neither new nor lmpe-
cunlous All the arguments-all the com
plalnts-are against the Ubiquitous law un-
der which the tax is collected. The tax is
not injurious-all the injuries all the wrongs
that have been inflicted on citizens OF the
State are not the result of the tax, but of
the law under which it is collected.
From the above it appears that the
whisky tax is neither an injurious nor
burdensome one, and nobody complains Of
it; and the Constitution says it has never
seen an argument against it. All the com
plants and all the arguments, says the Con-
stituttOn, are against the iniquitous law
under which it is collected. If this state
ment Is correct it shows very strange CON
dition of affairs If there is no objection to
the tax what possible objection can there be
to the law under which it is collected. If a
distiller pays his tax he has nothing TO fear
from the law An honest distiller is never
troubled Sy the officers of it except by mis-
take, and if a mistake is made It is promptly
rectified Mistakes are liable to be made in
the administration of any law. 1t is only
dishonest distillers who have reason to fear
the law. They are the ones who complain
of it, and call it iniquitous. But do dis
honest men ever have good opinion of the
law!
The Constitution admits that there is no
fault to be found with the tax-that it is
neither burdensome nor injurious. There
is then, in its opinion, no reason why it
should not be paid, and that being the case
there is no excuse for evading it. If there
is no excuse for evading it why should any
fault be found with the law which compels
payment of it, and provides a penalty for
evading its payment! In view of the fact
that the honest distillers are never troubled
by the alleged ubiquitous" law does not the
Constitution virtually admit that its sym
pathies are enlisted in behalf of dishonest
men, who try to evade the payment of a tax
which it admits is good one, and which it
wants the State to collect?
How many distilleries are there are in
Georgia. On July of last year there were
only thirty-eight, and 1t is a safe conclusion
that there are not more than ten owners of
each distillery. No doubt all of them are
honest men, and if they are they have no
complaint to make of the law. Who are
those then in whose behalf the Constitution
is paving up the grounds A few hundred
men perhaps who set up little distilleries in
secret places in the mountains for the pur-
pose of evading this tax of which nobody
can reasonably complain, and it is for the
benefit of these few hundred that the Con-
stitution wants tax repealed which, it
admits, is so just and fair that it has never
heard an argument against it. Why is the
Constitution so solicitous for the welfare of
these few hundred, while it turns a deaf ear
to the demands of million OF Georgans
who are asking that the tax on the neceSsa-
ries of life be reduced. Is it because it
thinks with Mr.. Blaine that a chew of to-
bacco, and with Senator Brown, that a
drink of whisky are greater necessaries than
clothing, blankets, hats, agricultural nipple
ments, etc.
yyh tn "
any wayl Less than S35O,0O0 year. Hi
nois pays nearly S25, 000,O 900 and Kentucky
over s12, 900 900, and yet there is no great
demand from those States for the repeal of
the whisky tax. Indeed, Senator Beck, of
Kentucky, in day or two, will state some
things in the Senate that will make Senator
Brown, Maj. Bacon and the Constitution
wonder why they have constituted them
selves the especial champions of the moon
sinners.