The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1888-01-26
Of the United States is an ou.ragsous system Of

ofthe United States Is an outrageous system OF
espionage injustice, and wrong. n ought to
have been abolished long since, and there can
certainly be no just reason for Its long contin-
uance. We are anxiously inquiring how we
can get rid of an amount of surplus that Is
flowing into the treasury annually almest the
equivalent of the amount collected under the
internal revenue system.
we do not need the money in the treasury.
We are not engaged in war, and there is NO
emergency that justifies its collection. Let US,
therefore, return to the practice OF the great
men who formed this government. and of the
great men who administered 1t for many years,
who, as soon as the emergency had passed
which called forth the enactment Of such laws,
swept them from the statute-beok; and let US.
without delay. getrid of Internal taxation sy the
federal government eoith all its esptenage sts tsfy-
sal prosecutions its expressions. its ottsases, and
its scr0sgs.
The system Is courageous" and should
be abolished root and branch, but not for
the reasons given by Senator Brown in the
closing sentence Of his speech, which reads
as follows:
This return to the old familiar practice Of the
fathers In the better days of the republic will
at once relieve us Of the surplus IN the treasury,
and reieoe Congress and the administration OF all
further embarrassment on that question.
Internal revenue taxation should be
abolished because 1t is opposed to the
theory of our government-because it OPP
presses the people in the tobacco tax and
has built up the most enormous monopoly
by the whisky tax that ever cursed coun-
try-a monster devil fish whose tentacles
are long enough to draw within its sitting
embrace legislatures, Congresses, executive,
and even Judicial officers.
The mere fact that the surplus en-
harnesses Congress and the administration
is not sufficient reason for the abolition
OF this odfous system of war taxation, but
the facts that it Expresses the people--de-
creases the eirculatIon-makes shrinkage
In values, are good and sufficient reasons for
the abrogation Of the Whole system.
But the Democrats will not do it. They
want the 1000 officeholders that are re-
quired to collect these taxes to aid them in
the coming presidential election-they need
eAo'1 coA SASOo anu AZ ICbaia bHCM. 1Hoy
want the opportunity this law will give
them to intimidate voters; they want the
chance to force money cut Of the whisky
ring and the rich tobacco manufacturers,
and they will not abolish the internal reve-
nue. system.
Fer the benefit of the Richmond Whig,
from which we quoted, and other Virginia
Democrats, we tell them that the Virginia
Democratic representatives in Congress will
not vote to abolish the internal revenue
system. They will 60 back on their plat
form, and Virginia and the country will
have to depend upon the Republican fifty
first Congress to repeal the infamous inter
nal taxes.
And the fifty first Congress will be Re-
publican in both its branches, with Re-
publican President at the other end Of the
avenue, because the Republican party in
tends to accept the issues made by Presi-
dent Cleveland in his message. 1t will
stand by the American protective system,
which the President and his party oppose,
and 1t will oppose the un-American system
of internal taxes. which the President and
his party uphold.
These are the issues, and the battle is
already won.