Smyrna times., 1888-08-08
Press Opinions.
TWO QUESTIONS ANSWERED.


A CONNECTICUT correspondent asks
US the following questions:
l. is not the internal revenue plank
of the Republican platform favorable to a
larger consumption of liquors on account
of the tax remission lowering the price
2. docs not the Prohibition platform
simultaneously remove the whiskey tax
with the whiskey itself?"
1. We have never doubted that the
tax on whiskey operates as restriction.
For that reason we have favored it's
retention. Many excellent temper
ance people, including the WOmen's
Christian Temperance Union, the
Third Party, and not a few Republic
cans, differ with us on this point, and
have demanded, unwisely, as we think
the immediate abolition of the tax in
the interests of temperance. We ewOuld
retain it in the interests Of temperance,
until we, too, become satisfied that it is
really in the interests of distillers and
brewers, or until an economical or
financial exigency arises and makes it
necessary to remove it.
Will such an exigency arise? No
man can tell but probably not soon.
The Government is collecting too
much revenue. A large surplus is ac-
cumulating in the Treasury, and ev-
erybOdy agrees that it must be reduced.
How shall it be reduced? L? The Dem
Ocratic Party has brought forward the
Mills Bill as its answer. The Repub-
lican Party says: Abolish the taxes on
| tobacco and spirits used in the arts and
revise the tariff. This is the Repub-
lican scheme as announced in the Chi
cagO platform. The Republican Party
believes that this will accomplish the
result desired and prevent a gOrged
Treasury. But in case it should not it
has told the country how it would
meet the contingency. If there should
still remain a surplus it would sweep
away the whole internal system rather
than surrender any part of the system
of Protection. The Republican Party
does not propose this because it wants
more whiskey or free whiskey; but
because it wants Protection as indis-
pensabie to the welfare of the country,
and because after the tariff has been
revised as much as it would be safe to
revise it, and the taxes have been re-
moved from tobacco and spirits used in
the arts, no other method of reducing
the surplus is left. There is no other
way, except to take the road opened
by the Mills Bill. If our correspon-
dent is enough of a ProtectiOnist to re-
volt from that, he ought not to hesitate
to approve the Republican policy.
2. We now come to his second ques-
ton. He asks whether the Prohibition
Party does not propose to remove the
whisky tax and the whiskey itself sim
ultaneously. Not at all. The Third
Party platform demands the jmmedj-
Gte' abolition of the tax, not on the
ground that it wants to put Prohibi-
, ton in its place, but because it is 1Uroig
! to collect such tax. The demand is
based on moral grounds. The tax is a
tax on vice and it would therefore
abolish it Immediately, without regard
| to the possible restrictive power the
party may or may not believe it tC
have. The party does undoubtedly
seek to have Prohibition enacted. i
4 is the only legal method it believes in
y but it does not expect to get PrOhibi
9 ton Immediately. The whisky tal
: can be removed as soon as a bill cal
U 60 through Congress and be signed by
q the President. National Prohibition
+ can only be established by a slow con
stitutional process. If Congress
! thought it wise the tax on whisky anC
4 tobacco could be abolished before the
q coming adjournment. That would b.
q doing exactly what the Third Party
y demands. 1t would follow, as a mat
ter of course, that whisky would b
free from all internal taxes within tw,
e months, and would remain free unit
y public opinion demanded of Congress
l. the submission of a constitutions
S, amendment prohibiting the manufaC
l. ture and sale of intOxiCaars in the tel
y ritory of the United States, and unit
1t such amendment could be ratified b.
n a vote of three. fOurts of all the States
10 and until Congress could pass the ne
IL cessary legislation for the enfOrcemer
at of such amendment. How many yeal
ne this would require no one can calcI
late. The most sanguiGe can hardl
OF expect that National Prohibition wi
d. be in force the present century.
a the interim, whatever its length, thel
b. would be free whisky, that is, whisk
free from national internal taxation.
Sc Now let our correspondent max
er choice between the three partie
I'D Their positions on this subject are 1
ar follows:
be DEMOCRATIC The platform of 18|
ISL denounced the internal revenue syste
he as war measure the proceeds
nd which, If retained" should go to ii
OF payment of pensions, etc. The Mil
on Bill, approved by the St. Louis Co
W. ventiOn, abOlishes part of the tax {
IN tobacco and modifes the law again
20 illicit.distilling, retaining the tax {
We whisky in the interests of Free Trad
lr- PROHIBITION.-The Platform of 18'
to demands immediate and uncOnditiOn
he abolition of the whole internal reven
ns' system because it is a tax on vice.
he REPUBLICAN.-The Platform of Is
nr- proposes to abolish the tax on tobac
and on spirits used in the arts, and,
- an alternative, only, the surrender OF
part of the Protective system, if such
contingency should arise, to swe
IN away the rest of the internal reven
Ter system-a contingency which the 4
to publican Party does not believe
tel likely soon to present itself.
Can any man who believes in the
ternal revenue system as a temperar
ge' measure leave the Republican Pal
'n- because it proposes, if certain cont
'9l- gency should arise, to abolish the s.
inc tenn, and 90 into party which denol
Vne ces it and asks its immediate uncOn
70 tional abolition ?-The Independent.
ore An Elegant Substitute
L