The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1888-07-21


having been called into, existence by
the monetary necessities of the Gov
eminent during the exigencles OF the
rebellion. AS a war measure OF the
Government it was not considered II
its moral bearings towards the people
The government needed the ready
money to be derived from excise taxes
to carry on the war and to pay the
national debt, and no class of our people
were half so outspoken in their denun-
Citations of the whole system as unjust.
oppressive and inquisitorial as the
Democrats themselves. Not only have
the Democrats always pronounced II
odious, but for other and better reasons
the most pronounced Temperance men
and Prohibitionlsts have for twenty
years past been advocating and demand
ing the repeal of the whiskey tax. The
Prohibitionlsts particularly have in all
their platforms, State and National, at
their public meetings, and in their pub
lished addresses, constantly held up the
general government to public censure
and reproach for collecting revenue
from the manufacture and sale OF an
article which is the most prolific source
OF public decentralization, vice and
crime, and the best reason they as Pro-
hibltionists give for carrying the temper
ance issue into national politics and for
nominating candidate for President is
to force the Government out of the rum
traffic, and to rescue it from its alliance
with the rum power.
And why have the Prohioitionists
been so pronounced in their hostility to
the internal revenue sys emp Simply
because the recognition of the traffic
as a legitimate source of revenue by
the general government has retarded
and hindered the work OF temperance
reform, and in many instances has prac-
tically undone the temperance work.
In certain states of the Union where
the prohibition sentiment has been
strong enough to secure the passage of
laws forbidding the manufacture, sale,
and importation of alcoholic liquors,
yet the general government in those
same States and communities licenses
the liquor traffic and supports, through
the internal revenue system, with all its
power and authority, the whiskey in
dustry.
Now it must be apparent since Re-
publicans and Prohibitionists occupy one
and the same ground towards the excise
tax on whiskey, that the latter must be
equally with the former open to the
Democratic charge of advocating free
whlskey."
The inquiry then is pertinent, would
the abolition of the excise tax on alco-
hol make whiskey free either in fact or
in the sense claimed by partizan Dem
ocrats?
Now right here, one would naturally
suppose that the abolition of the tax
would so cheaper the price of whiskey
as to place it within the reach of every
one, and therefore its cheapness would
cause an increase in its consumption.
1t would seem to be logical therefore
that the manufacturer and distlller
would also favor the abolition of the
tax. But the fact is that the Kentucky
whiskey ring which is now very potent
factor in Democratic politics, and which
has many shrewd and cunning repre-
sentatives holding high official positions
under the present administration, is
violently opposed to the abolition of
the internal revenue tax on whiskey.
The large manufacturers whom they
represent have adjusted the price OF
whisky to the existing law, and they
have therefore money interest involv
ing many millions of dollars in keeping
the tax on. They believe in taxing
whisky for their own benefit, largely,
but also for the benefit OF the general
government, for being free traders in
principle as long as there is a surplus
accommodating in the national treasury
they have a pretext for attacking the
tariff and the present system of protec-
ton to our hone industries.
But the abolition of the excise tax as
advocated by Republicans and SO tor
INFLATED in their national platform would
not, as falsely charged by the Demo
Gratis make whiskey Gree" 1t would
simply relegate to the states where. the
subject properly belongs the disposition
of the traffic and manufacture by the
imposition of taxes, commensurate
with the evils it lnhlcts, and for the
benefit of the towns, counties and state
in which it is allowed to be manufac
tured ana sold. As the state must bea
the burden of the crimes resulting from
the traffic, so to it should properly be
long all the revenue to be derived from
the traffic. Should the government ia,
upon liquor be removed the state ant
municipal authorities therein would b,
enabled to, and in many instance
doubtless, would impose tax sutflcien
to cover all the public expense occa
stoned by the traffic in liquor. Fret
from the supervision OF the genera
government and not backed by tn,
power of its authority, the opportunit,