Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1888-10-18
Mr.. Mills on Special Taxes.

81 Louis Globe Democrat. O..
i The fact that the Mills bill provides fol
the repeal of the special taxes now paid
by the saloon-keepers of the country has
been denied by many Democratic papers.
Their excuse for so doing is that the bill
as published by authority of the Demo
cratic managers does not contain any
provision of that kind. The answer to
this is that the copy of the bill sent out
for campaign purposes is not true one,
that part of it relating to this matter hay
! Ing been entirely and purposely omitted.
with view to deceiying the temperance
| folks, and cOnCcaling the peculiarly
| favorable tendency of the Cleveland Mills
tariff reform scheme towards the liquor
| interest. At last, Mr.. Mills himself has
found it eXpedient to,admit. in a shnfiling
and pettifogging way, that the measure
does not contemplate the removal of such
taxes. In his speech at Richmond, Ind,
he said:
I'VE are asked this question: why
did you repeal the tax on special licensesY
We had to reduce this taxation in some
way, and they wouldn't let us reduce the
tax on food and clothing and i'm plcments
Of labor as much rs was necessary to
prevent the contraction of circulation in
eminent"
If he had been candid enough, he
would have explained to his audience that
these special taxes are imposed at the
rate of $25 per year upon each retail
liquor dealer. and that the amount of
revenue thus annually obtained is in
round numbers $4,000 That is to
say. the saloon keepers now pay that sum
int l,a 'olD
the privilege of carrying on their busi-
ness, and that is all that they do contribute
for the support of the Government. The
Mills bill proposes to make an exception
of this class of tax payers, and relieve
them entirely from the necessity of help.
ing to defrlv the expenses of the Gov
eminent which protects their property
and permits them to reap the profits of IA
traffic that directly antagonizes the best
interests of society. Mr.. Mills talk about
cheap food and clothing and implements
of labor is reduced to absurdity when
taken in connection with this plain propo-
stiOn to exempt the liquor sellers Of the
country from all Federal taxation, and
make their business free, at loss of s. =
GOO 600 of revenue.
But this is not all. The bill provides
luIlHCI ulOIG lHdl Tue CeCECldFN Oh the
Treasury may exempt all dis'illeries
which mash less than twentv-ti i've bushels
of grain PER day from the expense Of
storckeepcrS and gaugers, which implies
practical immunity from all Federal con-
troll and superv sion. And it still further
provides for the repeal Of the law which
now authorizes the destruction of distill-
ing apparatus in the event of seizure ON
account of Illicit operations. This is in
tended. of course to benefit the m on
sinners Of the South, and protect them
against the revenue officers who are now
SO distaSteful to them In the face of
such liberal concessions to the liquor
makers and liquor sellers, Mr.. Mills has
the efIrontery to 90 on charging that the
Republican party is in favor of free
whisky, and declaring that his bill is de-
signed to tax the liquor business in the
interest of tariff reform Fortunately,
the American people are too intelligent
to be mlsed by his bold and persevering
demagOguery.