Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1888-09-13
an iNoEPENpENT vlEW.

/ George ygnliAm Curtis ON Hepabllcanism
| and Whisky.
General Garfield stated 8 sound and
! just rule of taxation. and expressed
the feeling of conscientious and intel
igent Americans, "a saying:
First we tax the wees Of the people. II that
tSsm may be properly applied to some Of their
social habits The smokes. AND drinks. and
chews of the American people pay almost one
ternal revenue laws"
Tho wisdom of the tax, he said,
would not be disputed by any one
Hamilton, advocating an excise tax
upon wines. spirits distilled within the
United States teas and coffee, said
that they could better than most 9TH
ers bear high duties because they
were luxuries, and some of them in ex-
cessive use pernieious Injuries This.
he said, was especially true of ardent
spirits. and added:
"Should the increase of duties tend to a de-
crease of the consumption Of these articles,
the effect would be IN every respect Desirable"
Mr.. jefferson writes to General Sam
uel Smith in 1928: g
81 shall be glad, too, il an additional tax Of
one-fourth Of q dollar q gallon on whisky shall
enable US - meet all our engagements with
W .
system OF excise. was once glad 10 see it fall.
with the rest of the SYSTEM which I,considered
| a. premature and unnecessarily introduced.
But she prostratioa OF body and mind wh,ch
| the cheapness of this liquor is spreading
through the sass Of OUT citizens now calls the
I attention OF the LEGISLATOR q very different
| principle. One of his importanf duties IS =
| guardian OF those who. from causes susceptible
Of precise definition. can not take care OF them
selves. Such are infants, maniacs, gamblers,
drunksrds. The last as much rs the maniac re-
Quires restrict We meas ure3 to save him from
| the fatal infatualon under which he Is destroy
| ing his health, his MORALS his family and his
| usefulness TO society," One powerful obstacle
| % his ruin by selI-indulgencc would be a price
beyond his com petence. AS sanitary meas
| ure, therefore. it becomes one OF duty in the
| public guardians"
This is q Jeffersonian doctrine
Grafton at the cross roads OF both par
ties.
General Grant, In his second annuai
| message. said:
with the revenue stamps dispensed by tie
| postmasters in every community. o aax apon
liquors OF AL Sorts and tobacco in ali its FORMS
and by wise adjustment of the tariff which
will put tax only on those articles which We
| could dispense with, knowa as luxnries, and
those which we use more OF than we produce,
reFenue enough may be rased,s etc
Senator Edmunds, when il was pro-
posed to modify the whisky tax, said
that question of morals was Involved
in the retention of the tax. and added:
THE true principle upon which taxation
ought to be imposed is 20 put the highest pos
sible rate on articles OF luxury; and what can
be SO than this, article the pro-
duction OF which it would be great advantage
20 this country il it could be discouraged in
stead OF encouraged. and leave The corn and
the wheat and the rye that go into you poison
to be fed to the children of the arunlSard. in
stead OF turned into liquid and given TO him as
drink?'
/ Senator Hawley SAID In Congress:
.'Iwiu not vote for the entire abolition of di-
rect taxation, nor can the gentleman find
wise government or a wise head Of finance in
any foreign country that is in favor of taking
all duties from whisky and tobacco. They are
the legitimate plumber Of the tax collector. fhe
legitimate plum Ter Of the exchequer, in every
government of the world They all get . Large
part of tneir revenues from them We should
be immeasufab3y and inspffcrabiy foolish II we
abolished those taxes am aga INST it.''
In the same year the Republican
convention in Maine resolved shat:
I'VE are unalterably opposed 20 she abolition
or reduction of the internal Fcvenue tax on
liquors, and demand that all possible reduction
OF taxation should be made on)necesserieS. and
not upon luxurcs."
Mr.. Emerson in his essay 81 eivilis
cation, says that . wise government
puts fines and penalties on pleasant
vices, and added:
"What q benefit would the american Gov
eminent, not yet relieved Of its extreme need.
render to itself and to every city, village and
hamlet in the States if it would tax whisky and
rum almost to the point OF prohibitionr
Mr. Blaine, the chief authority of the
Republican party.of to-day. agrees with
Senator Edmundss Hssaid last Deem
Der:
Observation-Disclosures than those of financial
admins tfation are 20 be taken into account
with regard to whisky. There is a r,oral side
% it. II cheaper the price Of whisky is to in
crease Its consumption enormously There
would De NO sense in urging the reform wrought
by high license in many States if the National
Government neutraliZes the good effects by
making whisky within the reach OF every one
at twenty cents . gallon. Whisky would be
everywhere distilled if the surveillance of the
Government were withdrawn by the remission
OF the tax. and illicit sales could not then be
prevented even by a policy as rigorous and
searching as that with which Russia pursues
the NlhilistS. 1t would destroy high license 1T
once in all the States. So long as
there is whisky to ta2 would tax it.
The tax on whisky by the Federal Govern
snent with its suppress on of Illicit distilia-
ton and consequent enhancement of price
has been q powerful agent in the temperance
Feform by putting 1t beyond the reach of SO
many"
F These views, so var as Shey are
modern. were. until recenSly, Repub-
lican views. They were the views of
a party of moral ideasa of a party
which. perceiving the terrible conse-
quences to the individual and to
society of the unrestricted use of
ardent spirits, would limit the use by
high taxation. ghis has been the
policy of the Republican party. 1t has
asked the support Of the friends of
temperance on the ground that it was
essentially a temperance party. because
it favored a hiDh tax in fhe, form of q