The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1888-05-25
The Internal Revenue System-.Its Effect
on the Morals of the People.


system is doomed to extinction.
The Internal Revenue System--Its Effect
on the Morals of the People.
From Biblical Recorder
Much attention is given in political cir
ces to the subjects of revenue and tariff.
Many advocate a modification of the tariff
and continuance of the internal revenue
on spirits and tobacco; others are in favor
of the repeal Of the internal revenue sys-
tem even if it should be necessary to re-
tain the present tariff; while still others
are in favor of both.
The discussion of the economic, fnan-
cial and political questions bearing on this
subject. We leave to the political papers
aud speakers, which will both be found in
exceeding abundance the coming summer
and fall. The Recorder Is not a political
paper, and We do not propose 20 enter into
political discussions; but there are certain
questions connected with many political
subjects which properly come within the
puryiew OF the religious paper, ard we
think this is one of them.
Just after the war, when the present
internal revel-I.c laws were first enforced
in the South many looked upon them as
laws imposed on the conquered by the con-
querors The sympathies of the people
were generally with the violators of the
laws, and when one escaped punis hment,
all his neighbors rejoiced. Hence arose
the practice of ''blockading," not only in
spirits, but also in tobacco. A young man,
who had been hauling tobacco, recently
told Us that at many places the merchants
openly asked for unstamped tobacco. These
views aud practices have seriously weak
ened the peoples sense of the binding
force of law. If one law can be violated
without moral guilt, SO can another. When
the public conscience is silenced concern
ing human law, it is but short step to a
diminution of the sanctity of divine law.
Again, there has been feeling, not
often expressed in words, yet none the less
potent, that, since the tax is oppressive
and the law unjust, any means to evade
it are excusable, if not justifable Hence
there has come tide of evasion, artfice,
trickery deception and perjury, that has
been Of untold evil. The moral sense has
been blunted, and law-breaking and crime
are less Odious than is best for the coun-
try.
Now, we are not arguing for '.free whis-
key and 'free tobacco" We still believe
that whskey is the prime curse of our
land. We desire to see all possible re-
strictions put upon the traffic. We voted
for prohibition. We are ready to do so
again. We are ready to join in with any
measures that promise to put fewer temp
tations TO drink in the way of our young
men. We are willing to see the curse
driven out inch by inch, or by one food
tide of prohibition. We are willing to work
for local option, and drive the enemy from
townships and counties, and towns, and
cities, and at length from the whole State
and the United States.
We are convinced that the use Of tobac-
co is useless, expensive, and in many cases
hurtful, and we should be glad to see it
discontinued among our people. But we
are satisfied that the internal revenue tax
does not diminish the consumption of spir
it's and tobacco. In some parts of th" cOun-
| try, sober, respectable citizen can not
get a quart of whiskey or brandy for Wed
| ical purposes, while drunken rowdy.
! who is a terror to his neighbors, can get
| as much as he has money to pay for. law
| OF no law. And we very much doubt
whether any government has moral right
to legalze the traffic by license, and to
draw its support from the earnings of the
laborer spent for whiskey, instead of being
spent for meat and bread for his wife and
children; for all know that it is the con-
sumer, not the dealer, who really pays the
| tax.
Another evil Of the system is its effect
F, on those who hold the Offices created there
by distinguished member of Congress
once expressed willingness to use his in
huence to get for young man of his ac-
quaintance position as storekeeper in a
distillery, on the ground that the young
man had no moral character to lose. he
offices ought to be held by men of good
moral character. Only moral men ought
to be entrusted with the enforcement of
the laws But what is more demoralzing
to a man than to give him an Office that
keeps him six days in the week in a dis
tillery. The man whose daily business 1t
is to visit distileries and to help to make
the traffic legal and respectable, will so, N
find himself excusing and upholding the
traffic instead of condemning it. 1t is a
frequent occurrence that when revenue
officer loses his place, he soon sets up a
dlstillery; and the whole tenor of the in
huence of these office-holders is towards
increasing the number of distilleries. In
proportion as these offices are held by men
of Responsibility and moral standing, to
that extent is their influence potent fOY
evil in this direction. ,4 ...
With these facts before US, we feel that
the moral interests of the country demand
that something be done to stay this tide o1
demoralizing influences.
G. W.. G..