The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-08-02
WOULD IUONi~ JEIIIKSON ABOL-
I~H rIII PEI~iNT INTERN ALKEN "
NII St>TIN?


I~n TuI PEISTNTINTEEN tLKENL-
NJE SYSTEM?
1T is perfectly easy TO provide the
necessary revenue for the support Of
tho Government by means Of that sys-
tenn known as the internal revenue sys-
TEN. with which Ne have become ia
Iniliar during The last twenty-five years.
10 is. properly speaking. an excise sys-
tenn. aud IL can easily be made 10 pro-
duce all the revenue that is necessary
for the needs of the Government eco
nomicaily administered.
Thus all duties upon foreign impor-
tations may at once be abolished. and
the United States may be brought 70 the
enjoyment of perfect free trade with all
foreign nations whatever. The custom
houses may be shut up and every pro-
duct Of every other country may he dd-
mitted free Of duty
1T ia for the people to determine
which Of these Two systems they viii
have. lf they wish for free trade, they
can repeal the tliin aud rely upon the
Internal revenue: and AZ we have SAID.
II can easily supply an the needs Of the
government. Il they do not wish FOR
free trade. then they VIII be Obliged
either 20 abolish the internal revenue
system and agree with Thomas Jeifcr-
son that It is an Internal system, or else
they will have ID reduce IL 30 greatly
that its abolition viii be "a question of
comparative unimp0rtance.
Free trade is now within the reach
Of the American people. # they desire
it. Do they - Neir lOrl. SUM- Ju!V31.
There are American people who de
sire free trade, bat who know that it is
one of the good things not now attain
oblo. but who oirh TO make the best
use OF such msans as are now in THEN
power to tighten the burdens Of taxa
ton. and put them where they properly
belong.
There are American people who be
lieve with all their hearts that whisky
and tobacco should be taxed before
clothes and food. There are American
people who believe that general tarh
in any shape an injury to the
best interests Of the people, and
most pefniciou5 eystem of raising Il
revenue and that prefecture tariff is
an iniquitous peryersiou Of the iunds
mental principles Of government
These American people believe that
Thomas Jefferson il justly re
garded as the founder of the
Democratic party, and they
adhere TO his principles as being the
best opponents Of the rights of the pee
ple. His name has, however, beenused
to sustain positions which they believe
were he alive. he would utterly scout
1t is true that in his first message to
Congress after his election to the Pres.
idenov. he recommended the abolition
of internal taxes, and as his biographer.
Randall says:
The internal taxes on stills, and on
domestic distilled spirits refined sugar.
licenses TO retailers, sales at auction.
carriages for the conveyance OF persons.
stamped vellum, parchment, paper, &c.
were abolished after the Let Of june
llSO2l and the army of officers em-
ployed IN their collection discontinued.
These taxes which had caused 20 much
excitement, and even An instruction
whisky Instruction yielded arevenue
IF scarcely q million Of dollars, and |
about fourfcHh of il had been con
sumed in the expenses Of collection
What reasonable comparison between |
such an internal revenue system touch /
ing such a number OF subjects, produc-
ing such meagre revenue, and giving I
such irritation TO the people, can be
drawn with that which il Is conceded,
is sufficient to inset all the require
ments Of the government, and which
has been established for twenty five
years, reduced, we may say. to a
science. and effects only whisky and
tobaccoy
May the shade Of Thomas Jefferson
defend us from such Democrats as these
who so take bis name in vain