The National tribune., 1889-06-06
THE NATIONAL 4RIBUNE WASHINGTON c. THURSDAY JUNE 1882
WHO is PAYING TTq

WHO rs PAYING 1T?
Let us dissect this howl about money be-
ing drained from the pockets of the people
by oppressive taxation to pay enormous pen
sions"
Where does the money really come from to
pay the Nations debts to its saviors?
Not from the pockets of the hard-work
ing, tax-oppressed yeomanry," as the soldier
haters try to make believe. This class pay
but very small proportion of the revenues
of the country, and of that proportion only
a fraction is devoted to the payment of pen
sions.
The bulk of the taxes are paid by the men
who distil whisky, brew beer, manufacture
tobacco, or who buy French wines and arti-
cles of luxury, or who smoke imported Gig
ars.
The receipts of the United States last year
were $371, 403 277, of which there came
from
Taxes whisky, beer and tobacco.....s1 800, 891
Duties on barley flor beer) ............ l033, 6S7
Duties on fancy articles 29i936
Duties on kid Gloves. 2092, 4S8
Duties on foreign liquors, wines and
becr. 15.54O,o0l
Duties on 15,5403Ol
Duties on tobacco and cigars. ........ 9,127, 75s
969, IT'S
Here we have nearly one-half of the
entire revenue of the Government collected
from articles of luxury-the greater part
coming from those used by the wealthy or
extrayagant. The rest of revenue is derived
from duties imposed to encourage the de-
velopment of our manufactures and agri-
cultural industries
OF this 1911 ,403,2 there was paid out
To the S75, 029 102
10 the 3o'ooloZo
TO the 1911 127
10 the 8, 1885, oZ3
To the Bondholders interest......... AZ, l577
To the oliiceholders, s5,264s25
That is, the pensioner got, stated roughly
about 16S cents out of every dollar collected.
He received one-sixth of the revenues, where
the oficeholders, the bondholders, the army,
the navy and the Indians took five-sixths.
Now let us analyze this little farther,
and see how much each particular mans
contribution is toward the support of the
veterans of the Republic.
The tax on beer is 81 barrel of 80 gal
Ions. A skillful beer erker" will draw
from keg of eight gallons quarter of
barrel-from 80 to 125 glasses. Therefore,
the man who stakes his thirst with foaming
lager, has to drink from $50 to 500 glasses,
for which he pays from $18 to $25, before
the brewer who makes the beer contributes
81 to the National Treasury, of which but
165 cents goes to the pension fund. Evil
IDENTIFY the beer drinker is not oppressed
by the size of the pension bills.
Suppose the gentleman prefers whisky to
beer The tax on whisky is 80 cents proof
gallon. proof gallon makes about gal
lon and quarter of whisky of average
strength. IF we estimate the average drink
at half a gill, and the average price at 10
cents. the drinker will have to swallow SO
good-sized drinks, for which he pays the
gentlemaniy barkeeper" $500, before the
distiller contributes 90 cents to the reve-
nues, of which but Is cents goes for PEN
sions.
Or, let us take tobacco. The tax on ii
and its manufactures is
Cigars. SO 90 per 1000
Cigarets.. so
Smoking tobacco. per pound
A man has to smoke 1000 cigars, OF
almost three day for year, before the
manufacturer pays So into the Treasury, Of
which so cents goes for pensions. If his
cigars have cost him an average of cents
! each, he has paid the dealer in the mean
while $50. Or if he is consumer of the
lung poisoning cigaret be has had to smoke
10 day for 100 days-more than three
months-and pay the dealer $25, before the
latter hands over SO cents to the Revenue
Collector, of which but 81 cents goes fol
pensions.
If he prefers the more economical pipe, ht
will have to smoke 124 pounds of tobacco
costing all the way from $6 to $25. before
the dealer pays a tax of 81, of which 16;
cents goes TO the pensioners.
As the internal revenue taxes are mucl
higher od caIorem than any other, this vii
give some idea of the "oppressiveness of TIL
pension bills" of which the soldier-hater
pirate so much.
HOTEL RATES AT MILWAUKEE,.
Last week we published letter from Co
E. B. Gray, Past Adjutant- General, GAR
in regard to the hotel accommodations a
Milwaukee, in which he said:
At first the hotels here did refuse to assign room
in advance to anyone; but they have receded fror
/