The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1891-06-18
Pensions ARr NoT A tax.

levied or may levy. After the customary
denunciGtions Of THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE
as Pension Agents organ which has no
more to do with the merits Of the question
than the fact that portion OF the Courier
Journals readers were guerrillas and skulk-
ing bushwhackers during the war, The Coa-
ricr-JoWH0l proceeds 10 say:
A. a matter Of fact. the pension list consumes
more than oneIhrd 81 the total revenues Of the
country. Out Of every 500 raised by taxation, s35
Is for pensions. II there were no pensions 10 be
paid all internal taxes could be abolished. OR,
retaining our taxes whisky and tobacco. we
could abolish twolhrds Of our taxes on imports.
This is simply untrue, and grossly I'M
trus. Every man who has sense enough TO
read and write knows that the internal
revenue taxes do not have The slightest
relation TO pensions, and ihey would be
maintained if there were not a pension 10
be paid VIII the editor of the Courier
Jovn0l be brazen enough 10 assert that the
internal revenue taxes on oieO-margarine
were imposed and collected because Of need
Of the money 10 pay pensions? VIII he
have the assurance TO assert that if the
Pension Bureau were abolished those taxes
would be abolished, too. lie knows rs well
as any man that those taxes were imposed
al the urgent demand Of farmers and dairy
men Of the country, ms a measure Of protec-
ton for their butter They DO not care as
much as a Een;ucRian cares for a drink of
cold water, what the Government does with
the 100000 it collects every year from The
manufacturers and dealers in oleo marga-
rine, but they insist most firmly that the
tax shall be vigorously collected They
would double the amount If they could.
The tax on fermeuted and distilled liquors
has quite as little 10 do with pensions. The
great mass Of the people Of the country are
strenuously opposed TO free whisky and free
beer. They think these articles are quite as
cheap as they should be, and earnestly favor
the Governments retaining its present con-
troll Of their production and sale. If the
proposition TO abolish OF reduce the liquor
taxes were submitted TO the people il would
be defeated 10y a tremendous majority. Even
in the Courier Journals own State public
opinion is daily becoming more markedly
adverse TO free beer and free whisky. As for
the tobacco tax, that has been reduced 10 SO
near a nominal rate as 10 cut no figure in the
discussion. The remaining item Of internal
revenue tax is that on National Banks which
is maintained solely because of the wide
spread antagonism TO those institutions es-
pecially in the West, which would strenu-
ously oppose any proposition TO repeal the
tax.
This is the actual truth in regard 10 in
iernal-revenue taxation, and the Courier
Journal cannot gaiDsay it, The taxes would
not be permitted 70 be abolished if every
man and woman connected with the Union
army were in his or her grave, and not a
dollar was needed Cor pensions
The Courier Journal goes on TO say:
The assertion OF TnE NATTosAL TRIBUNE. that
were there no pensions the reasons for these
taxes would be precisely the same" Is not true.
The people do not pay taxes FOR the fun OF the
thing. They pay taxes 20 pay the expenses q
government, aud II the Government could be run
without expense the people would pay no taxes
We reiterate, with the greatest positive
ness, that what we have said is entirely
true, and we defy the Courier-JOUrnaI to
specify a single item Of revenue which is
maintained for the purpose Of raising money
10 pay pensions, or which would he abolished
if there were no pensions 10 be paid. This
is a fair and comprehensive challenge; it
embodies the whole essence Of the dispute,
aud If we are wrong the Courier-JOurnaE
should have no difficulty in showing that
we are.
Werepeat, and we challenge contradiction,
that every item on the schedules Of external
and internal revenues from the tax On oleo-
margarine 10 the duty on wool was placed
there solely on account Of economic or moral
reasons connected with itself alone; that IL
was placed and is maintained there with no
more reference 10 the use Of the money de-
rived from il for the payment Of pensions
! than 10 the use Of the same for building
protected cruisers or improving the Missis-
sippi River. The particular use to which
the money should be put after it was coll
lected played no part whatever in the ar
ranroment Of the schedules. The main
The only thing in fact-was TO furnish de-
sired protection 10 certain agricultural OF
manufacturing interests, or TO cnrb and con-
troll the manufacture aud sale Of intoxicat-
ing liquors.
ANOTHER OUTBREAK.
Gen. Bradley 4. johnson, who was Hang.
man General and Director Of Robberies for
the Army Of Northern Virginia, has had
another bad discharge from the mouth, on
the occasion Of unyailing n monument Il
the Confederate soldiers at Fredericksburg
when lac said