The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1894-01-05

Levy No More Indirect Taxes Necessities
Not iuxurie~.

lazy No WORE tHUtftft Ntte*>Att>
Not iuxuries.
Queer reports have gone ont from
Washington lately. Democrats sent
there 10 lit the heavy tax burden of
this shoulders cf the masses are said -
he seriously considering the placing of
new duties that viii rest almost entire
ly npon the shoulders Of farmers. la
horcrs and mechanics IL i estimated
that a tax Of 10 cents per pack on play
ing cards viii yield a cycnue Of ST.
5oA. eco: that a tax Of one cent on each
package Of proprietary medicine will
produce $1,000. 600; that an increase of
the tax ON cigarettes from 50 cents 10
81 ner 200 VIII add Si.50o. 900. E>ti-
mates have also beer made Of the rev
enue that would come from increasing
the tax on whisky and from placing a
tax upon leaf tobacco.
Nine-tenths of all such tax are
paid by people who work for n living
and whose Incomes are less than 81 "A
DAY. IL j. not Ia the point t. say that
these articles are Injuries or are even
unnecessary and harmful. The fact is
that the worhingman now uses them
and wonld continue To use them 10
about the same extent even il the pro-
posed taxes be imposed. He considers
il his privilege to dose up with pro-
rrie,ary medicines, to play cards,
10 chew and smoke tobacco and To
drink whisky. These are a part of his
personal liberties II is 10 maintain
them intact that he votes the demo-
cratic ticket He did not vote for the
subcommittee on internal revenue to
act as a monitor over his affairs. Nor.
in fact, does this committee intend
these axe for disciplinary purposes.
Why, then, levy any more taxes upon
consumption-taxes which always bear
heavily upon the comparatively poor
and compel individuals 20 pay. not in
proportion to their ability, but to their
needs.
Ii is scarcely possible to lay an indi-
rect tax that Will not be paid by the
already overturned poor consumer. 1t
is entirely possible 10 lay a direct tax
that Will not touch the ordinary wage
Garner, but Will compel the now ex-
empted millionaire to contribute a
moicty of his immense income to the
support OF the government hat pro-
tects his possessions. A tax on lega-
cies; a tax on the incomes of corpora
tiops hal partake Of the nature of
monopolies. or even the inquisitorial
tax Oh individual inco<cs are prefer
able by far 10 any Indirect tax. Any
or all of these can toe levied and made
to yield an immense income without
taxing over and over again the same
persons who are now taxed almost out
of house and home.
But aside from this double taxation
of the masses and the practical ex-
emption OF the rich under indirect tax
alton. there are other important rea-
sons why we should change to direct
taxation as rapidly as possible. All of
the revenue from a direct tax goes to
the support Of the government An in
direct tax usually puts more in the
pockets of private individuals and cor-
porations than into the government
vaults. Thus the import duty of one
half cent per pound on refined sugar
has taxed the American people To the
ten Of $50, 900, 900 a year. The duty of
s13 ~ per ton on steel rails has drained
about $50, 0O0. 900 from the people
during the last three years. In neither
case has the government received any
benefit rom these indirect taxes
When a person pays a direct tax he
realizes that he is paying a tax and he
keeps his eye On the government to see
If it needs al of the revenue collected
and does not waste any of il. Indirect
taxes are not seen or felt when paid
and the payer of them does not concern
himself about the use To which they
are put They thus drain away his
substance and weaken and deaden his
feeling of responsibility as a citizen.
1t is no part of the business Of demo-
Gratis t. levy new indirect taxes, oil
even to spend time discussing taxes
hat are better adapted for Instruments
OF extortion in the hands of monarchs
than as revenue measures in "A repub-
lie, where every voter should be made
10 feel in part esponsiblc for every act
of government BYRON W. IIoLT.
THE MERCILESS SUGAR TRUST.