Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-01-12


So much has been said To the prejudice
OF ciearotte-snoking. it IS 10 he feared
that tho manufacturers Of this article
will have but few defenders In Congress-
unless Vhgluians and Cuolinians boldly
Lad and demand that the case bee given
fair hearing upon 30, merits.
There are numbers Of w'll-meaning but
dcltced poople-ospoda Now England
pecplc-vho think that it IS a crime either
To- grow or manufacture tobacco, and these
pcreeus and those others who believe that
cicarctte-smofirg docs great injury 70
lie health o. boys viii ba foremost In
cIcmorng for the cXOrbitant tax recon-
ueiGed by the House Committee Oh Ways
and Means. III, present rate IS 30 cents
on the thousand: tho committee recon-
efds Tat this Do raised to $1.J0-that is
10 say. thcy propose to triple the tax at
ON. stroke. II any New Engl9nd interest
were t. h., assalel iA this manner we
should haar a howl long and loud. Shall
W. De- n no wlile we are being subjected
f. such Injustice We say no. II Is our
privilege AMI our duty to protest against
such an rnconscionablc increase and We
o.rlt TO Try 90 make ourselves heard.
Not since pens AMI ink were invented
bae NOR, nonsense been written on any
subject than on tie so-callcd cigarette
evil" whatever III bctides boy now
a.fays IS almost unfailingly attributed to
clcalc.te. smoking. We shall not under
take 10 deny that boys who carry ciga-
rette-sncking 70 excess injure their
healh-ana so 10 the boys who play foot
han--but we DO Lcny that the cigarette is
responsible FOR q third part OF tho evils
charged to its account
ANYHOW. a tariff or tax-bil IS not the
Mace 10 lcgislats upon peoples habits. IL
is the place TO distribute fairly ana nom
cs,lv the burdens Of taxation. and the
cie.s rette should bear its tair proportion
% that burden-no more, no less; but 10
tax cigarettes $3.50 per 1900 IS an out
rage. pure and simple.
- {, 10 alleged that Richmond and Nir-
sdnia have n selfish interest in this mat
tor we shall mako no denial; but we have
lust as much right Ia be selfish as any
other constituency has. Unless our oh
serVatlon is vastly at fault every con-
stituency is doing its best at Washing
tor 10 protect its own interests. and If we
10 not look out for ourselves We may be
s,,re tha, nobody else will look odt for
US
There are thousands OF planters and
thousands Of working-sirls who are In
terested in this matter Their concern and
ours is lest this great industry should be
,u,irstly and unnecessarily injured. There
fore We ask our representatives in Con-
eress TO be on their guard and not allow
ursa,bstantiated statements 10 be made,
eitfer as 10 the cigarette habit, or as to
the buslness-methods Of the capitalists
whose fortunes are embarked In the man
rfacture OF this article. and TO secure If
nessible a more reasonable rate than SltO
on the thousand.
Virginians are Just az disinterested and
patriotic I'm this matter as New England
* IN asking for free coal and free iron
nre: as members OF the New York dele
ration are IN demanding the protection ~
their salt interest: as Alabama, West Nir-
v,ria and other States are I'm insisting
hat their iron-ore and coal interests shall
not be needlessiy sacrificed, and 50 we
needn't have any hesitation IN speaking
but"