The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-06-18
HOW LONG WILL WAR TAXES LAST.


1t is estimated that the new tax law.
rightly called war revenue measure, will
yield the government about $15O 900, 900 a year
additional revenue. This is a large sum to
be paid in addition to previous revenue, but
the people will pay it willingly because it
is rendered necessary by the war. Yet they
will be glad when the necessity no longer
exists. The new law will be more sensibly
felt by the people than any revenue meas
ure since the civil war, because it is largely
an excise or internal-revenue tax, and af-
fects directly many interests that have not
been taxed before, and, as the payment of
such taxes is always more or less irritat-
ing, they will be glad when the law can be
either partially or wholly repealed In deal
ing with the tax law passed during the civil
war, which was more comprehensive than
the present one, though following the same
general lines, Congress established the
precedent of repeating war taxes as soon
as circumstances would permit, and doubt
less it will do SO in this case. The internal
revenue law of the civil war period was
passed July l, 1862. The law, by its terms,
was to go into operation on the 1st of Sep
TENDER, but in consequence of unavoidable
delay in preparing stamps, the appointment
Of officers, etc. It did not go fully into op-
GRAFTON until towards the close of the year.
During the first ten months of 1863 it yield
ed, in round numbers, Sal 200, 900; during 1864
the receipts from it were SIG, 900 600; in 1866
they were s211,OOo,OOO, and in 1866 they
reached the enormous figure of 5000 900 OOO
This, be it remembered was from internal
revenue taxes alone, and the resources of
the country We're nothing like as great then
as they are now. The civil war left so
enormous a debt that the necessity for a
war revenue was still pressing, yet Con-
gress lost no time in reducing taxes, and
within three years after the close of the
war taxes We're repealed to the amount of
$11O0O0,0O0. The stamp tax continued sew
eral years after the war, and the tax on
distilled spirits and tobacco has continued.
with occasional changes. to the present
time.
The duration Of the new tax Jaw depends
on the duration of the war and the addition
1t may cause to the national debt. In
fortunately, the debt was materially in
I.
Cleveland's administration, and it will be
very considerably increased by the war.
Even if active hostilities should cease by
the end of the year, we shall probably have
to maintain an army of occupation in Cuba
Tor a year or two longer pending the es-
Enlistment of stable government, and per-
haps also in the Philippines. The mainte-
nance of such armies would not be quite as
expensive as actual war, but not much less
SO. Our war debt may be largely reduced
or wholly lquidated by the indemnity we
shall exact from Spain, in which event war
taxes could be promptly repealed These
are matters of conjecture, regarding which
no definite opinion can be formed but if
Congress acts as promptly in reducing tax
alton after this war as it did after the civil
war, the new law, with it's irritating ma
chlnery, may not last more than two or
three years. Meanwhile, the people should
remember that it is distinctly war meas
ure, and that patriotism as we'll as good
citizenship calls for hearty compliance with
its provisions.