The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-03-13
TO POPULARIZE TAXES.
Mr.. Goodloe Proposes Plan to Popular
ize the Internal Revenue Tax.


ize the Internal Revenue Tax.
To the Editor:-A year or two ago,
proposed plan Co. popularizjng tn
National Internal Revenue system ~
transferring the collection to the States.
on the condition that the States were
10 have one-third of the revenue. ]
mentioned this idea to n prominent Vir
ginia politician recently, who caught
al it at once. and said, and with ii
we could provide fund for pensionine
the Confederate soldiers" My idea was
that it would be great addition, to the
school fund, of the South: but if one
third OF the States third were added to
the Confederate pension fund. the pro-
vision now made for the old soldiers
would he increased about tenfold. The
Internal Revenue of the United States
row collected annually in North Caro-
lima. appr0ximates three million dollars
During the last fiscal year it amounted
to $2,760, 341.J0. The system is very
unpopular, i'll all parts Of the country.
But if the collection were turned over
to the States officials, ON the terms here
proposed, the whole people would become
deeply interested in the rigid enforce
ment Of the law, and the result would
be, a considerable percentage Of in
crease in the amount collected. The
county officers. whether sheriffs or col
Icctors. YClld he closely watched by the
peop,c and by the general government.
Inc aggregate Internal Revenue cOlec-
ted during the hast fiscal year, as APP
pears in the Commissioners Report. was
f4sI M al
would be nearly $49,000,O00. If it were
distributed among the States in proper
tom To population, the share of North
Carolina would be about as great as it
would be if they were to receive the
third Of what is collected in the State.
for the population of the State is quite
Il fortieth Of that of the Union. Some of
the States pay no revenue tax, or 50 lit
tie that the collection is made by off
GERS belonging to other States. Miss
issipp, for instance, is annexed TO
Louisiana; Delaware TO Maryland, and
Of the fOrty-fye States, only thirty-fou
appear in the list of Internal Revenue
paying States. Illinois is the great
whiskey State and pays the government
above thirty-twO millions for the priyi-
lege Of manufacturing the article. New
i vi Il tOllltS IltAU Will ciSIBltSI tIllnOIlE,
made mostly on tobacco, perhaps next
comes Kentucky with fifteen millions.
the fruits Of her manufacture of Old
Bourbon and tobacco. Ohio pays nearly
thirteen millions. mostly on whislley;
Pennsylvania eleven and half million
on whiskey. South Carolina lis put down
at ninety-three thousand dollars, and
Arkansas credited with ninety thousand,
But these nOn-revenue paying States art
SO nOminally rather than really-fOr they
consume the articles and pay for them
quite as much as the States in which
they are manufactured. And it is well
established principle i'll political economy,
that the consumer pays the duty" They
are therefore entitled to come in for A
full share.
The government would lose nothing.
The revenue system would work smooth
~, and a great deal of odium would
be got rid of, and much more revenue
would he collected.
The North ought to favor the plan;
as it would be tardy repatriation for the
incivism of which they were guilty
thirty years ago. in enfranchising four
millions Of illiterate men without voting
IL dollar for their cducatiOn-a task,
which they imposed on the impoverished
South. "
DANIEL r. GOODLOE.