The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-08-14
IN CIVIL WAR TIMES.
What the Federal States Endured to
Establish Human Freedom.


Establish Human Freedom.
The outbreak of the Civil war in our
country paralyzed not only trade but
finances and hnancieTs as we'll The
practical reputation of commercial debts
due the North by the South brought
disaster and bankruptcy. Trade sank
to zero" said the New York Tribune
CAS- Indicative of the difficulties encoun-
tered by those responsible for raising
money wherewith to carry on the war,
we note the fact that on Saturday, Dec
2S 1861, the managers OF the New York
banks decided that they must suspend
specie payments. Some men of wealth
are said to have transferred their prop
erty to Europe But as showing how
the cause of the country lay at the heart
Of the people generally, three notable
quotations are here given from the third
volume Of Rhodes History"
Asa Gray wrote, Oct. 4 MY wife and
| have scraped up $3.50, all we can serape,
and lent it to the United States; James
Russell Lowell wrote to a friend: II had
little Italian bluster of brushwood fire
yesterday morning, but the times are
| too hard with me to allow of such ex-
travagance The horror Of my tax bill
has so infected my imagination that
see myself and all my friends begging
entrance to the p. H."-poor house Jan.
| /, 1862, Emerson found himself in as
poor plight as the rest Of the Amer
leans: mot a penny from my books
since last June, which usually yield five
or six hundred year. No dividends
from banks or property. In
come from lectures has quite ceased, and
how to pay three or four hundred dollars
with fiftyiH
| He tried to sell a wood lot, but found
no purchaser. He speaks of rivals in dis
tress and economy, and then concludes
"But far better that this grinding should
go on bad and worse, than we be driven
! by any impatience into hasty peace or
any peace restoring the old rottenness."
In so saying, Emerson spoke the senti-
ment of our people them and nowl
1t may be of interest to our readers
to recall the scheme of taxation which
became a law July l, 1862 1t was an
act so comprehensive and searching as to
remind several writers Of Sydney Smiths
| humorous and famous account Of British
taxation in 1920 wide Edinburgh Re-
view" January, 1920 Under this act,
distillers of spirits, brewers of ale, beer
and porter, all manufacturers, wholesale
and retail dealers, men in all kinds of
business and professions were required TO
pay for licenses. A duty of 20 cents per
gallon was imposed on spirits, 81 per bar
rel on malt liquors, and heavy duties on
tobacco and cigars
Many products and nearly all manu-
features and articles were taxed--car
riages, yachts, billiard tables, plate,
slaughtered cattle, hogs and sheep, rail-
road bonds, passports, legacies and dis
tributive shares Of personal property. A
duty of per cent was laid on the gross
receipts of railroads, steamboats, and toll
bridges, on dividends of banks, savings
institutions, trust and insurance com
panies, on the gross receipts from adver-
tisements in newspapers and on the sal
aries and pay of officers and persons in
the service Of the United States above
an exemption Of $500. A tax of per
cent was imposed on incomes less than
$4,000, and of per cent on incomes
over $4,000, with an exemption of 5000.
Stamp duties were imposed upon every
species of paper used to represent or
transfer property, on medicines or prep
arations, on perfumery, on cosmetics and
playing cards. Many details are here
omitted, but those given are interesting
as compared with the taxes imposed at
the present time In March, 1888, the
transcription act was approved, operating
directly on the people of the nation in
stead of through the states. Just now,
when changes are being made in the pro-
visions of the selective draft it is inter
esting to recall that under the conscrip-
ton act of 1863 "all able bodied male
citizens of the United States between
the ages of 20 and As years and foreign
ers intending to become citizens" were
subject to military duty and to enroll
ment. Provision was made for certain
exemptions and for favorable regard Of
married men. Any drafted person could
furnish substitute or pay 5000 to the
government as an exemption! One won.
ders how that last and most undemo-
cratic provision of the CONSUMPTION act
ever got enacted. 1t was both unjust
and foolish, and worked measureless mis-
chief.
By the tax act of 1862, distilled spir-
its paid 20 cents per gallon. But in Jan.
uary, 1864, in accordance with recon-.
mendations of the commissioner of in
ternal revenue, bill was introduced
raising this tax to 60 cents. Various
amendments to this bill were offered.
and long and fierce debate ensued over
taxing whiskey on hand BY the act
approved in June, 1864, the tax on spirits
was made $3.50 per gallon, and So was
to be imposed on and after Feb. |, 1865.
At the same time the income tax was
raised, as follows: per cent on incones
over 5000 and less than $4,000; ~ per
cent on incomes between $4,000 and $f0,-
600; and 10 per cent on the excess over
$4,000 Hartford Courant.