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Article: Presidents since Washington have fought tax battles; Tariffs originally levied by government only for excise, foreign goods.(NATION)
- Article from:
- The Washington Times (Washington, DC)
- Article date:
- January 17, 2003
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 News World Communications, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: Thomas V. DiBacco, SPECIAL TO THE WASHINGTON TIMES
President Bush's unfolding of a massive tax-reduction plan for Americans has sparked a political fight - as has every such presidential effort in the past.
In the old days, the federal government taxed Americans with a light hand. Under President Washington, there were excise taxes (on liquor for example) and the indirect taxes of tariff duties on foreign goods, which protected American business from outside competition while raising revenue.
But other than these two levies, Americans - rich or poor - were tax-free as far as the federal government was concerned. Revenues from tariffs ...