Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-11-23

~ of The distribution. II the value Of Stale lid
should lie raised by it, the gain would he TO ns 70 the
er, often a Spectator and foreigner, ana he deore
States, unless they sell more, which is tod. 10 Now
Gated and prevented rather than encoo,sJ ncIudng
Sir moment to the States not inn # Tho Sena
North Carolina and reply to the class five ar ii,
lor from Kentucky. Several Of n 90 l,,I ,h,, The
in number, owe nothing e ep remarked indebted but
thirteen 'os1tet nv he aggregate. They throw lCt
in''p'" ''''.'o" - hence would receive over mn
hon onehrd Of in disguise to even them First
oies's ~ :, .hen not needed, to pay pflncipai OF III
me! 'eoc c ,,r debs-next they receive IL wheh no
e's o1 works of internal improvement, or coionc1
"ah'eu' even education. Their other resources Io
os, purposes ampe-or they nave no loaus Vi "a
70 make which would be profitable or not involve
m in further and runous pendture and many liza We
no blacks to colonize.
Furhcrmo,e if they had all those things to be done
they could more economically by their state system OIL
axaton collect this very million OF dollars, than have
i collected from them is TO be by the General
Government with costs, commissions, interest, ano
other uddtons-and then only the naked sum, handed
hack as a distributions gift and bessin g-Whlch
they themselves have been obliged te contribute from
the sweat Of their own brows.
This then, is the subtle Greek gift, TO be feared
most by them. This your reef-your Wing reliei!-
The generous dealing with the States not indebted u.s.
TO rive them single dollar, but what is extracted
| from them again in taxrs-in most cases TO collect
when they do not need the proceeds OF II; 10 force
them often into wasteful extravaganza with 1t, and
cause still further taxation 10 meet H. or, II loaned OUT
for profit 10 become brokers, and lend II 10 large COT
porations or if distributed per capita to promote d'sl
nation and waste those receiving IT, as II IT was some
aambng lottery or other chance windall, which -
usually most perncious and immoral IN It's operation.
But there are Sir back ofa these some considerations
affecting inurousy both the indebted and non-indept-
ed States By changing The system OF taxation from
- tn md
collection off to distance the General Government
instead bringing home by State officers 10 their own
DOORS openly 'eang up their substance; the States
in appearance, feel the tax less while their ctzens ID
truth nav more The States are tempted not only, IN
fact, to increase the public burdens in this way, but 10
embark in additional enterprises, larger expenditures,
and TO conduct their whole finances in more profuse
and even prodigal Beside tiis and over all
this greater portion of the tax thus wrung from
the consuming States, that do not manufacture and
greater benefit conferred on other States that do
In every way them regards the States in their Sc
parate State capaccs-the distribution is delusion TO
a-unequal aud unjust to many-realiy benehc,ai 10
none; and 6scelly well as politically, 10 the whole,
most pernicious in its tendencies.
! But when turn moment TO The people as indIvi-
duals and without reference to their governments, whe-
Their State or Federal the operation of this measure IS
/ oppressive in the extreme.
Beside its general tendency TO relieve property or ca
initial from taxation as admitted by the Senator before
| IL, r.. 81
own H. and who least need relief as cass-besdes its
termination 10 make more expen dture and debt, which
aid the same class and to assist the foreign and domes-
tic funGholder, who, often bought in on speculation,
and undeseryedly, has gotta new security TO the small
extent Of The amount paid over by US to the indebted
States land who are, in truth, the only persons aided
by it. except jobbers in politics. as we'll as IN stocks)
the change which it forces in the tariff operates on
vast majority Of the community, with most destruc-
| tive partialIty.
e rpn1a ub.rb yIl mo
in lis details TO The business and bosoms Of all In
consequence of giving away by this distribution three
millions of the proceeds Of the public lands it is pro-
posed to reduce the duties on no necessarles OF HE,
but among other things 10 raise them twenty per cent
| on tea and coffee.
Now, Sir, this last will yield, on our average con-
SUMPTION only about two millions and not, as misap.
pretended by many, nearly three millions. The du.
ties on salt and moasses about one and hall
millions, and in 1912, when at twenty per cent, VIII
not much il any, exceed million. Hence It iol-
lows that both salt and molasses might be made free,
and coffee and tea left free five did not give away tins
three millions, and in consequence oil 1t require The
high tax Of twenty per cent to be retained on salt ana
moasscs, and as high one to be imposed anew on
tea and coffee Hence, Sir, yon the FIRST bitter
fruits 10 tho mddling and poorer classes over the
whole country of this boosted bene yolen distribution
Ia four other greatest necrssa',es, u'e tse
millions in amount, which might otherwise De ehlleiy
free.
nut this is not the worst feature in the oppression
thus caused to the farming interest-mechanics with
small estates and last though not least, to the mere Ia,
boring classes of every kind OF workmen They, all
toreher constitute much of the bone and muscle oil The
community and not only the physical power, but much
Of the sound intellect the useful intelligence, Tie soul
the morals the industry and life blood oil society IL De-
comes virtually abhorent pota1 on these classes or
large portion ofths unnecessary burlhen Inns Is mol
n poDular TRADE To prove by facts, and to see our
selves how they are treated by this change in the sys
lem of collecting three millions ny The tariff, instead
Of the Saics-a change much Landed by the Senator
from Virginia-let us examine single computation
Take my own State, and which in this respect may DC
a fair sample not only for the interior oil the East Du
of The whole Union. The population OF New Hamp
shire, is a little less than 100000, paying State
county, pauper, and school tax, of not over Saoo,ooo
or dollar per head. OF this, small farmer, with
, a family of five children, making seven, the ave
rage number OF family would not generally pay over
Eve dours because SYSTEM as that OF other States
ia TO collect taxes chiefly from capital, valuable houses
and lands from stock in trade money at interest, bank
shares horses &c. In this condition OF things The
distribution is made. and New Hampshire, with he
present electoral vote, would receive S1O,OOO i
this amount was then to be supplied, as It must be, By
taxes and those collected under our State system, ra
ther than hy the proposed resort 10 The tariff the arme
and his family OF seven would pay oil only 81 ~ more
But by an increased duty of twenty per cent on tei
and coffee alone which equals only two millions, and
D hence would or should, be equal, impose New
HAMPSHIRE only two thirds of the S70,OOO he has II
pay about 81 a. instead OF 81 To- being an addition Of
loss to each farmer of more than fifty per cent Thus
on pound and half of tea the average consumption
per head il is nine cents, which for seven persons i
sixy-hree cents. On six pounds Of coffee per head
at two cents pound is twelve cents, and for sever
persons al. These alone make 81 A. Add TO these
the assessment above twenty per cent for home valu
a,ion the increased price for cash duties, and The
profits of the intermediate dealers on those and the du
y and they constitute the whole, higher charge
yearly each former by at least thirty cents more
This would make 81 a. paid to raise only twothrd'
the amount, instead of 81 16 paid under Stale tax t'
raise the whole Thus it is manifest that he pays il
this way sxty-one cents these articles alone
or above fifty per cent more, than he would under the
State lakes and beside all this, continued TO be sub
eced TO twenty per cent taxes all his salt and mo
f lusses that might otherwise be free.
But take the class OF aborers and artisans, who pay
merely poll tax that and COW or small house ant
garden, which might make their whole State taxation
with family Of seven, not exceed dollar or dolla
a and quarter This class drink much coffee anC