Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1843-03-23


he rapacity Of projected interests has
,utstripped even dictates OF cautious po-
|icv, and by craving all has sighallY ex-
hibited the folly and injustice alike to the
and tie people of allowing
them any thing. The distribution sys.
TEN was expected to serve both as pre-
text and cover for the Imposition OF
high protective duties; and had such pro-
tectise duties realized t,le rapacious ex-
pectations Gifts projectors, would have a.
to the taxation Of the whole pen-
pie, IN order t. effect the distribution Of
the nett proceeds after the de,luctio of
the dunhle expenses Of collection and dis
bursement, IN unequal measure back TO
the same people, thioagh their organs. the,
State Governments.-'Ih failure, howe
Yer. at the TariF. through its own excess,
to raise revewue even sufficient for the
wants OF the Government. has made the
distribution system amount to the vet
more glarny absurditv of borrowing mo-
ney nn the faith If the Government, itself
plunged IN debt. and a needy borrower,
in order to give it away in unequal pro-
portions among the people who are to be
hurdened with payment. This, it is
maintained, is pa44,ab|v the effect OF any
Distribution laws for. however it NAV he
pretended that such distribution is only
te be made of the proceeds Of the public
Hand sales. it is clear to the most casual
observation. that the withdrawal of such
proceeds Ersm the ordinary reventies of
fhe government. Impulses the necessity of
raising an equal amount ty taxetion:
and # that expedient fail. as under the
present iniquou- Tariff, it has Failed. of
raising an equivalent amount by loan.
1t is. perhaps. impracticable for hui
man foresight to perceive all the nsid-
iaus tendencies Of the distribution poll
CIV for the subversinn of State sovereignty
and independence, and the corruption of
free citizens into mere stipendiaries Of
Federal bounty; but some of its most PAL
pahle evils strike every man.
1t would be bad enough Ito take an
illustration from Internal Improvement
by the General Government) to have
the national treasure collected from all,
expended even by the national councils
Within ltdt llSutdI otd-
ties, though to have the preteEce of justi-
location, such improvements when un-
dertaken by. Congress must have some
appearance Of nationality to recommend
them; but far more grevious would it be
10 have treasure belonging to the nation
at large. appropriated at the will. and &C:
curdsns to the caprices of each State. IT,
pom perhaps tie pettiest local objects
Under distributihn system, VIVA: too
becomes of the central which the people
of each State are entitled Sto~eSercise a.
yer their State Governments. and the
happy restraints which prevail over the
State Legislatures by reason ct their d.
rect responsibility to their constituen-
cies? The amount to be paid by the peo-
pie of State for their State Govern
Hents, would not be determined by
them exclusively, but the NatiodaI Con
gress, in which their voices would be
but one among many. The expendi-
lures of each State Government would
not be restricted by the liability Of its
Legislature TO answer to the people for
the taxes it imposed. but would be
guaged BY the hbera!ity of the Fed eral
Master. and determined by the quota
ITS caprice might dole out to its mendi-
can, States. The taxes of the General
Government being indirect, it would be
Impossible to ascertain and return to- each
State, were the effort industriously made,
the amour! it's citizens had contributed,
and SO one would profit by the bard. ear
- <t.n ~ -
not attempted, and to the Southern Sta
tes the system is most inequitable. We
contribute to taxation in proportion to
consumption. and by our slaves consump-
ton is believed to be very nearly equal
20 that OF the laboring classes among the
whites OF other States. We receive
back. however. upon them, but at the
rate Of three-fifths, while the other two
titths, taken from the consumption of our
slaves. is divided among the white elias
ses of other States. Surprising. howev-
err. by some unthought-of mode Of cacu-
lation and distribution, the exact amount
OF revenue contributed by each State be
ascertai3ed and returned, ho.v mostrous
te'take from the people Of each the right
to,de:ermine the amount OF its contrbu-
tieas- fer its own purposes. and how
we,se than idle, how corruptiug, to take
from them their own money. to return 1t
after the substracting of the expenses OF
fi!ching it from them, By insidious legis-
latlon. back to their own pockets!
fn the Address of the Republican
Convention of the end February, 1912.
this Distribution policy was discussed
with The eemprehensiveness, eloquence
and force f,r which its lamented author,
John Z. HoIaday. was emiuentiy distin-
guished. At our last Spring elections.
IT was the great issue. Wit, that argu-
ment in our hands, we went before the
people at the last Spring elections, and
they rendered most decisive verdict in
our iayor- That issue, was prosecuted,
as our opponents thought. in the most
advantageous aspect for them. The