Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1843-04-18
RICHMOND. TUESDAY, APRIL
THE TAX BILL.

THE TAX BILL.
Az the election draws nigh, the Wing presses and
,,to,a mi on more steam, and disseminate more ms
representations of this much abused law. Like the
heads OF the Hydra fast as one false view 10 cut up
by the ROOTS another instantly springs up III lis place
The number of interesting articles in our columns,
nrecludes us from noticing, but in brief TERMS the ne
batch of Wing errors that swarm IN from oil quarters
In its usual reckless spirit the Lynchburg Virgnan
speaks of the notorious Petersburg resolutions having
upainted with pencil of light, the "dIsorganlzlng
md revolutionary principles OF the tax BILL its "mo-
y arch;cni tendency" &c &c. Indeed, those who
read md rey on the Wing presses have not the most
distant idea Of the true state oil thngs VI Whatever
relates to party matters This is not confined 10 ther
presses and small politicians but 10 their
exposed in The two cohl'c',ng e1'a. MN .
addresses of the conventions in 40 and 43' II VIII
rest with the people on the 4th Thursday to cut the
C;ordan knot, and by their judgment, TO stamp the
rue Interpretation on this really Democratic measure
With them we cheerfully leave the decision
The Fredericksburg Arena asks, "why was u deem
ed necessary to increase the taxes oil Inc peoPe, 10
times like these to pay the PRINCIPAL OF the debt oil
Virginia The creditors of the State manifested no
uneasiness in regard to their money. The SIMPLE an
swer is that this bill does not provide for the payment
of the PRINCIPAL of the permanent debt OF Virginia.
Mr. Randolph clearly demonstrated to the Legislature,
that this bill would just enough 10 meet the current
expenditures Of the State the INTEREST the perma-
nent public debt and to assist in paying the floating debt
due the Banks the 18th of next December. On every
ground Of policy this last debt directed TO be paid
it was in accordance with the wise and earnest recon-
nendations of Lieut.. Governors Rutherford and Gre.
gory who thought that the State instead of leaning for
an uncertain support on the Banks who would thus be
cramped in their operations of aiding the community,
should take the bold ground of increasing the taxes to
pay off this floating debit and adopted permanent sys
tenn for thelredempton othe interest of The public debt
This is all the Legislature have done, and for this the
,u;uo meta nd thpv ionp lesa q
execration would and should, have followed their foot
steps The Arena puts forth the old slang about the
exemption Of overseers, on political grounds. We
scarcely deem necessary 10 reassert that thus bill was
framed so not 10 touch the salaries of city clerks,
(whom The Wing press represent as Uhigs0 below the
sum of $500. Had oyerseers, who generally receive
less than that sum- been taxed, it would have been so
much greater burhen on the "WhIs clerks, for
whom The Wings express SO much sympathy, and shed
SO many crocodile tears The Arena goes on :-"The
Wings will continue TO eschew reputation" They
certainly have shown most extraordinary mode Of
Virginia dreams of REPUTATION, but every man 10
Virginia must object TO having his hard-earned sub
stance forced from him. 10 subserve the ends Of dema
gogues, and sustain the interest of a party
Is it by invoking the people 10 "REsIsr' this just
law and thus deprive the State of the necessary
TO meet the State debt Ought not the Wings, on the
like good patriots, to aid in its execution and
place Virginia on impregnable position, instead Of
weakening the columns of her credit and honor' This
is the point in issue, and not the sends Of dema-
eogues," or "the interest of party Spite of all the
lnsldous efforts of The Wings to serve the interest OF
THEIR party" the people will sustain the law which
will sustain the State. We have no fears of their
shrinking from the noble work. No appeals to their
spirit 10 their passions, can make them
swerye from their duty to themselves and to the Union
The Southern Wing noticing Dr.. TateIns speech
at Portsmouth says: "His (Dr To- party had ma
al I md hayp
ed any bill they chose. If this abomnabe bill had
been rejected, another could have been framed in
"a hours lie could not tell why printer should pay
more tax on 5000 worth of TOOLS than farmer should
on his farm valued at $4,000. He did not explain why
a merchant worth capital Of $4,000 should pay TEN
TINES as much tax farm worth the same amount
nor why 81, 400 worth OF property in oun should pay
twice as much as $1,000 worth in the country Ii would
have been hard for him TO have given reason for taxing
small dealer with capital Of 5000, as much as land
ed country property worth S2ooo
We shall make very brief reply 10 the above vol
lev Of miss,atements We maintain, and the his
tory of the session, bears US out, that no other
Tax bill could have passed last Winter Nume-
rons efforts were made, but all failed-and mac
Ills not been carried, Virginia would have been
forced to rcpudiaie. At all events, il would have
been found necessary to let the new subjects escape
and Law the whole burdens on land and labor and the
people would not sanction such gross injustice We
will remind the Southern Wing, that during the war
n printer paid fire times the subscription price OF his
papcr instead of t,rice, enacted IL has af,cays
be,u the law that the merchant should pay more on
his capital than the farmer histhat town property
should pay tax Than country property The South
ern Wing should not charge these discrepancies upon
the last Legislature. He must look farther back, and
criticse the wisdom OF our predecessors VINO establish
ed the system. We presume the difference s found.
ed upon the fact that town properys much more pro
ftable thai landed property.
But enough The People aeiH judge for fhemseloss.
We cannot do better than refer them TO the following
strong and convincing papers, which address them
selves 10 the and the patriotism oil Ffgi-
mans
Extract of a letter, from
"PErERsBURo, April IL, 1913.
"The enclosed is part Of letter received this
morning from our mutual friend, -. -. -.
think his remarks worthy Of the highest praise,
and they are well calculated to bring down upon the
Wing party in this State the just Indignation they 80
fully deserve.
81 was at Prince George Court last Tuesday, and
was delighted at the fine spirit which manifested Itself
in that sound Democratic county respecting the Tax
bill. From The flourish of rumpels by the Wing, IN
Doctor Rives address, one would suppose
that the Tax bill had many terrors by which The De-
mocrats were to be frightened from the support Of
their long cherished principles. So far from finding
such. dissatisfaction, found that little concern was
manifested about il, that it not spoken OF scarcely
by any one except Doctor Ryes, and thought he was
as DduIy TnouuOu us j ever 6uW WV "uS
trying 10 ride into the Legislature upon The very poorest
of humbugs. Mr.. Daniel will, think, be elected by
handsome majority, and trust that the Democrats
will feel themselves called upon 10 give one SO deser9-
ing as Mr.. Daniel decidedly complimentary vote
General Dromgoole made an able speech and fully
sustained the exalted opinion that many had formed Of
his high abilities. have never witnessed stronger
impression than he made upon his hearers His argu'
ments against the leading Wing measures were fully
equal to any that | heard. He argued the Dis.
,rbu,on act very forciby and with great satsaclion,
to friends; and in closing his remarks upon 1t, he
hit off the Wings about the clumor they were raising
ag ainst Democrats for not taking Vrgna's share Of
it. lie suid tina, in his county the heavy loss to the
State growing out of The refusal to take the land
ney, being discussed, when Democrat remarked,
that it not much as the share which would fall
TO the two gentlemen who talking about il
SMALL that they would have 10 eub IN to buy ginger.
cake.
81 sincerely hope, that the Democracy of Virginia
will not allow the well deserved rejoicing Of friends
in New York and Connec,icuto be lessened by their
want of energy in coming elections. They should
recollect that Virginia. stood firm in ls4O-and now,
when nearly all the States have come to her assistance