Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1844-04-25

ted; for, in every tax, some are made
thus to pay unrequited tribute to others.
The wrong increases with each addition
al assessment, until finally, if continued,
it breaks The equilibrlum of society. The
favored class rises to wealth by the very
| cause that deprcsses the Unfortunate
Each day separates them more widely
from one another; and the former, draw
ing still nearer to the government, whilst
the latter is sinking beneath it, becomes,
in the end, the government itself-a ru
ling order, based upon and sustained by
the piIIage of the multitude.
What with us has been the fact. and
what its resuIts,in the very first instance
of distribution ? To all it is known that
S28, lOl, GA (then called its surplus re-
venue) weresin the year 1887 distributed
by this government, in the name OF de-
posite with the states. Where went that
money To the people? To the men
by whom it had been advanced? No;
not the fifth dollar of it; but to the legis-
latures first, and then chiefly to banking
or other corporate companies, and to the
rich, for the very reason that they were
so.
and now, that may the more clear
~ expose tins the fragrant injustice intlic
ted by the practical operation Of the dis
trlbution principle upon the tax-paylng
mass OF the people, shall trace briefly,
yet with all the accuracy of which mat
ter 50 confused aud complicated admits,
the progress of this surplus fund, from
the national treasury to its last known
destination. But here, before proceed.
ing lurther,it is important to remark that
speak in reference only to the S25, 294,-
l3l received by the twenty out of the
twentytsix states,by which alone reports
have been made to this government; the
other six, to whom 50, 967, 5l2 were dis
5tributed, having made no returns. Sois
lit likewise material to observe that trac-
tons are, in all instances. discarded; be-
cause anxious to present merely the gen.
eral truth, | desire not to obscure it by
mmateriai particulars.
Sin the first place, then, out of the last
lnstalment, paid as it was in the notes Of
suspended banks, worth on an average
at the timo but about ninety cents in the
dollar.} those institutions thus manifest
ly gained, without an equivalent. near
one million Of dollars. TO this, and next
in order, are to be added 1854 600,
which enured to the benefit of the banks,
in the form of loans made to stock Inves
ted, and deposites made in them. Then,
as recipients of this fund, come the pri-
vate companies, incorporated mainly
with view to internal improvements,
and to whom 100000 went as stock
and loans. And finally. of the total sum.
$40, 900 were distributed TO the
towns and counties of the States; to be
loaned by them las was generally the
facD to banks, to other corporations; and
TO the wealthy few among the citizens
who were able to pledge property forts
payment.
Illus, from an analysis Of the reports
made by twenty of the States, does it in
contestably appear that, of the tlUcnty-
fve millions tWo hundred and Mirty7tour
thousand dollars drawn first by the taxing
power of this government from the whole
body OF the people. fuenty million foe
hundred and fifty siu thousand enured in
its distribution, 10 the benefit of the
banking and other chartered associations
and TO the favored few-not the needy
but the rich-the towns and counties,
whilst, on the other hand, but obout fire
millions Zone fifth of the great aggregated
was applied TO public works undertaken
by the 6tates--to the payment Of their
debts and their current expenditure-the
only torm in which the people could feel
the benefit of the reduction OF their tax
less