Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1844-09-21

And since the elections in August it has been
proclaimed that majority of the People Of
this State are in favor CT that system. When,
1T e. before, was the voice Of Nortk Caroli-
ma raised by the PEOPLE against DECREA-
SING their Taxes! Neither is it so now.
No later than the last Assembly it wa" Re.
solUed, That while North Carolina will
+" never object to any amount Of taxes equally
apportioned and imposed for the purpose Of
|" raising revenue to support the government
+" economically administered, yet this State
&c will nerer consent to the imposition of Tax
" es, the design and operation of which are to
" promote the interest of particular occupc-
I" ttons at the general expense" This was
no party Resolution, Ali parties voted for it.
In the Senate there were only FIVE votes against
1T, and in the Commons only eighteen! Soin
Congress all the members of both parties
from North Carolina who voted against the
protective tariff of 1912, when it was passed,
with solitary exception. So from the tariff
OF 1916 to that which passed in 1912, the vote
OF North Carolina has been always given in
Congress against this system of taxing the
,chOle people for the benefit or protection of
particular occupations" but in favor of rev.
enne duties. From NATHANIEL Macon 10
the time of Willie P. Mangum and his COL
league in 1912, (Mr. Graham, the Governor
elect) all our SENATORS have voted against the
protective system. So the Journals of our
Assembly show that Congress never passed a
protective tariff that the North Carolina Le-
| glslature did not demonstrate and protest o.
gainst it. And in perfect concurrence with
all these proceedings have been the tone and
language of the leading politicians land of
public meetings of the people every where,
and at all times in North Carolina, including
amongst the politicians those who now belong
to the Clay party. Indeed until a very recent
period our opponents in this State denounced
the high tariff system as (one) impoverish-
ing the Southern farmer for the benefit Of the
Northern manufacturer" Leading men. of
all parties in the State reprobated it as /" tax
the design ard operation of which were to
promote the interest of particular occupations
at the generaLexpense''-as burden put up
on labor to benefit capital-upon the poor to
benefit the rich-upon the weak to benefit the
mlghty-as tax upon the planters, farmers
and worklng-men-to enhance the profits Of
manufacturers, corporations and capitalists. 1t
were not difficult task to tell the names Of
our eminent men who have heretofore used
such language, but it would swell this paper
to an unusual size, and no doubt the people
must recollect them. Now we would like to
know in view of these concurrent authorities,
what extraordinary illumination can have o.
pened the eyes of ourdistinguished politicians,
not only to their errors but to the new & singu-
lar truth, that it is both wise and constitution
al TODD now, under the dictation of the Hon.
Henry Clay, what it has been unwise and I'M
constitutional to allow heretofore under any
other chief? Apd by what sort Of miracle in
the political world 1t has been brought about
that our TAXES have become BLESSINGS;
that ii is now good for the people to be taxed;
it is still better for them to be taxed double az
much as their Government needs; and best of
all to raise double tax out of the mass of the
people, when the Government has no need of
half OF 1t, in order that the interest of particu.
lar occupations may be promoted at the gene
raj expense? For ourselves we are not able
to see all this, nor to believe that the people
of North Carolina will see it. We have been
accustomed TO think the people of North Ca
rolna more stable in their opinions-rnors
practical in their conclusion than to run after
such heresies. Though panied at the party
slavishness and political regeneration Of
their leaders, we do not believe that the peo-
pie OF our proverbially 'honest State will com
sent. in blind idolatry to any man, to make a
sacrifice of their principles, as they have been
held and declared by them ever since the Con-
stitution was adopted. No. No, it is no,
possible; and we invoke you, felow-citizens
to rescue GU. State from this imputation, and
shake OFT the bnrthen of an unnecessary and
unequal tariff; by voting against Mr.. Clay
and his double tax. The people have these
taxes to pay-the;r leaders count upon being
In power to spend them, and perhaps this is
Key to the mystery that has perplexed US. 1t
may be tie reason why your leaders have
learned to regard taxes as blessings-he more
the better. We know it 10 said that the CLAW
party are in favor of the Tariff act of 1912 in
order to give permanency TO some system, and
the cry IL that I'VE change cur Tariff too often;
but we feel authorized to regard this as mere
pTetext to excuse what they have not argu-
ment TO Defend" Permanent taxes!" Are
the maxims of free government to be thus
openly set at nought and reversed? In the
earlierdays of our Republic was it not tbeught
to be essential to popular rights and the safety
OF the people, that the taxes should not only
be light. but imposed for the shortest period,
SO as to come in frequent review before the
constituents who had them to pay! But,be-
sides that, the politicians who put up this plea
for permanency in the peoples taxes, are
themselves, at the moment of doing SO, indus.
trlously occupied with their schemes to break
IN upon the stability of the Constitutions as IL
is! Why not keep the Constitution as it is. as
we'll as to have an unstable government with
permanent taxes, or stable Constitution with
short-ived taxes! set
We shall probably examine at another time
the Bankrupt Law, which Mr.. Clay sustained
heretofore against the known wishes of his
State, and which he has never reneunced, SO
far as we can understand him. The Bank
question, upon which he was once the cham
Pion of the people, bn, afterwards deserted.
and is now become the leader Of monopolies,
will be noticed in another form. The Distri-
button of the proceeds of the Public Lands
the principles Of which he opposed when Gen.
Jackson was supposed to be in favor of it, and