Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1845-07-31
THE CENTRAL RAIL ROAD.

THE CENTRAL RAIL ROAD.
There is one thing,in this railroad mat
ter to comfort those who are opposed to the
Central Route-esPecialy those who voted,
in the Legislature, for the charter 1t is
the advantage thatthe charter of that route
gives it over the Rutland Route that has
probably determined its success, although
it is the most infamous charter that was
ever granted by any Legislature a per-
feet disgrace to the men who voted for it,
Look at it! Moneyed men who wish to
invest their surplus capital proftably, will
withdraw it from he taxable property of
the State and invest it in Central Railroad
stock, where it may be on interest IN the
State and free from all the burdens Of the
State. Suppose there shall be million
of Vermont capital invested in this Rail
road stock. There is, then, a million of
property that has before paid taxes in this
State, withdrawn from the rateable prop
erty of the state and the deficit is to be
made up by a heavier tax on what remains!
A. B. invests his hundred thousand
dollars in the Rail Road Stock-thc state
protects The property-H drapS its annual
interest in The state and get, 1t is exempted
from bearing It's proportion Of the burdens
of The State Government Here Is A. B.,
who has capital of fifty thousand dollars.
He is getting old-passed the days Of spec
ulation and activity, lie invests all his
capital in Central Rail Road stock. C.
D. has capital OF ten thousand. lie is
young and active and is compelled to keep
his capital IN active circulation. Now Mr.
A. B, very quietly stands clear Of all re-
sponsibiity so far as the state is concern
ed, His property. is drawing good nte-
rest, is exempt from taxation, and he
smokes his pipe and takes his ease free
from all trouble, while Mr. C.. DIS small
capital, with which he cannot dispense, is
taxed to the last farthing and he obliged to
turn over every stone to lind that last
farthlng, to support state Government
that exempts a. BIS property from taxa
lion and compels him, c. D., TO PAY for
the benefits OF Government which A. B.
like drone with his quintuple ability EN-
JOYS AT HIS EASE. without lifting a finger
in its support! "Sweat away, Mr. ClodhoP-
per-" says A. B., "Sweat away! You may
SUPPORT the State government, for you
have nothing else TO 90, while ENJOY its
benefits. You may pay the taxes which
are necessary to SUPPORT Slate GOrcrn-
ment that protects me and ~ny property,
while 1 wiN vote far yOur rulers and ENJOY
all its cmoluments! Now, is not this a
beautiful state of affairs, in oar own state,
to say nothing the three millions of foy-
eign capital that are invested IN this central
Rail Road Stock-enjoying all the pro-
lection Of the state and cremp ted from any
Of its bmdtnS!-Is it not infamous? per-
feclly.infamous?
This abominablc feature of this Central
Rail Road Charter every body knows was
daubed on BY absolute fraud! Scores Of
the members Of the Legislature are ready
to testify before the Supreme Court, that
no clause, erempting The stock Of the central
Rail Road Charter from taxation was eU-
er read in the House! MEMBERS OF THE
COMMITTEE SAY THAT NO SUCH CLAUSE WAS
ON THE BILL WHEN 1T LEFT THEIR HANDS,
and all agree, that no such clause could
have openly and fairly passed the Legisla-
tnre. How binding then, upon the
people is charter passed by chlcanery
and fraud, portion Of the provisions OF
which, except those in the secret, no
member of the Legislature knew any
thing, until they saw it in the published
Laws ofthe State9 How sacred ought the
person OF such an i'll, begotten monster to
be in the eyes of the tax payers in the
State! Ask any man if this thing is right
and he says "oh no!-but it is lap
now, and zoe can't.alter It," Pshawl why
not then smuggle through the Legislature
a law exempting all the mercantile capital
OF the State from taxation and when the
people cry out against it-say, ooh, it is
wrong, but it is law now, and cant be al
tered" This wont 60 down! II a law is
injurious to the interest of the people, RE-
PEAL IT! fla sect or corporation have
managed to get themselves invested with
rights and privileges that do not belong to
them, and which they enjoy to the evident
detriment of the great mass Of the taSpay-