American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1845-03-29

Sl94,959 az

II is obvious, therefore, that no effectuul mea-
sures have been adopted to redeem the public
credit, even if all the exactons made upon the
people should be met. An uni ust tax might be
endured from motives of patriotism, if it would
save the State, but in this case if all should be
paid, the State would still be bankrupt. There
is, therefore, no motive to submit to unlawful
and iniquitous demands. OF the seas, 800 90
proposed to be raised by taxes, nearly $780,
600 90 is imposed under laws pal pably void,
because IN violation of that provision of the
constitution winch requires taxes to be laid upon
all the people, according to their actual property.
1t is the last ounce that breaks the camel's back.
Men have endured injustice for the sake of the
public good, but an infamous Stamp Act has
rendered oppression endurable no longer, and
there is no reason to believe that the estimates
from taxes will be anything like realized. TO
pay unlawful taxes weakens tho moral power
Of the government, much more than the ress-
lance of lawful acts. What then shall be done?
Shall we repudiate? | answer no, The advo-
Gates of unlawful taxes, are the real rcpudia-
tors, because they advocate measures which in
evtably lead to it. The Stamp Act and Re-
pudiation are twin brothers, and the people Of
Maryland are in favor of neither. The great
nsiddting class Of society has not yet spoken
The extremes have been unIted-great wealth
and great dependence--the nobility and their
sycophants-and have made common cause in
their political trading-the one working for
power and honor, and the other for bread But
the middle class, which constitutes the strength
the virtue, and the independence of every
community in a republic,-the mechanics, the
business men, the active merchants, the men of
industry, have not yet, as a class, exerted their
influence. Constituting, as they do, the great
majority, they will come to the rescue in an
emergency. That time hascome. What shall
be doneS The State must remain bankrupt
ono year more. The people must then rise in
their strength with Economy and Reform"
as their motto, and put out and put down the
effice-seekcrs, and put up and put in independ-
ent, intelligent men. Let all salaries and ex-
penses be reduced to the lowest point possible.
/ know the office-holders and office-seekers
will "below loudly" about "Radcalsm" and
'Meanness," &C., but do not propose to con-
suit those gentlemen. They are understood
and in this matter their opinions are of very
little moment.
The annual demand on the treasury by
tax is <--n cza Al
Let the dimnution proposed in my T. :, ~'''' "
by reduction of expenses, be ',sadr III esl % |
hho the amount VIII &c reduced TO S65S,577 Is!
Assuming thot the property of the State is
$2oo,ooo, OoO, and an honest assessment will
show that it exceeds that sum, tax imposed
and collected according to the constitution of
80 cents on ne 500, will raise 100000. But
instead OF paying collectors, let every man who
wiz pay his tax at time appointed be allowed
oe' -ucton of, say, five per cent, and let
I" ,se who do not pay at the time, be compelled
% pay the expenses of collection. The tax
will, in any event, exceed the demands upon
the treasury and the enormous expenses here
tofore paid, to collectors, clerks, Sc &c., out
of tho funds of the State, may be easily saved
A man with farm worth $4,000 will pay
ass, and a merchant with a capital worth
$4,000, will pay Sl75. And a money-lender
whose notes and mortgages amount to S2O0, 900
will paw $780, and cartman whose horse and
cart is worth 500, will pay S5 cents. To talk
of such tax, when fairly and honestly laid
and collected, being oppressive, is contempti-
bly, absurd To say that you cannot collect it,
if laid according to law, is libel upon the
integrity of portion of the American people.
Men have talked and prophesied, and croaked
themselves into the belief that tax cannot be
collected to meet the public demands, when
the very men who thus talk. pay four times
the amount, in their wine and segar bills. 1t
is not proposed to tax paupers-the constitution
prohibits it-but to tax the property OF the
State, and it is idle in the extreme to say the
tax cannot be collected, when the very proper
ty is before you, and may be seized and sold
The trouble has been that in the lodging and
skulking of politicians, they have resorted to
unconstitutional and unjust legislation, and of
course i'll the execution of such laws the State
is powerless. There is set of men, too,
who are absolutely paupers, but who are too
proud to own it, and holding ON TO the proper
ii LII. Al. Ia.
and yet TOO lazy TO work, they are most vocis-