The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1848-11-25

Z *Iunttaxpayerln IN another style. Oh, oo'
stinate man, | wish to collect an i'm.
tnehse treasure, and to spend It in a com.
fnercial enterprise in distant part OF
The communicable. 1t is likely that
!, you may never see the line Of the pro-
posed improvement. Nor can prom.
ise YOU that you will ever be the better
Of the undertaking, and the taxpayers
: may be perpetually charged with the
interest on the debt contracted, until
they shall have paid the principal. But
then you ought to pay cheerfully. for u
few men will certainly be enriched by
.ths speculation, whatever may become
of the public interest. This logic may
convince the taxpayer of the fixed de-
termination of the government to IN.
wade his property. but it will not be
very successful in removing his reluc-
'tance. This is only translation Of
the virtual language Of the government
into plain, homely, ineligible English.
II the transcript is deformed, the origi-
nal is more so. If the theory bushes
and cannot bear the light, the practice
is still less capable Of sustaining exam
nation. The committee hazards moth
ing in prom ouncing that all ideas of the
mere abstract, arbitrary right OF the
government to take the citizens prop.
erty for purposes foreign TO the preser-
vation OF so cial order, are the mere rude
,inartiiicial conceptions, the dark, con
fused notions of imperfect civilization,
which the light of wider experience,
and more perfect civilization, will torev-
er Danish from amongst men. They
will then confne their government
strictly to its appropriate functions as
a conservator Of the peace; and it will
then be light, cheap, simple govern
.men!, whose influence will decend like
the dews OF Heaven, in blessings and
benefits upon ali, and heavy burdens.
and rigorous exactions upon none.
The committee announces as plain
consequence of the foregoing principles,
that government has no moral right to
apply the property of the citizen, by
means of The taxing power, to purposes
foreign to the establishment and preser.
.vation OF social order. That it has no
moral right 10 collect taxes to be EN-.
-ployed, either directly or indirectly, in
speculative and commercial adventures.
That such an application of the citizens
property is foreign to the purpose OF
the social compact, and is therefore UN-
JUST. The social compact may be re-
garded as compact for the preserva-
ton of social order, to which all the
citizens are pal ties. As unanimily is
impossible amongst large bodies Of men
they tacity agree that the will of the
majority shall stand for the will Of the
whole in matters within the purview Of
the compact, the very end and design of
which is to create an agency for the
preservation OF the peace. 1t is for
this purpose that the citizen has con-
sented that his sovereign, to wit, the
majority, shall levy taxes upon him.
But when that majority, thus clothed
with the faculty Of taxation, exerts that
faculty for the purpose of collecting
funds to be expended in commercial
adventure, is it not guilty OF Il manifest
perversion of its powers? 1t has re-
ceived its powers ior one purpose, il
employs them for another. 1t has re-
ceived its powers to be employed like
those of benefcent, legal soveI eign,
in deciding civil controversies and in
preserving the peace. but its powers
are, in reality, used to carry on the bus
mess of merchant. The citizen pays
his taxes as the price Of social order.
they are converted into stock in trade.
Sometimes, in order TO overawe US
completely and silence our murmurs,
the majority power, by a new and
most ingenious piece ofleg'slatlve ma
chinery, is made to fix its direct and as
founding gaze upon us. The majority
Of the electors of a county are author
lied, by a direct vote, TO embark the
property OF their fellow citizens in
commercial speculation, without their
consent and against their will. What
right have twenty-six hundred men TO
vote away the property Of twenty-five
hundred other men, simply because
they reside within the same county
lines: Suppose the majority to be cor.
rect in their expectations of gain; wha!
right has majority to force blessings
on minority? What pecuniary gain
or advantage can compensate for the
violation Of that great principle, SO es-
sentiaI to human happiness and public
prosperity, that the citizen shall be Sc
cure in the enjoyment of his honest ac-
questions till forfeited by crime' Can
that which is morally wrong, ever be