Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1852-08-18
SPEECH ON THE PROPERTY TAX.

| During debate on the Property Tax bill,
in the Missouri Legislature, several years
ago, member from Fishing River made his
maiden speech as follows :-"Mr. Speaker,
there are heap of difference among men :;
some are born rich, some get rich by cheat
ing, and some are jist naturally poor all the
days of their lives. This is as unjust, sir,
as blea,ing up doe to make an orfin of her
poor little (awns in the spols.-A right ra al
rich man would feel heap easier with less
money. But, such is the cantanke kerous char
ac!er of one Of those ding'd old aris.ocra-
cies, that the more he piles up, the more he
homes erter money. Mr.. Speaker, the rich
man is like panther, and know something
abou, the varmint. When he gets in the
hog range whar the swee. mast ar good, he
will kill half dozen shotes in night, when
one pig would do him for supper and break
fast. They are uncommon greedy, if they
ar'nt wish | may be shot with big bore
rifle gun. They are as destructive on poor
people as gang of wood-colls what breaks
into corn-feld in roasting-ear time. They
crack all before them like horse loose in
a cane-brake. A poor man stands no more
chance in scuffie with righ. ra'al rich
man, than shon-tailed horse in fly time,
or an inexperienced dog in bar-hun.. Now,
Mr.. Speaker, thar ar heap more poor men
than rich ones, and in this we have smar.ly
the majority. Do you think, sir, gang Of
wolves, when they corner an old buck, won's
pull him down they will do that thing,
reckon! When right sor. of hunter
trees fat old bear, he will do his house
work, no mistake! we have the rich men
cornered now, in sor.a quanjary like
and ] move, Mr.. Speaker, that we row them
up Salt River. 1t is said if you take pro-
perty tax you tax on equally; but so don't
think. am for taking The divide and keep
in it. II ar fact, and ] know it, that we
can't jst take money from one man, and
give it to another, that would be onpopulous
and unlawful bu. we can take 'em slanten-
dIcular like this tax will take it, and the
way we can exonerate 'em would be pretty
expeditions. ] move, Mr.. Speaker, that we
enact loan office law, authorize the State
to issue paper, and the way the boys will
borry it will be slick and greasy They
Will hSvSl pay ~ OoCh uo ho" yOu Sou liza
it. When the State wants money agin, lay
on the taxes about as thick as daubin new
cabin afore Christmas, and the, rich are the
yaler flowers of these prairies that will fork
i, up.''
The orator sat down, happy in having
uttered his maiden speech. He was, how
ever. informed by the Speaker, that he must
reduce his resolution to writing. There
was, at some stage of this session, propo-
sltion before the house to enter upon state
system of internal improvement. The new
member opposed it as he did uniformly eve
rything which came from an educated men,
ber, excepting always the measures propos-
ed by his friends from Boonslick. When
the question came up for discussion, the
gentleman from Fishing River delivered his
sentiment to the following effect:
"Mr Speaker, am agin all sorts of new
tangled machines, every way you can fix it
These ere snorling things they call steam
boats are talked about heap, and my 'oman
sprained her ankle running to see the frs,
Greater of the sort that came sneakin' up our
river. The fish never bit hook arter that,
and The game is all skered out of the river
bottom. Gentlemen talk about ra al rode
and eternal Improvements. Some gentle
men, high larned chaps from the city, think
they are heap smarter nor s,eel-lrap; bu,
| can tell 'em ! wern't rocked in q gum TO
be skeared by schoolmaser learning. When
do you think, Mr.. Speaker, they'll see lit
tie steam 6xin' running on ra'al through
the Loutre, or twenty-miIes prairie!-never
in all your life, reckon! Mr.. Speaker, ]
move the etarnal exponement of this ere
question, and I'll hire schoolmaster 10 put
it down in the biggest kind Of pot-hooks." )"
!. is needless to add, that from that day
forward, the high-minded doctrine of the
member from Fishing River, in reference to
internal improvement, has prevailed in the
legislature of Missouri.
SEVEN FooLs.-The angry man, who
sets his own house on fire in order that he
may burn that Of his neighbor. The en-
vious man, who cannot enjoy life because