Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1854-03-14
County Tux For Rail Roads
To THE VOTERS OF HALIFAX.

To THE VOTERS OF HALIFAX.
FELLGw CITIZENS BY order OF you, County oou1
you will be called upon al your next gehefs cecuo W SE
eide whers! yoa vii Yourselves in the sum ol S4 ou
!, cid Ia tie c0r;pelcn u( tie Richmond enu Din'e
road AZ 10 the popriciy expcdency ana Eecessly ol IN!
work in the tirs instance shall here ssy nonlng. OF
have probably heard enough about hS aug your op'
ions ere fAsl Cthc way or the oiher' Neet - ~ ' "
purpose To call yGur attention 10 the preSen. ao u m
State debt and liabilities would be ~fi however, of yo'
10 Ic:c occasionally upon that suhJec, tha ASK
the question: "wnat would have thought t"tivo yca'
ugo OF The prospect OF such debt ia We row nave hs
over Us will refer you 10 '!c aC'usi e"ce'
lures already made upon this road ask you 10 compare
them win The estimates made CT ~ha' was u os III
cn!irc cost OF the whole road from Richmond 10 pah4e
Let II suhce 10 cay that the expenditures nave aeacy IA
exceeded the estimates and road has not YET crossed
StRunton river. My main object now is 10 call your aco
,i3n 10 Tie principle Of this County taxation Is HrigntL
have waited long to see something from al least one OF e
many cElG whom know 10 be opposed 10 IT, but hav
waited IN vain. mag, by this appeal, succeed In drawing
better qualified than self Do tine subec
justice. Should succeed n doing ST., will have written
purpose. II hc have 10 say is worth an; :ns
nt 10. what Ia worit not let those who can dc
better, speak out There ie too much tmdity among pol
cilnsmany Of them are too much afraid to tell tho peop
the truth Let uHbug be stsrled-mnst Of them nraic
expose il, because they think 1t night become popular
o. sRCh ul.a demegO9ues made-they co not Know int
nen,c and are not worthy 10 be trusted by them
This doctrine that the whole property OF county is a.
The absolute disposal OF bare majority CT the people c ina
county Is something comparatively new in Virginia Some
such doctrine raised great disturbance in ancient
Rome, and ia these latter days has been extensively ncu
Gated In VI the Northern Saiee Inc people OF !e
North whom indebted for i, have Tor years past
been fertile In notions and we arc counsesed to ADOPT
them if would prosper as they have prnspeed Let US
how il has 10 pass that Virginia to learn lessons
in politics from The people Of the North. Our legislators
hd many years. been pursuing reckless system OF e&'
pendlure for a:y and every called internal Improvement
scheme; The State debt began TO grow SO large that lhey
were afraid face and 10 fGce the people with Increased
taxes year alter year. ~ pay the interest upon II; new SUD
ccs had yearly be sought or' order mat
there might be startling increase upon W. 2as taxed
nh BatDFg I1a
sDDlrenty exhausted, and ye!, they sad hese scis
must 60 They had gone too far to recede-o STOP ~hefe
they were would be throwing away what they had aireaoy
expended continue their policy they burst mol 10 stop
Was worse Than foly-to go before was downright
madness. What 10 be done7 The state had become
involved for great many wotks' lew OF ~hch were col'
pctod some half finished and many others scarcely begun
Were all these millions 10 be th!own away-t was asdeo
Wha, 10 be done7 More 10 be aieea because
great deal had already been squandered Just as man gers
both fee, stuck In the mire in attempting 10 e1cae one
AT this critical unctgp the happy thought struck some 90
lon or Iycuaus that Tho people Of each county might TAX
themselves or any road oriproyement they nlsn want Inc
having of course three dollars for every raised bT
county stopping ask or let themselves DC ASKED
"whaI who constituted The Statel 1t was indeed o1i
ant thought-te suggestion adoPtcdour wise ess'
a!ors coud 90 homo and get great cred iot .he mum
bag schemes .hoy concoccd In abundance or ne
lion OF OH yrgina-uo odium would ataen 70 hehos .sc
weight of our taxes-ey ooud let the people fci
Gsei,es and they the legislators would DC secure o 10
election or promotion for their patriotic efforts to aivaacc
tho interests Of their constituents Do not tGese
who are careful Of The honor Vi the va DOMINION whc
hnwa 80 ptifuy her fallen condition aad VINO ctc 50 let
lilo in expeenS restore her 10 her ost poson among
the States Of this Conieieacyi ash did not some OF slI
At least suspec that they might be violating The Cons,tu
tIon OF State which the people had mace io then
selves and they had 10 support Ihe Consutuuos
sys plainly rrageh whore Tue taSlos poSei ';no Lss
laure can change iha, consIitltl5hi u @ l.g' g
.ra nsfcr power that belongs 10 tse 10 bare majlry IN
any county. What right has the Legislature to transf1
thai Ia afraid us" What right mas me Lee
psa,uro anything except what the people OF the State
have gwen 1t the pcer ~ do IN the organic law the ccDst.
luca of the State which they the people, ony can chanGi
But protest against this doctrine, that maJori
ty of tho people Of county ovc right 10 dispose OF the
property Of that county, VIC are rumphany told tha his
Republican or Democratic country, and tina, "a ma
joy has the right rule" No ono but demagogue eve
publicly advanced such argument III argnmen! II can be
cas upon such question; and II comes win peculia
sT htas despiss t2o asses as. t. look down upor
l!.n have fellow feeling with them, and hate the Idea
that they governed b. ta majority In the opinion o
these gentlemen il will please the people nightly TO rel
them that ;lc majority has tho right TO fuIe ou tel
tlE ami tell the people that In ILLS Tree county, nooodJ
has the Unlimited right rule and every man has rights
which no set of the right TO deprive him. 1ha
Cny other po,1er thar majority has right 10 govern, nc
man has Inc hartlhood 10 assot But allow 10 say ha
,horo nrc many things which majority under heaVen has
right 10 do 1t Is not Democratic doctrine that onrt
majority may DO any and every thing it pleoscs II mere
majority unqualified right 10 pass laws and lay tax
he pcs then under tho wo1et desposm upon
face Of the EARN. The people know better and IN or
der lhst may be oppressed, they In their hghcs
sovereign capacity have made organic law Tor
filming their shall be- and The objects and
powers of that government One Of the main objects OF
written Constitution By which the people bind themselves
10 protect the rights of mnorities Majoes can proec
themseveslhsy already have the porsr and stand In nc
need of any grant OF it, BY their bond they restrict them
scires in the use of it, and seek 10 preVeGt its abuse
is Democratic doctrine, that trcry man shall DC protect
ed all his rights and be lett In tho enjoyment oil every one
Of them as far as possible Every man has right against
all tho world what he has earned by tho sweat oi is
brow or inherited from hs father who so earned II oso'e
him pcrtion Of this, member OF pollucal comInu.
nit 2, he support OF tho government %hich ne
helps to make and which gives him protection IN MS I2hs
Of person and property. He i'd bound 10 aid that govern
men with his money In carrying out tho legitimate oTec's
for which il was Instituted, but more than an tqsai pro-
portion with his nrigbos The constitution expressly
that "taxaon ahal be uniform throughout tho C?moh
wealth." Is not this system directly nt war WIN ma.
rause in the fundamental law ol tho land oa'c lux au
by the Legislature presumed 10 approximate thorS
and every good citizen pays cEeerniy WIN tue coun
rv levied by the county for certain spechc ooects
Alter having his State md county taxes, he owes no pr
vate debis he has absolute right under the Almighty 10
every sgcr worth OF property that he has huncsuy ana
fairly obtained No mG0ry OF his nelghoars has 'lsn
20 dispose of il for him, though II may be 10 MS al
vantage and no body Of has right 10 confer upon
them he poCcr 10 do go. .
VIII YOU voters of Halifax sanction this monst!ors here
~ that ha. crep pcllcs Of the Sts.1 might ask
YOU If you are rot taxed eucgsh nowf am sure most o
you think co. But, IL ,ct not the case, VIII you
b. persuaded by demagogues 10 aid in establishing
of taxation that you may one day Euef FfM.