Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1857-03-24
Virginia's quota Of the public Lands.


Among the most practical combinations of the ar
guments and appeals of the opposition, favor of
claiming Virginias share OF the public lands, and
particularly with reference to the repudiated forty
thousand dollar deposit, sthe following from the
Blue Ridge Republican, which we commend to the
consideration of all skeptics the subject:
ssTHE YlRGIsIA LAND QUoTA-WHAT Is IT PA
large portion of the money in the Treasury of the
United States is raised by on articles necessa-
rily consumed by the mass of the peopfe-such as
cotton and wooden cloths, brown sugars salt and
iron. OF these articles abont onehird is imported
from abroad, and the remainder IS manufactured IN
this country, mostly in the Northern and Eastern
States When the importer pays the tariff tax into
the United States Treasury, he of adds this
to the prime cost of his goods, andges it back from
the consumer in the increased price; The home
manufacturer raises his price also just in the pro
portion in which the importer raises the price of the
article manufactured abroad. The tariff tax thus
raises the price of the article manufactured at hoe
as well as of that manu- featured abroad. BY the
operation of this tariff system the consumer Is made
to pay money not only into the United States Treas
ury but also into the pockets of the manufacturers
of the North. Consequently the manufacturing in
terests of the North have always clamored for
high tariff tax-while the consuming classes at the
South have demanded.a low tariff. The more money
that can be tlrown out of the United States Treas
urY the greater is its demand for high tariff taxes
Hence the Northern manufacturing interests are
anxious to strip the United States Government of
every of revenue except what may be derived
from tax on imports BY distributing the pros
ceeds of the public lands the necessity for high tariff
duties is increased to the exteLt of thesum OF money
thus taken out of the Federal Treasury.
"When the Wing party got into power in 1871,
this policy prevailed. Although there was deficit
in the Treasury, aud they had to borrow twenty
millions to support the Government, the Wing Cen
gress passed law distributing among the States
at large, after donating per cent TO thenew States
the proceeds of the sales of the public lands that
had been received for the year past. Under this
law the quota payable TO Virginia was some $40 00o
In 1S42 the Virginia Legislature, denouncing the
distribution policy fraud, refused to touch one
cent of the money. The question was tried repeats
eddy before the people of Virginia. and the Legisla-
ture sustained by the popular verdict again and
again.
"For the last FIVE or six years the question has
been but little agtated; and it was generally sup
posed that all further effort disturb the deliberate
Judgment pronounced by Virginia, fifteen years ago
was abandoned. In its utter destituton of issues
after all its humbugs have been exploded poverty
stricken Know Nothingism rakes cut of the ruins
this forgotten question: and procaims the discovery
of rich treasure. With its wonted mstrust of the
popular intelligence, and its accustomed confidence
in its power to delude the public mind 1t processes
itself able and ready with this land fund.- to relieve
the burden of the State taxes 1t becomes our duty
to expose this last humbug of the enemy and snatch
even this last crumb from the eager hands Of the
| poor-sarvelling.
If this whole $4,000 were at once received into
the State Treasury it would for single year re-
duce the tax of one cent on the hundred dollars
Instead of 40 cents the hundred dollars, the tax
would be 391 cents a owning 81 900 worth
| OF property WOulu O4 cents less tudn ne HOW
| does and a man owning $40 900 worth would pay
! 62a cents less. The tax on negro would be two
cents less than it now is. 1t would consume the
| whole $4,000 to give us this much relief for oRs
single year. This is all that the poor Know Moth
ings can promise to do for 1t is even less For
the proposition heretofore made has been to put this
l. money into the literary fund and only apply the
annual interest to public A tax of l-24 part
| of cent on the hundred dollars would raise as
much as this annual interest. Or, in other words
a levy of 4 cents on every $4,000 worth of proper
| ty would raise much annual revenue the inte-
resi- on this land fund. Is there any Democrat worth
$4,000 who will take cents for his principles p
Would any Democrat worth $lOO take "a part Of
cent for the privilege of recording his vote against
his party?
"Sucli is the bald humbhg with which the at empi
is now made 10 deceive the people and allure them
into the embrace of ACKNOWLEDGMENT. We shall
in future numbers, Continue the consideration OF
the subject in its various aspects of demonstrations
atty immortality and nexpediency, and if we dc
not satisfy every dispassonate person of oil three
we shall be more mistaken than We have ever been in
any similar controversy.