The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1857-07-21
From the Raleigh Standard.
TAXES AND DISTRIBUTION.

The Fayetteville Argus does us injustice
in asserting that we are endeavoring to
prepare the hearts of the people for taxa
ton" We agree with that paper that
''taxes collected merely to be squandered
are a burden and great .curse"-but we
utterly deny that this is the case in North
Carolina.
We are as much opposed to high taxes as
any one in North Carolina. We have as
much sympathy as auy one can have for
the poor man, on whom the various items
of taxation, County and State, may operate
heavily; but the State government must be
supported and the State debt paid, and the
pledges already made for internal improve
ments honestly redeemed, whether the taxes
remain as they are or have to be increased.
We are the advocates of simplicity and
economy in State as in federal affairs and
we verify believe that the government of
North Carolina is the most economical and
the cheapest on the face of the earth. We
are satisfied with the present revenue law,
and we have no doubt it will yield enough
to meet all liabilities of the State for some
years to come.
The Argus calls on its readers to note
the fact that the Standard sis in favor of
high taxes and against distribution" What
does that paper call ''high taxes ?''-the
present revenue law! Is it opposed to
raising money by taxation to pay the State
debt =! If so, 1t IS IN fav0r Of rcpudiation
for the debt must be paid as it falls due,
or reputation is the result How docs the
Argus like that view of the matter ? The
''high taxes of which the -Argns complains,
are to be traced as much to Wing rule in
this State as to Democratic for it is well
known that the leaders of the present OPP
position were in possession of the govern
ment fiom 1887 to 1850; and that, while
they made but little progress in inter-
nal improvements, they left as legacy to
the present dominant party, nearly one-hag
ofhe eristing State debt. The Argus and
its party have supported all the measures
which have caused the present rates of
taxation-ttey are as deeply committed to
these measures as the Democratic party
can possibly be; and yet, IN the hope of
getting little influence or a few votes here
and there, many of them resort to the small
business of crying out against taxation and
of seeking to prejudice the people against
the party in power. But this artifce will
fail. 1t is transparent, and the people see
right through it. They possess much
more common sense and much more li5er-
atty and public spirit than these X. N.
leaders give them credit for and they are
not to be hoodwinked and misled in this
way.
But, says the Argus, distribution is the
Observation-Disclosures US. How? Such dis
tributon as we had in 1S41 "a few thous-
and dollars, and then the stream cut off to
crafty and to enrich Northern manufac-
turers The land money is ours, says the
Argus, and we ought to have tit is COM
mon property, and we want our share
Very well, if it be ours, let it remain where
it is to defray the federal charge and ex-
penditure, and thus reduce the tariff taxes
on the people if it be common property, it
is not divisible by the common agent until
the affairs of the concern are wound up and
the concern dissolved. Is the Argus in
favor of dissolving the government merely
to get possession of sour share'' of the land
money!
How much would we gain by drawing
one hundred thousand dollars per annum
from the federal treasury, and then paying
the same amount back in tarIff-taxes to
supply its place Why, we should gain a
loss of about twenty-five thousand dollars,
for it would cost at least twenty five per
cent. to collect, pay over, and then collect
and pay back the sum mentioned. And so
the Argus is really not only for ''high taxes"
but for increasing the taxes, as it certainly
would do by its pet scheme of distribution;
and one of the worst features in this scheme
of taxation is, that the taxes would not be
increased for the benefit of the people, but
for the benefit of office-hoIders in the way
of per cents and commissions.
Distribution is a humbug, and the Editor
of the Argus ought to have the good sense
to know the fact. But there is one feature
in this distribution clamor which has always
been to us matter for surprise, and that
is, the view taken by its advocates Of the
federal government They seem to regard
that government as rapacious, close fsted
alien enemy, unjustly holding on to their
money; and not as a common government,
supported and administered for the good of
all. Thus it is, that distribution rests from
the very beginning on false premises,-the
principle is erroneous, and no amount of
argument can convert a bad principle into
a good one.
BLACKBERRY WINE.-There is no wine
equal to the blackberry wine when properly
made, either in flavor or for medicinal
purposes, and every person who can
conveniently do so, should manufacture
enough for their own use every year, as it