Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1858-01-16
Governor WrlIer,s inaugural Address.

tne OuDeTDatOrIai NOMINATION. HOui Wc NC
mOcracy. an impression pervaded the minds Of
the people that new and brighter era, in the
affairs Of the State was about 10 Commence
Tho bold, Statesman-like character Of the
course pursued by him as q candidate during
the canvass, strengthened that impression, and
to change that mere impression into convic-
tioD, nothing more was wanting than the
splendid address he delivered upon entering
upon the discharge of the duties Of his high
Office. His Inaugural has been received by the
good and true Of all parties with almost unqua-
fled appreciation, with exultatiOn by the De-
mocracy, and though some may differ rs to the
policy Of certain Of the measures he recon-
mends, none attribute to him but worthy mo-
tivcs. His address has extortcd from his poo
litical enemies their perhaps unwilling COM
mendations, from his friends il has won warm
plaudts for him. Convincing all of his unfnl-
tering, and il need be. sclfsucriticing patriot
ism, bearing upOn its face unmistakablc evil
dencc Of the sincere determination Of him who
uttered il, TO make all things subscrvcnt to
those measures best calculated to promote the
prosperity Of California, Announcing and adj
vocating sound Democratic d0ctrne upon the
respective rights Of the several States, and
with one single exception, urging Legislative
action in the passage Of lawsso clearly condu-
Give TO the public veal, his address more than
merits the encOmiums lavished upon it by the
press.
We shall preserve it for future reference as
one Of the best political productions il has ever
been our good fortune to read. The single cx-
ccption, to which We refer, VIC insert entire,
that no Injustice may be done the Governor,
and that our views may not be misapprchcnd
ed. 1t is as follows:
The 18th section, XI Article Of the Constitution,
declares that taxation shall be- equal and unfit
throughout the state. All property in this State
| sha he taxed in proportion to its value, TO be
certaincd as directed by law. -
II may well bc doubted whether our present rev.
cnuc system IL in accordance with either the letter
or the spirit Of this clause III the Constitution. 1t
declares that ALL property shall be taxed; and yet
II IL notorious that many persons hold property
which annually yiclds-and III all probability will
continue TO yield for a series Of ycarS-a handsome
income, ON which no taxes whatever are levied.
In imposing taxes necessary for the support Of the
| Government, tho great principle If equity and
justice should be observed, and each interest mnae
to contribute it's proper share. Those hOrccriNc
from the Government protection in their persons
and property ought to pay their just proportion Of
| the taxes. Nothing short Of ali EQUAL distrihn-
ton Of the burthcns Of Gov, rnncnt can or ought
to give satisfaction to the people.
This is generally understood as expressing
| an opinion in favor Of the taxation of mining
claims, subject which has Of late occupied no
little Of public attention and discussion ihro
out the State. The agricultural counties and
| the large cities Of course are anxious 10 adopt
any system Of raising revenue which will re-
lievc them from that which they enormously
regard as requiring from them an unequal con.
trbution towards the support Of the Govern
mcnt. But the people Of the mines, who have
the best means Of Judging, oppose any attempt
to collect revenue by the assessment Of mining
claims-and are Mjnk Mat they are right. The
only value n mining claim has, consists in the
gold il contains ereTy Oun|P n gou Mkm ti"m
ii really rthdeFs II W0rM one ounce E@. No
man in the mines but is aware Of the impcs>-
bility Of plncing anything approaching fixed
value upon his claim. No old miner but has
had his hopes blasted and found the claim that
on yesterday lac would have informed the As
sessOr he would not take $1,000 for, is to-day
valuelcss. and has cost him months of toll and
hardship. Here the uncertainty ofthc result Of
all mining enterprises. is understood Call the
miners claim his property, il you will, but it
is property whose value lIe or no man knows,
and whether it becomes rcmuncrativc or not
depends not mainly upon his labor.
In most instances it would he as just TO tax
the anticipated results Of the haul Of the fisher
mans net Hcmay make good haul Of fish,
and he may not il is too uncertain, too de-
pendent upon chance. The fsherman's net
aud his boat are taxed, and so are the sluicc
and the pick and shovel Of the miner. Each
with his tools and by dint Of hard labor md
privatiOn, may make money. The fisherman
may select IL favorable spot for his pursuit, and
so may the mincr-thcy may be disappointed.
The comparison we have drawn, the best in
formed in regard to the mining interests, will
not say is not fair one, Of least in regard to
Placer diggings, shall we not add, tunnel
| claims, river claims, and will not some Of the
unfortunate San Francisco capitalists tell us to
complete the list by adding quartz claims also'
The Assessor places his value upon the farm
because he can sec its worth, its fruit bearing
trees, its growing crops, and knows what it
has produced it will, by the same cultivation,
produce again. But place the Assessor upon
any description Of mining claim, let him
make oil possible inquiry and obtain all the in
formation its pOssessor has Of its value. lie
will learn that for months past it has paid
given amount, which amount is thereupon
carefully noted by the Assessor and tdred, and
the tax chcerfully paid. lie inquiries what it
is worth now the only sensible reply is,
don't know; I may lose the lead in the next
hour and it will then be of no value. A mans
crops may fail, but his land remains.
The attempt to tax mining claims will UNI
doubtely lead to most frequent violations Of
the spirit of that very section Of the Constitn-
ton; unequal MTutiom will certainly result and
in nmmbcrless instances it will be found, the
miner has been compelled to pay heavily for
| that which he had nOt-G mining claim " rdt"e.
But the miner now pays taxes on all things.
He pays the merchants taxes, for the merchant
charges him for them; in his bill for the goods
he sells the miner he adds the amount of his
taxes in the prices Of his goods. The miner
has no one to full back upon; from him comes
the wealth which cnriches the pcop!e-he isAe
great producer Of California.
We think the other plan Of the Governor
much the best to relieve the complaining coun-
| ties from OnerOus taxation-redUce the Stdte en-
penSes But Governor WELLER does not, we
think, favor an indiscriminatc taxation Of mi