Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1859-12-14

number of black polls given in was 100, 925-a num-
Der, by the way greatly below that returned in the
Census of 1850; according to which, there were in
the State in june 1850 about 1874 600 taxable black
polls. The black polls returned in 1858, at low
valuation, were worth in round Numbers, $136, 000,
600. And il our slave population has increased in
the same ratio since 1850 that it did during the ten
years previous thereto land there is every reason to
believe the increase. from many causes has been
much greater,) the total number of slaves in the
State at this time would be 1888 548. This would
leave 1858 slaves untaxcd. worth, at low esti
mate $ll2, 567 800 making the aggregate valuation
Of the slave property in the State $4S 800. This
amount of property paid into the State Treasury in
1858, for the protection it enjoys, which, in our
opinion, in its duplicate capacity Of property and
persons, far exceeds that thrown around any other
species of property by our laws, the sum of SO 462
q little more than haIf the amount paid by ST.
$40, 4S1 worth of real estate. Is there any reason
why such discrimination should be made between
these two species of property? Why it that 81 900
bill of 1867, 81 80. while $1,000 worth of slave
property paid only 80 cents In our opinion there
is no Just and good reason for such inequality; if
there is, we have yet to hear it advanced.
Again. The tax on interest received, amounted to
$76774 This sum is paid on about So ,9S9, 900 of
money loaned. Thus it is seen that our system re-
quires $3l 9s9, COO loaned otherwise bearing in
UFGSC, 10 pay dTpreT dInOtuI vi GtACS
Treasury than SPAS SGT 800 worth of slave property
Is there any cause why $1,000 in money at interest
restricted by our lar in its productireness to $50
per annun, should he made to pay s., 40 Tor the
protection it enjoys while 81 900 in slave property,
unrestricted in its production paid so cents and
$1,000 in land paid $3.50? Under our Bill Of
Rights, no man set Of men are entitled to exclu-
sivc or separate cmoluments or privileges from Their
neighbours except for good and jnxt reasons. Why
cannot this just fundamental principle be extended
in its application likewise to property, another im-
portant element constituting State?
Again: The profits of capital invested in steam
vessels in stocks of any kind in shares Of any in
corporated trading company, whether III or out
Of the State bonds of another State, and bank dvl-
denlS. paid in 1853 Sil,643 This tax was col
lectel on alo It $3.50, 600 of profits. In 1850, ac-
cor,lng to the last Census, there in rthCar-
DINA more than 100000 of annual production, arts
ing from manufactures, mining and mechanic arts,
at profit Of Il per cent, or over So, 100000 We
have data from which to estimate the increase OF
This annual production since that time, though We
know it has been considerable Why our lcsiSa-
tors excepted this very considerable amount of pro-
fit from paying taxes we cannot tell. If the profits
on the annual production of capital invested in va
rious ways is to be taxed. and it surely ought why
not tax those of all productive investments?
Again Under our peculiar system, and it is,
without precedent peculiar in many respects, there
paid into the State Treasury the of $l2, 379
by portion of the labor and industry of our citi
This tax on the energy enterprise and brains
of the community. which shonld receive in its de-
vclopmcnt the fostering care and protection of our
lawmakers so far possible amounts to about one
sirth Of the sum paid, have shown, by S24S,
561.So0 worth of one species Of property. We are
satisfied that this distinctive feature in revenue
system is unjnstly oppressive, so utterly subvcr-
sive Of every reasonable and established principle
of political economy, and openly at war with the
best interests OF State that it requires illus
tratinn in detail to convince You that reform at
least in this respect is mperatiycly demanded Still,
that you may more forchy comprehend its unjust
ness and inequality, let for moment look to its
operation. Every citizen except ministers of the
Gospel and our Judges. land why exempt the latter,
when all other State officers taxed Z! whose an
nal income from their labor is over 5000 paid, MS
tax. per cent on their respective receipts. The
clerk. the doctor, the mechanic, the lawyer, the
overseer, your county officers, every one though by
untiring industry and stinting economy they may
be barely able to support their families paid into
the Treasury of the State 81 upon every 500 re-
ceived. The foreman in the workshohif in the re-
ceipt OF $500 as wages, paid besides his poll tax,
S. to the sheriff; while his neghbor. owning ten
slave mechanics at work in the same shop at the
yearly wages of s.. 800 more, paid to the Sheriff
only s. and his poll tax. The overseer, with 20
uiiucT u1dklIiR eiHploSeT
of cotton, worth &, 1000 if receiving $500 paid &c.
and the employer, for that which produced him
$4,000 paid $40. The employees Of our different
Railroad Companies each pay per rent. on their
receipts, if they amount to $3.50; the individual
stockholders, though they may receive 6 or per
cent. on their Investment amounting in the aggre-
gate to large sum, pay, with few exceptions, moth
, ing The clerk. in the receipt of 500 per annum
paid 81 to the State; his employer, with 100000
IOH ,l,n,r
"nnum, paid nothing. These illustrations might he
indefinitely multiplied. In 1884, our Executive in
his message to the General Assembly, reviewing
revenue system, remarks thus upon the inequality
then existing:-"The poll tax on the day aborer
and the capitalist is precisely the same and it some
times happens that the latter like the former, is
subject to other species Of contribution. In the
one case it is an imposition; in the other,
tax thousand fold greater might occasion no Sensi-
BILE inconvenience" If in 1894 reason existed for
complaining against the inequality of the system,
| how much more have we to complain of now, when
the poll tax though much increased, is but drop
! in the bucket, compared to that assessed on our
labor.
Again: The amount paid by merchants and others
engaged in selling goods wares and merchandise,
Was $37, $751; This sum was levied on 81 365, 900
| Of purchases; it making no difference under our
| system whether the same ever sold, ever re-
turned to the purchasing dealer any profit or not.
| This amount is more than half of that paid by
s24s,567, 800 worth of slaves, and nearly half as
much as was paid by $3l. $780, 900 of money at inter
| est. This $57,SSl is paid, not by the merchants
themselves, but, as every one knows, by the con-
sumers-a large portion of whom are those very
men who pay l per cent. of their wages into the
State Treasury. Of this merchants tax, dealers in
ready-nade clothing paid per cent on their pnr.
chases-$l0 for every 1000 worth of goods bought
Further, $4O9,OoO lin round numbers) employed
in the purchase mot sale) of liquors. paid $50 AS
tax, or per cent on the amount bought. Further
still, $3S4,OO0 employed in buying and selling
slaves paid $1,279; and $685., 900 employed in
other trade, paid 1856. Upon what principle O
adjustment these various rates were agreed to w
are unable to ascertain. If some were intended tt
operate in the nature of simptuary laws. we are o
the humble opinion that our legislators did not give
that time and attention to the consideration of tn,
subject demanded by its Importance and its ulti
mate effects