Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1859-10-19

people, are sore and intolerable grievance,
cannot be denied, and has not been denied
even by the members of the Legislature
who framed and passed them. Can any
man in his sober senses say, that it is not 3
grievance to tax a thousand dollars worth
of riding vehicles, watches or spoons, ten
dollars, while thousand dollars worth of
land is taxed but two dollars Is it no
grievance to tax thousand dollars worth
of property that yields no income and is
wearing out and depreciating in value
every day, ten dollars, while thousand
dollars worth of negro property, that is
yielding from one to perhaps three hundred
dollars, is taxed but eighty cents? Is it no
grievance to make one man pay ten dollars
tax, if he should happen to have thous-
aud dollars worth OF old carriages, buggies,
watches, pianos, spoons plate and pistols,
that DO not, and never can, yield him one
cent of income, and make another man,
who has ten thousand dollars worth of ne
gro property that is making him richer
day by dav, pay not one cent of tax? Is
it no grievance to burden large portion
of the people and most of the property of
the State with taxation, in order to screen
certain species of property and the small
number of citizens who own it, from pay
ing their fair and just proportion of the
revenue necessary to support the govern
ment9
Is it no grievance to tax the income or
wages of the overseer five dollars, if he re-
ceivcs five hundred dollars for his services,
and not tax the man with whom he lives
one single cent on his income of ten thous-
and dollars?
Is it no grievance to tax me, as car
penter, five dollars on my wages of five
hundred dollars, and not tax my neighbor's
two negro carpenters, working at the same
bench with me, one cent, although they are
making for him as much as / make
Is it no grievance to tax the income or
wages of the laboring man, and not tax
the income of their employer?
Is it no grievance to tax the journeyman
Carpenter, the journeyman Shoemaker, the
journeyman Tailor, and the journeman
Printer, and not tax the income of those
who employ them and who are growing
richer by their labor?
Is it no grievance to tax every State and
County officer, and every other person,
Except Ministers of the Gospel and Judges
Of the Courts) from the Governor down to
the Crier of the Court, whose annual total
receipts and income, in the way of salaries,
fees, &c, amount to or are worth five hun
dred dollars, one dollar upon every hun
SEef ysj,,,s ~ xsetlar be has sadallal2s
to one hundred millions Of dollars worth
of slave property in the State +?
Are these grievances or not? If they
are, we have the right to ASSEMBLE togeth
er, to consult for our common good, and te
instruct our Representatives to redress then
when the Legislature convenes again?
therefore suggest the propriety ant
necessity, for the Working Men Of all par
ties, of all professions, of all classes, an(
occupations, uniting and forming an AS
sociation, for the sole purpose of efectin!
: a reform in our revenue system, and de
y mauding that perfect equality at the Trea
- surer's office to which we are entitled a
treemen.
This is question in which we are a
= interested that rises above all party COL
= siderations, and will not involve chang
- in our party relations or preferences. Lie
. US address the demand for equality g
y much to one party as the other, and ne
: ther one of them will dare to refuse it.
l send this communication to the Spir
e of the Age, because it is a neutral pape
% with request in behalf of those for whol
;. l write, that the State papers will copy.
#.a .... JUSTICE.
Raleigh, Oct. 9th, 1859.