Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1860-06-23
lFrom the western SENTINEL
THE DISCUSSION AT WINSTON


The gubernatorial candidates agreeable to ap-
pointment visited our town on Wednesday. the 18th
instant Both OF the gentlemen were in good health
and looking well. Both seemed enthusiastic and
to all appearances hopeful Of success. Mr.. Pool
opened the discussion. He said that it the first
time he had been permitted to visit this portion of
the State. He was comparatively stranger. He
appeared as a candidate to fill the highest office in
the State. 1t had been the custom Of himself and
the Governor to discuss the question OF taxation in
connection with the Charleston Convention; but
as that Convention had failed to nominate csndi-
date for the Presidency, and as he had no idea that
the Baltimore Convention would do so between this
and August next he would leave out entirely that
idea He said he differed with the Governor upon
the great principle of equal taxation. He was in
favor of taxing all property Of every species accord
ing to its value. That had been the position he had
taken in the East and he would maintain it in the
West He said that there was an odious and unjust
restriction embraced in the Constitution of the
State, prohibiting the Legislature from taxing ne
groes in the same proportion Bank Stock, Divi-
dendS, Merchandise and other sources of revenue
This restriction he proposed to remove by calling
together a Convention of the people to alter the
Constitution. He argued in support Of his PROPOSE
ton that the slave interest of the State Pc
culiarly favored; and that it was outrageously un-
just for this system to be continued. The whole
burden Of his speech amounted to effort to array
the prejudices Of the nOnslaveholding against the
slaveholdng portion of the community. He SAID
that the time might come when the hordes of the
AbolitioniSts and fanatics of the North would stand
in battle array against the South; when Southern
men might be called to defend their hearth-stones
and their property; when fraternal blood would be
shed and the country precpitated into desperate
In this hour, he told the people, that the
shareholders of the State would not be able to
ter above twenty thousand men to protect their
property; that it would have to be done by the
poor-the non-slaveholding portion of the conmu-
nifty, who could raise at least eighty thousand sol,
diers. 1t about slave property that the country
was disturbed so much, and it was unjust that this
species Of property should not bear its equal pro-
portion OF the burdens of taxation. lie said that
the Democratic party had ever made the negro
question subservient to their ends That when Mr..
Fillmore was before the people, four years ago, as
candidate for the Presidency man who he re-
garded being pure and spotlesS the rven snow,
the Democrats said to vote for him was to aid the
black Republicans. That when the old Wing party
wanted to establish protective tariff, the Demo
Gratis said that 1t would work to the injury of the
institution of slavery. He attempted to defend him
self for having sat responsible member of the
Assembly for two successive sessions. when the
question of the revenue was mooted, and when pro-
positions to adopt the I'D rdlOrea system made
and discussed, and never once opened his mouth in
favor of it; but when the question put DELHI
erately, in every instance recorded his vote against
it He wound up his speech by telling the people
that he was as good Wing ever lived. That no
man need vote for him, supposing that he was any
thing else but Wing. He was an American he
belonged to the Know Nothing party, and he was
proud Of and gloried iE the Constitutional Union
party, that had nominated Bell and Everett and
that had for its platform, THE Constitution and
the Union Of the States"
Gov Ellis, in reply, arose and said that he most
cordially united in the sentiment which his CON-
petitor had expressed of gratitude to the people for
large an assemblage, coming up even from differ
ent counties, to hear them discuss the issues in
volved in the campaign. He appeared also as a can
didate to fill the office another term Of Chief Exec
utve Of the State. To the people who had so nobly
supported him two years ago. he felt under sense
of the deepest gratitude. But it was a satisfaction
to him, in coming again before the people to feel
that he did so with consciousness that he had dis
charged the responsible duties that they had CON-
mitted to his care with faithful and an honest
heart Unlike his competitor he came the advocate
of no new or visionary scheme. He came to talk
about Democratic principles and polcy-to talk
about the interests Of the people of the State-the
whole people, from the seaioards of the East to the
mountains Of the West His competitor boosted of
a new issue. To one unaccustomed to listen to the
speeches of the Opposition candidates, it would APP
pear that his special mission of mercy and
protection to the poor man. against the imposition
and oppression Of the rich. The Governor had
never seen the time when the Opposition had not
a special mission to perform and new issue to pre-
sent. The paramount principles" of the Ameri
can party was once new issue 1t was new
issue that Americans should rule America" 1t
was a new issue that the Constitution of the United
States should be changed and that the flying. OPP
pressed and pershing few, who had escaped from
the heel of tyranny and the yoke Of oppression in
other lands should not be permitted to take shelter
from the storm under the spreading oaks Of our
forests It was new issue and a special mission,
a. hal 70,
establish in this country religious test to office
Two years ago the candidate Of the party he fought
had new issue and a special mission. 1t was the
proposition then not TO equaze taxation, not to
relieve the poor man Of taxes and place them upon
the shoulders Of the rich, but to pay all the taxes
both of the poor and the rich and besides, to edu
cate the children of the State, by distribution Of
the public lands
1t WIS necessary for his competitor to have a new
ISSUE for the old ones upon which his party had
been beaten before were worn out and odious. The
Governor charged upon his opponent nsincerity.
The object was not to equalZe taxation to raise
more revenue from negro property, but to beat the
Democrats. convention impracticable and
could not be held even if his competitor to be
elected.
He showed that Mr.. Pools proposition, that there
was an inequality in the distribution Of the burdens
of the State and that that inequality worked to the
benefit of the STAKEHOLDER, was not true That so
far from the system which his competitor recon-
mended with such great gusto, working to the
benefit of the poor man, it would have direct re-
verse tendency. 1t would Cypress him and work to
the benefit of the capitalist the bank stock man
and the speculator This he showed from facts and
figures. It was agreed that there was not more
than seven hundred millions Of dollars worth of
property in the State. Ten cents on the hundred
dollars valuation of this amount would be required
to meet the emergencies Of the State. Now, the
application of the dd rdlOren system to those spe
cies of property, from which we have hitherto de-
rived revenue, would take off of land $4,000 And