Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1860-02-04
For the Standard.
AID VALOREM TAXATION.
No. l.

w w. HoLden, ESP
SIR: | am pleased to see in your last paper an
editorial which seems to define your position with
reference to the working mechanics association and
address Of Wake county in favor OF al ratorem
taxes While you are not to be understood as the
advocate or opponent of the measure, at this time,
YOU determined to afford not only the mechanics OF
the association of Wake county and others similar
ly situated throughout the State, an opportunity
through the columns of your paper to be heard to
enable them to obtain redress if entitled to it. at
the same time you seem not to have been unmindful
of your duty to other classes of citizens OF the
State to be affected by the proposed change. They
shall also be heard and the members of the eglsla-
ture who voted to create State debt for internal
improvements and under which they have been
constructed, and central railroad is progressing
through the western part of the State, and who,
after voting to create the State debt for these OBJ
iects continue to vote for the revenue laws, so much
abused, to sustain her faith and credit an Oppor-
tunity to reply to the attacks which have been made
on them in publications numbering from to 6, over
the signature of Native y and ifthey unable to
find arguments supposed by ''Native" to meet his
al gumcnts they may least furnish excuses to
palliate the offence of which they stand charged by
mechanics association of Wake county and their
attorney, whose communications appear over the
signature of NATIVE"
Had the address and the articles referred to been
confined to the advocacy of the system of ad UalOrem
taxation, it might not have been deemed necessary
to hazard reply, especially farmer brought up at
the handles of the pillow, and whose education what
little he has, was principally obtained by torchght
at night by applying himself to study, while other
boys more fortunate were sleep; knowing as he
does the advantage which education and the profess
sion Of the law give in preparing communications
for the press, and to take the wrong side of ques
ton and make it appear light. And it was not I'M
til after waiting for ADLER hands to repel the attacks
made on nearly the whole members of the General
Assembly by the address and subsequent articles
and no response, and not until Native" boosted
that so far "abuse had been heaped upon the me-
chanc's association, but no attempt to meet his ar
guments that determination formed to at least
furnish some reasons, if we have arguments, for
the course adopted by the friends of internal i'm
provements, to relieve the State from the odium
heaped upon her of being the Rip Van Wrinkle of the
South and at the time to sustain her faith and
credit. And in plain farmers language an effort
will be made to satisfy the laboring mechanics of
Wake that these measures were adopted to benefit
not njure, either them any other portion of the
people of the State And so far from the poor me
chanic being oppressed by legislation, that much
has be endone to benefit and elevate his condition. and
Instead of being Oppressed by TAXATION the burthens
oftaxaton have been placed on other classes of cit
zens for his benefit; and instead of being benefited
by the proposed change to purely al rdLOren syS-
tenn of taxation, which has never been adopted by
any State he would be injured by its adoption.
There are three modes of raising revenue,
l. Taxation on privilege to exercise trades pro-
fessionS
3 Taxation on commerce, in the hands of jobbers,
retailers and pedlcrs.
3. Taxation on the property of the State
These constitute the principal of revenue.
Apply the principle of dd raLOrem to privilege of
using profession. He under therevenue law, which
is so much abused, and how does that benefit him?
He will then have to pay tax for the use of his
privilege the as the lawyer and other learned
professions.
B. Apply the al ralorem principle to the tax on
commerce. and you injure instead of benefiting the
mechanics of the State. Because, then, the present
revenue laws, which discriminate in favor of the
hand productions and hand manufactures would
hare to be repealed, and laws enacted which adopted
the I'D rdiOrCHl principle so as no discrimination
should be made between the productions and maui
features of mechanics, manufacturers
and farmers, and those of the citizens of other
States. Thus leaving the manufacturers of shoes,
clothing, carriages, &c, without any protection
against northern skill and capital Instead of this
being the policy adopted in legislation to benefit our
laboring mechanics against competition with the
mechanics of the North who now, by their votes
and money, are aiding to steal and conceal our ne
grocs, i. should be high discriminating tariff by
the State in favor of her citizens This is the
only kind of protection that can benefit our mechan-
les and manufacturers And instead of forming
leagues to break it down they should use their in
fuencc to preserve increase and protect it while the
Northern mechanics are engaged in supporting the
under ground railroad to steal the negroes of the
planters who furnish employment to the mechanics
both North and South.
In the next an explanation will be given Of the
tax on property. -