The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1860-01-18

nine millions more-thirty in all. Now will any
one pretend that free labor, exclusively, in North
Carolina, sends into market as much as two mil
lions of dollars worth of produce 1t certainly
falls short of this amount.
If these be facts, all may see whence are derived
the resources of the State-whence comes the
money that purchases the pianos carriages, liquors.
clothing, silks laces, vevets, and the thousand
other costly articles sold by our merchants and
tradespcople, and whence comes the money, too,
that paws our mechanics and manutacturers-in-
GLIDING the Identical overseer who gets his $500
out of the products of slave labor. Yes, the pro-
duct of slave labor pays the income of most of our
"Working Men," and pays them the money, too,
with which they pay their taxes.
But the consumer pays the tax, says the AG-
dress. Fatal admission Let see how it works
out. The employer who makes his 100 bags of
cotton with 20 hands-a large crop by the by, con-
sumes the labor of the overseer, and pays him
$500 wages-includng his Sc tax Of course the
employer pays the overseer all that his wages
strictly are worth; but who pays the Sc tax! The
consumer" of course, for the Address says So
We close here with the figures and calculations
of this Address, having shown as we think, what
they worth. We have few general observa-
tions to add.
This Address assais violently, both of the last
Revenue Laws-both of them being the work of
responsible to the public. On this account we de-
fend them. They not perfect it is true, such
laws rarely are-but perhaps they the best
that could be formed under the circumstances
They do not, however, contain the glaring defects
charged by the "Workng Mems" Address.
There is another feature of this Address against
which we enter our solemn protest Its tendency
we make no alusion to motives-is unquestion-
ably to divide the community into classes, and to
excite one against the other. To speak plainly, it
is very much in the nature of a bill of indictment
against Shareholders and slave property. We sub
mit most earnestly ache'her this is tie time to &C.
cite disscmsions Of this character. And why this
outcry against the inequality of taxes borne by
shareholders? What great grievance is this that
Expresses the Working Men of the Wake County
Society The Address says, ''the individual in
terest Of every tax payer" requires modification
Of our revenue laws If 50, why enter into exclu-
sive associations to affect it? If all have an inter-
est in these reforms, let all join together to effect
them. Let not the ''Working Man. separate him.
self from others and cry out against the slave
holders.
We ask again, what grievance Expresses the
"Working Men" of the Wake Association :? How
much taxes do each and all of them pay? The
extent Of the grievance can only be measured by
the amount Of taxes paid. We challenge these
gentlemen to produce list of their members, with
the amount of taxes paid by each Let the public
see it, as in this way only can they see the extent
of the grievance complained of. Will the list be
forthcoming!
We mean disrespect to any member Of the
Association, but in our opinion they have issued a
most dangerous Address, and therefore We have
spoken plainly, as it is our duty to do.