Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1860-04-25

almost the whole revenue Of the State ought to be
raised by poll tax which would properly fall chief
" on the white poll male and female from the era
die to the grave. But all experience has demon
strated that heavy POLL tax on the citizen, falling
upon labor and the aboring classes is necessarily
oppressive; and We may boldly assert that no sys-
TEN of revenue which has for its basis proposition
which logically leads to so monstrous and palpabe
an absurdty, can be sound and good one.
Can it be necessary citizens, to collect ar
guments to prove that it is not fact that the cost
of the protection of each species of property reg
lated by the monied value thereof at all times, under
all circumstances, or ever? What creates the ex-
penses of government? Why, the sums that must
be paid to conduct properly the legislative executive,
and judicial departments of the State; the salaries
and fees paid to legislative, executive and judicial
officers, and the other expenses incident to the sew
eral departments Now, it is plain that different
species of property require different degrees of pro-
lection; it requires more time and more frequent
action for the Legislature to legsate upon some sub
iects than others. The Judiciary of the State must
oftcncr have questions before them involving rights
in some species of property than in others. The
Governor of the State is oftener called upon to act
with regard to rights of property in individuals
than others. 1t is useless to suggest instances to
illustrate such apparent truths. And again, is not
the legislation necessary to protect the rights
of the owner OF one thousand dollars in money, or Of
one hundred acres of land, or of one thousand dol
lars in stocks Or bonds, of one slave, or Of any
given amount of any other species of property, which
is necessary to protect the rights of the owner OF
one hundred thousand dollars in money, or OF ten
thousand acres of land or of one hundred thousand
dollars in stocks or bonds or of one hundred slaves,
or of any larger amount of the same species OF prop
erty? Does it not require the same laws to protect
small quantity of any species of property which it
requires to protect large quantity of the same spe-
cies of property? Nay fellow citizens is it not APP
parent that as any species of property decreases in
quantity in State, the necessity for its protection
increases and more laws necessary to secure its
owners from oppression and cXactiOn; because they
necessarily become fewer in number. and have there
FORE less personal and political weight in the Cum
munity? Would not more legislation be needed to
protect one thousand slaves in this State, equally
with other property if there were only that number
in the State, than is now necessary for their equal
protection when we have three hundred thousand
slaves? The intelligent voter can answer for him
self 1t is true, that the judicial action of the gov
eminent with regard to any species of property does
not necessarily become more constant and expensive
that species of property decreases, but We must
remember as owners become fewer, aggrcssors upon
their rights become more numerous and daring, and
quite as much or more judicial protection is needed,
and much or more, of the time of the Judiciary
demanded to protect the ottcn assacd rights OF
the rights of the many owners of particular species
of property seldom asSaed account of the person.
al and political weight of the many. Now as to the
Executive department of the government, the value
of the property does much aect-ifit affects at
all-the expense of properly conducting 1t. The
salaries must be paid to sherS for collecting;
to trcaSurers and comptrOllers for dsburSng and
counting for to secretaries of States and governors
for generally experimenting revenue raised from
DrODertV of one value revenue raised from DrOD-
erty of another value and in State the general
management, the collecting, accounting for, and dis
bursting the revenue forTS the chief business of the
executive department The fact that the expenses
Of the legislative executive and judicial departments
can in no manner of way be regulated by the value
of the property with regard to which they act
tabshes the fasity of the assertion that the cost of
the protection of any species OF quantity of property
is regulated by the value of the property itself The
of the protection of different species of property
varies under different circumstances and at different
times. 1t depends upon its nature and character
and on multitude Of surrounding circumstances,
and since the cost of its protection is not regulated
by the value Of the property ITSELF we ask again of
the advocates of al rdt0rem system of taxation
wherefore property should be taxed in proportion to
| its value?
The true theory of our republican form of gov
ernlnent does not regard taxes sums ertortel
from the citizens of the State in payment for services
rendered by the State. The constitution of the
United States itself declares that private property
shall not be taken for public use without just COM
pensation The true theory of the British constitn
! ton, from which own is modelled, of our own
constitution and indeed of all representative const
tutional governments is-that each great interest in
the State is represented in the legislative bodies
! and taxes arc the contributions voluntarily ana
| gratefully bestored by the people, through their
representatives upon the State, for her protection
and the maintenance of her authority and power
! The American revolution grew out of the assertion
of this prime pie taxation and representation sale
| the American colonies ought to 90 together The
British parliament has no right to impose taxes up
| OH us without our consent, we are not represented
in that body, and therefore cannot consent to OF dis
| sent from any taxes proposed. Taxes laid by thai
body are taking our property from US for public
use, and the right to take one penny involves the
right to strip us of all-this is tyranny. This is tt
make us slaves and not British subjects. Now il
North Carolina taxes considered as the volun
tary bounty of our citizens. accepted by the State
and looking at this real foundation Of all free rcpub
lican systems Of government for our guidance IL
building the SUpcrstructure of our revenue system
we find the corner stone of cdlfice ought to be
the discovery of those citizens and those species
property in the State which can bear the imposition
of taxes with the least detrment to the individual
interest of the owners and with the faircst prospec
Vi advancing tsle general interest OF inc Wuos Coi
monwealth. The whole end and aim being to max
the burdens Of taxation bear equally practice
BILE upon the various interests and classes of prop
erty in all sections Of the State. 1t cannot be SAT-
that the owners of all species of property Of tn
same monied value can with equal ease to them
selves, pay the sameamount oftaxation nor can
be said that the general interest of the whole Stat
is promoted by collecting the same amount Of ia.
from all species Of property of the same monte
value. Especial regard must he had above all othe
things to the relative productveness capacity 70
production of the various subjects Of taxation unde
consideration, and also to the pcrmanency and dul
ability of those subjects both when we regard tn
general interest of the whole people and the privat
interest of the owners. The annual revenue of
State is the regular income of the State and mus
be paid out of the annual profits of the citizens an
not out of their capital, if the State is to contnu
; to increase her capital, wealth and prosperity an
her citizens are to retain their present wealth. an
GILL tn thoir ordinary comforts and naSire