Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1860-01-11
For the Standard.
AID VALOREM TAXATION.
No, J..


space in your newspaper to defend, so far as my
humble abilities enable to do both the advocates
OF ad cdL0rem taxation from the insdious charge of
improper affiliations, and the active promoters of the
objects aimed to be attained by the Wake County
Working Mems Association, from the malicious as
PERSONS Of the wilfully Ignorant we'll as the CO.
vert and despicable warfare against those Objects
waged by mercenary scribblers and selfish dema.
gogues. l ask this the more boldly because the
Standard is the only newspaper in our midst which
has not virtually ignored discussion of the impor-
lance of some change in the present mode of collect
ing the present revenue for State and County pur-
poses; and which has, at least so far preferred to
publish the sincere convictions OF honest neighbors,
respectfully submitted rather than the ignorant ef
fusons of prompted abolitlonst. The opponents
of our present tax system did hope that subject
acknowledged of the first Importance by every in
teligent citizen would be discussed dspassionately
and solely upon its merits. And the members of
the Association here having respectfully laid before
their fellow citizens their views in an address eXclu
sively devoted to the subject of our revenue policy,
with such arguments and illustrations their linz
tied talent commanded would have remained silent,
had their objects not been wilfully and malicously
misrepresented, and the members thereof nsidiOus-
ly accused of being traitors to the land of their
birth. If such is to be the character of the opposi-
ton to the change in revenue SYSTEM sought to
be brought about its advocates have little else to do
and submit the question of their own loyalty to
the South and its institutions, to the judgment of
the people themselves. If tie advocates of our
present tax system can urge no other arguments in
its favor than those CLEANED from an abolition print
though it happens to be edited by man born in
North Carolina the issue will be easily met, | pre-
sumo, and more easily disposed of by the people
themselves
Mr. Editor Being somewhat acquainted with
the sentiments and opinions of the author of the ad-
dress adopted by the Wake County Working Mems
Association well as of the sentiments and opin-
ions of the committee who reported it. and of the
members of the Association itself, | think | cali
safely say that it is at least probable that his senti
ments and their sentiments sound on the vi
tai question of slavery those who endeavor to in
Snuate otherwise, Or of those of the editor Of the
National Err, whose sentiments in relation thereto,
some amongst taking unusual pains to dissem-
mate. In truth, do not think the presumption
would be very rash if | We're to say that the feel
ings of the author-a slave owner hin,self-born in
| Wake county. NorthCarolina, Whose family and
| friends slave owners-whO has enjoyed to the
! present time the confidence of his slave owning
nelghbors-and who saw, without shedding Gerry
many tears the office of the said National Era
mobbed in ls4s possibly ultra in favor of the
institution as those OF born without the limits
| of the United States, whose violent attachment to
slavery is predicated upon their happening pres
to live where it exists and the length of whose
| residence with it is determined by the pecunary
success attending their several avocations. In this
| may be mistaken though am perfectly willing to
leave it to the people Of the State. Nor would it
surprise me much if the members of the Working
Mems Association would go as far to hang (by acci-
dent Of rourse--LYNcn) the authors of all ncendia
| ry publications. including the editor of the aforesaid
-Nntional Era together with those born in and out
of Nortn-C Carolina. who sympathiZc in their hellish
| f,,rniS !, ham rLryor
food for their Sanderous aspersons, as those would
! 20, who repeat their opinions i'll the endeavor to
! create false feeling against honest people. And if
the rights of the South and institutions ever
| in imminent peril, | would almost lief depend
! upon men whose blrth associations and every feel
! ing attaching one to the SOIL identifies them with
the land they live in as to rely for protection upon
strangers, however loud may be their professions of
devotion to the rights and institutions of their new
home In this, however, may likewise be msta-
ken, but willing for the people of North Carroll
ma to say.
! The above reflections naturally arise upon read
| ing the articles recently appearing in some of our
newspapers. The Warrenton No,os, Charlotte Bul-
letin and Democratic Press of this City, reruse to
My before ther reuters an address ulon tile rerenue
! system Of the .Statc, but are willing to impugn the
motives of those who differ with them concerning
our tax system, and who approve of that address,
by copying and circulating an article from vile alb
clifton sheet whose circulation in NorthCa.olina is
prohibited by the 18th section of the 34th chapter
! of our Revised Code | should like to know if
these papers exchange with the National Era =
Does not the editor of the Warrenton Ne~s know
that copy of that address was furnished either d
rccty to the Era, through some pitiul dependent
at Washington for the purpose of preudicng, if
possible the people of the State against that which
its opponents have not as yet offered one solitary
tcnablc argument? Murder will out" and the
| facts pctnd tier will dav hp
known.
The Neors of the 9Th of January, in its article
says: The prediction it made in article appearing
in the paper of the 18th of Nov. is fulfilled "Gire
the Legislature poner to tar slares at leasupe, and
are establish teeer jar the uprootng Of slarery in
this State, Of Ghich tie treesoiieTs aciW SOM take
advantage" That is the prediction triumphantly
pointed to; and to prove that he knew what he was
talking about, the Ne,cs quotes from the National
Era an article furnished or suggested by some one
from North Carolina opposed to the equalization of
taxation. Now will the Warrenton Neus, and all
others in communication with the Err and other
kindred sheets, please inform their readers, loo
NAM of the sace States contain in their constitu-
tons restrictions heir Legislatures in reqard to
tile taration ct sl0res? And if they think those
States whose Legislatures are unrestricted in this
respect are .fshy on the subject of slavery? Will
the Warrenton Ners inform its readers how many
of the slave States have adopted I'D ralorem sys
ten. of taxation?
The Nescs further says, that the address is the
production of few politicians, Chat are certainly
hard workers for ctice) who not having sufficient
talent to win distinction the ordinary poll ical
topics of the day, endeavorng to forestall public
opinion, By starting original topic uhich might
enable them to ride into o1iee" The Itulics are
our own. The topic is new, is it? Now will the
Neos please inform its readers that in 1885, and in
1884, the subject of radical change in our revenue
system was brought prominently before the General
Assembly; and that too by men as devoted to the
institutions of the State as the editor of the Ners
is, almost Will the News likewise inform its read
ers that in 1854, bill to alter the Constitution in
regard this restriction was introduced by men-
Der of the General Assembly from county about
as far from Wake as the geographical limits of the
State admits-that in 1856 another bill by another