Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1860-03-03
.,,s.ss For the Standard.
AID yALoREM TAXATION.
No. 4.

4,
W. W. Holden, Esq.,:
SIR The mechanics and workingmen of Wake
County having suspended their operations in favor
of ad valorem taxes with the exception of distribut
ing throughout the State some printed pamphlets
necessary they seem to suppose to prove that they
are not guilty of the charges made against them;
and the so called Wing party having by resolutions
adopted in their Convention, held in this place. put
forth new plan for accomplishing, and new sys-
tenn of ad valorem taxation, not hitherto advocated
or known to the Democratic party, either in this
State or in Congress. Before any of the oldne
Democrats or any of the old-line Wings Of 1874,
adopt this new scheme of taxation, it would be well
to examine and see what its provisions are and
whether the principles embraced in the present plan
set forth in the resolutions of the called Wing
party, has ever been advocated by either the oldne
Wings or old-line Democrats, in and out of Con-
gress9
The Democrats in Congress advocated Sub Trea-
sury to raise and dsburse the money owned by the
government; and provided that nothing but gold
and silver should be received in the payment of the
public dues, instead of bank paper The effect of
which was, to require merchants coming from other
countries to trade in ports, to bring with them
gold and silver instead Of bank paper to pay the du
ties and by this influx of specie into the country,
the banks instead of being destroyed the enemies
of the Sub Treasury system predicted, have been
sustained; and at the same time the Democratic
party in Congress brought forward another measure
known as lad valorem taxes" on imports of
chandze and other dutitable articles. That is, in
plain English, it was proposed to tax commerce,
agreeable to its value as far as practicable, and
tinue specific duties on the remainder, with list
of free articles of prime necessity made up by dis
eliminating tariff on articles of luxury. Thus dis
eliminating in favor of the poorer class of society
least able to bear the burdens of State"
The leading Wings of that day mostly opposed
the measure of the Sub Treasury and ad valorem
fnxy MD
break down the banks and the latter would break
down the Treasury; we would have nothing but a
hard money currency. Cows and calves would come
down to five dollars and labor to ten cents per day.
and thousands of poor laboring mechanics and man.
ufacturers were induced by plausible arguments to
believe these predictions, and on that account
induced to oppose these Democratic measures "But
truth is mighty and will prevail" Both the Sub
Treasury and taxing commerce agreeably to its val
with determinations in favor of the laborng poor
in spite of all opposition were carried through Con-
gress; and where were the prominent members who
a few days since figured in the opposition Conven-
ton at Raleigh? Where were the Hon. George E.
Badger and the Hon. VIM. A. Graham, at that time?
Were they then less distinguished for their able ar
guments against the whole system of ad valnrem
taxation than they are now for its adoption What
becomes of their Wing followers who believed in
their doctrines then and having confidence in their
teachings, adopted principles of opposition to the
to have opinions of their own, to he governed by
principles instead Of names and men, can they now
be induced to advocate new system of ad valorem
taxes, partly made and partly stolen from the me-
chanics and working men of Wake County" and on
ly taken up by the former after abandoned post
poned by the latter but in attempting to steal what
was improperly supposed to be Democratic thunder
because advocated by some twenty or thirty Dem
ocrats not exactly understanding the of it. they
have introduced two amendments which entirely
perverts the principles for which the Democrats in
this State have commended: LIST, The mode of &C
complishng an amendment by Convention instead
Of Legislative enactment IT, remove the restrictions
upon the power of the Legislature to tax slaves
der twelve and fifty, to require capitation tax
greater than 216 per cent more than on the white
population which are the restrictions in the Consti-
tuition proposed to be stricken out by the oppo
sitionists which in 1885 placed amendment to
it. for the benefit of the Eastern portion of the State
and formed part of the compromises between the
| great and conservative men who formed the Con-
vention of 1885, and furnishes strong evidence of
| their wisdom, prudence and patriotism. The des
truction of the Republic of France BY Red Republ
canism the sacrifice of millions of property and the
lives of the best of her citizens the destruction fin
ally of all that governments created to protect
| Life liberty and property" by arraying the "poor
against the rich; :" whose proof of being the posses
sor of wealth, of having by industry, economy and
perseverance, obtained more than their supposed
share of the comforts Of life, Or more than their
neighbors, who envcd their condition and designat
ed them by the unpopular name of arstocrats when
it only necessary in those days during the short
reign of Red Republicanism, to prove that man
rich to convict him before Jury of these boast
ed friends of the poorer classes and pretended lib
| erty" of being enemy to France and soon the
officers ofthe law dragged him from his home amid
the cries and shreks of his family to atone for his
! crime of being rich, by having his head severed
| bod b.,f
machine which was erected for the OCCASION capable
| of cutting off the heads of thousands in shorter
| space of time than is occupied in diSpatchng one
criminal in North Carolina, and soon to prevent this
efuson of blood amid the shouts of the rabble new
| monarchy the only system that ever sounded an
archy, we see on the ruins of the temple of liberty
a monarchy headed by an emperor to protect "life,
liberty and property" which the Republic had fail
! ed to accomplish
And as the downfall of the republic of France
first in the recollection of the members of the
Convention in 1885, it is fair to presume that the
! clause in the Constitution, which the friends of
purely ad vaorem system propose to strike out was
intended to prevent any complaint between the nom
STAKEHOLDER and the STAKEHOLDER. The former could
not tax the property of the latter without taxing
themselves at the same time and to the extent
| and he was unable to tax slave property where it
| was either so young old as to be Improbable
And this new proposition TO take off those wise re-
| strictions comes from strange quarter. From a
class of politicians who have so long boosted of their
being governed by conservative principles. But
while these propositions come from a strange set of
politicians, the selection Of their standard bearer
and the portion of the State he comes from, are
equally strange. A man known to possess some
ability it is true but who at the last session of the
Legislature voted against the very proposition which
he is called on to advocate And that he should
be selected from the Eastern portion of the State,
from among the largest shareholders most interest
ed in preserving the clause in the Constitution
which it is now proposed to strike out is equally
hard to account for unless it be intended to satisfy
the West that the East longer desire the protec-
ton which this clause in the Constitution was in
tended to afford And now, inasmuch as there are
probably one STAKEHOLDER in twenty voters in the
State that there is no danger in removing these re-