The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1860-04-24
DISCUSSION.
IoU. Ellis and III. Pool at Elizabeth City.

To the Editor Of the Standard:
As you request to be informed of the progress OF
the gubernatorial canvass, and as presume your
readers generally are DESTROYS of learning the po-
stons of the candidates of the respective parties,
/ have concluded to give you and them brief
and condensed summary of the main points as
sumed by Gov. Ellis and Mr. Pool at this place
yesterday.
Gov. Ellis opened the discussion by an allusion
to the honor which had been conferred upon him
by the people at the last gubernatoria election,
and by the late Democratic State Convention in
again making him their standard-bearer Ia the
pending contest for the office of Governor. lie
then proceeded to discuss the I'D catorcn ques
ton; and, in the outset | will say of his speech,
Ito which was pleased listener from beginning to
end,) that it effort Of great ability-it was
the speech of a statesman who had the capacity to
comprehend the interests of all sections and all
classes of the State, and the spirit to do justice
to all.
The Governor was opposed to the proposition for
an open COnvention-was opposed to the al cato
rem doctrines Of the Opposition. This new issue
was the offspring Of party fruitful of new devices,
and was a movement of opposition politicians to
get into power. Had the yeopie demanded a
change Of the Constitution on this bjecty Had
the question ever been mooted among the masses !!
1t was the work of opposition PotttcidnS and he
had less, far less confidence in them than he had
in the people of the State. it leveled at
slaves. Disguise it as they would, the event would
prove, Off the Opposition succeeded,) that the tax
on slaves would be increased, and the intention OF
the getters-up of the movement was to make this
species of property pay more taxes. He admitted
that if the al rdtOrem principle of taxation was
applied to all property it would not work injustice
20 the slave owner. But his competitor would er-
rept certain articles from taxation. What were
those exceptions? He had called upon Mr. Pool
to name them, but that gentleman had declined to
accommodate him. The platform of the Opposi-
ton had specified none--had alluded to none; but
Mr. Pool interpreted it differently, and insisted
that 1t was intended TO make certain exceptions
taking very good care not to name them. If it
was not intended to increase the tax slaves, why
the call for Convention They already had the
power TO tax every other species Of property, and
a change of the Constitution would not enlarge
the power of taxation except as to Saves because
the constitutional restriction to slaves did not
apply to other species of property. Why, then,
this cry for Convention He was for equality in
the burthcRS of taxation, but that very diff
ferent thing from this bOasted eQuuL tdrdftOH of
the Opposition politicians He would lay higher
tax upon the thousand dollars worth OF gold and
silver plate OF than he would VI on the
thousand dollars worth OF land. The JurfhrnS
would not be so great upon the owner of the plate
II
titled the soil for a subst, nee. He would levy
higher tax upon the billiard table than upon the
threshing machne,-he would levy niger tax
upon all articles of mere luxury and vice than he
would upon the everyday necesSaries of life, be-
they could better afford to pay it, and would
not greatly feel the burthen Of the tax. But
the Opposition proposed to levy one uniform sys-
tenn of per cc,togc upon all property alike; thus,
suppOsing a billiard table to cost $3.50, and
IN how tp
the threshng machine pay the same tax the
billiard table, and cali it equal to.rdtiom 1t
might be ''equal taxation" but it was a very I'M
equal GHrtten of taxation, from which he prayed
that the people of this State might be Delivered
Under the broad proposition Of the Opposition
platform to levy uniform al UdIOren. rate of
taxation upon every species of property much that
is exempt would be taxed. Your vessels
boats mechanical and agricultural implements
would be taxed the bacon in your smoke-houses,
and the corn in your barns-your horses and cat
tle-in fact, ereryhing would be brought under
the inexorable hand Of the tax and the
collector! Gov. Ellis opposed to ths-the
Opposition platform in favor of it-there Was
the difference. That was the issue, and he was
ready to meet it boldly. At present, the State de-
rived large revenue from the tax on circus e.,
shows, billiard tables playing cards. bowie Knives
pistols, liquor selling &c. but if the al coLorcm
principle were adopted the tax upon these things
would be reduced to level with that upon agricu-
tural and mechanical implements, vessels, horses
&c. Luxury and vice wo'ld be put on an equal
footing with industry and virtue. vessel worth
S5OO would be taxed as high as a billiard table
worth S5OO-and of all the rest.
The Governor soIemnly warned the people of
the East against the inevitable consequences of
their action at the ballot box If they wanted
Convention, they had but to indicate it by their
votes, and the people of the West would accommc-
date them. If you do not fight your own battles,
you cannot expect Western men to fight them for
you. And if you once get into an open Conven-
ton, what then? Who will have the power?
The West. Where will this all end? He would
not ask the East to place themselves in the power
of the West lie did not charge that the West
would use that power to the INJURY of the East,
but no man should place his liberty property at
the mercy of another Human nature was the
same every where The Western people were as
honest any people; but like all other men, their
own Interests claimed their first attention. East
ern people would do as they would under similar
circumstances
Moreover, regard should be had to equal erpen-
dit"reS, as we'll as to equal burthens. Western
men would not object to increasing the taxes if all
the money raised by taxation was to be spent in
Western Improvements. The East already pays a
heavy tax for the building up of improvements in
the West. Pasquotank county Comparatively
small county, paid some s., geo into the treasury
and had no public improvement. Burke county
with much larger population, paid less than
$4,000, and had received half million in appro-
pratiOns. The First Congressional District paid