Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1860-04-25


almost the whole revenue of the State ought to be
raised by poll tax which would properly fall chief
ly 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 laboring classes is necessarily
oppressive and we may boldly assert that no sys
tenn of revenue which has for its basis proposition
which logically leads to monstrous and palpable
an abSurdity, can he sound and good one.
Can it be necessary, fellow citizens, to collect ar
gumentS to prove that it is not fact that the cost
of the protection of each species of property regu
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; il requires more time and more frequent
action for the Legislature to egisate upon some sub
iects than Others The Judiciary of the State must
oftencr 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 some 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 thousand dollars in money, or of
one hundred acres of land, or of one thousand dol
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, Of one hundred thousand
dollars in stocks bonds. of one hundred slaves,
of any larger amount of the species OF prop
erty? Docs it not require the sSme laws to protect
a small quantity Of any species of property which 1t
requires to protect large quantity of the same spe
ces of property? Nay fellow citizens, is it not ap
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 eXactiOn; because they
necessarily become fewer in number, and have there
FORE less personal and political weight in the COM
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 have three hundred thousand
slaves? The intelligent voter answer for him
self 1t is true that the judicial action of the gov
eminent with regard to any species of property docs
not necessarily become more constant and expensive
that species Of property decreases, but we must
remember owners become fewer, aggrcsSOrs upon
their rights become more numerous and daring and
quite as much or more judicial protection is needed
and as much more, of the time Of the judiciary
demanded, to protect the ctten assailed rights of
few owners, than is needed and demanded to protect
the rights OF the many owners of particular species
Of property seldom assailed 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 not much acct-fi it affects at
all-the expense of properly conducting 1t. The
same salaries must be paid to sheriff. for coccng
to treaSurerS and comproerS for diSburSing and ac
counting for; TO secretaries of States and governors
for generally experimenting revenue raised from
property of one value, revenue raised from prop
erty of another value, and in State the general
management, the collecting accounting for, and dis
burSinC the the chief buSncSS of the
executive department. The fact that the expenses
of the legislative executive and judicial departments
can i'll manner of way be regulated by the value
of the property with regard to which they act, es-
tabshes the alSy Of the assertion that the cost of
the protection of any species 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 a 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 an dd rdlOr6m system of taxation
wherefore property should be taxed in proportion to
It's value?
The true theory Of our republican form of gov
eminent does not regard taxes as sums ertOrted
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
pensaton The true theory of the British conStitu-
tion from which our own is modelled. of our own
constitution and indeed of all representative const
tutional governments is-that each great int crest in
the State is represented in the legislative bodies,
and taxes the contributions rOluRtpriiy anil
gratctHliy bestoued 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, said
the American colonies, ought to go. together. The
British parliament has no right to impose taxes up
on us without our consent are not represented
i'll that body and therefore cannot consent to or dis
sent from any taxes proposed Taxes laid by that
body are taking our property from US Tor public
use, and the right to take one penny involves the
right TO strip of all-this is tyranny This is to
make slaves and not British subjects. Now in
North Carolina taxes are considered the volun-
tary bounty Of citizens, accepted by the State ;
and looking at this real foundation Of all free repub
lican systems of government for our guidance in
building the SuperStructure of revenue system
we find the corner stone OF our edIice ought to be-
the discovery of those citizens and those species Of
property in the State which bear the imposition
of taxes with the least detrimen to the individual
interest Of the and with the fareSt prospect
of advancing the general interest of the whole
mOnwealth. The whole end and aim being to make
the burdens of taxation bear as equally pracica
bic upon the various interests and classes of prop
erty in all sections of the State. 1t cannot be said
that the owners of all species Of property of the
same monied value can, with equal case to them
selves, pay the Sameamount oftaXation nor can it
be said that the general interest of the whole State
is promoted by collecting the same amount of tax
from all species of property of the same monied
value. Especial regard must be had above all other
things to the relative productiveness or capacity for
production of the various subjects of taxation under
consideration and also to the pcrmanency and dur
ability OF those subjects, both when we regard the
general interest of the whole people and the private
! interest of the owners. The annual revenue Of a
State is the regular income of the State and must
be paid out of the annual profits of the citizens and
not out of their capital if the State is to continue
to increase her capital, wealth and prosperity, and
| her citizens are to retain their present wealth. and
still to enjoy their ordinary comforts and pleasures