The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1860-07-24

loren tax OF ten Genus III SIOU CO thiS anu IL win
produce So 600 instead of $685. 000-a loss on these
few items of S32, 400. He next instanced few
items in the nature of vices, such as pistols and
knives, dirks and canes, playing cards, &c, on
which loss of S27, 900 would be suffered: Doc
tors and LAWYERS paid S12,000-all of which
would be lost Mr. Pool says now, continued the
Governor, that we might continue the tax on these,
though he had been denouncing the tax on lawyers
and doctors all over the State, till within the last
few days The whole amount paid on salaries and
fees was Sl3 900, of which lawyers and doctors
paid $4,000, leaving a little over $1,000 as the
tax on all other salaries. Gov. Ellis saw no rea-
why Clerks of courts, sheritfs, presidents of
railroads. and State officers should not be taxed on
their salaries-he himself paid $50 per annum on
his salary, and it right he should do so. Com
ing to the tax on foreign liquors, he said Mr. Pool
had acclaimed against it in the East. From in
formation derived from sheriffs, the sum to the
treasury for foreign liquors would be SAC, 900 this
year. and yet Mr. Pool was for striking that tax of.
Gov Ellis continued to illustrate the working of
this system He showed by calculation that the
whole amount to be raised the additional tax
proposed to be laid young negroes would be but
$40 600 while the loss on the revenue from money
lenders would amount to $40, 900. He contended
it was war between money one side and labor
and industry on the other. The proposition would
owner for all movable property could be carried
off when taxes become onerous; but land was sta
tionary-it bound by mortgage to pay the
State debt On the Illustrations he had given
tax was paid of S295,000. which ad rn1oren
would reduce to $50 000-leaving loss of s226.-
900, which would be the gain of money lenders
bank stockholders, carriage riders. and such like
and which would be the loss of the man whose
property could not be carried away-whose land
would have to pay the State debt, because it was
pledged and morgaged for it.
Gov. Ellis asked if the people were ready, with
one dash Of the pen to make such change as
this? His competitor (AIr Pool) would not tax
private billiard table than any other property
of like value. Private billiard tables now pay
SIS. They are worth $500 each. Land of The
same value pays now but 81. Mr. Pool would tax
them both alike. Gov. E. asked if there a
man in Catawba county prepared to sanction such
a system of taxation would put $500 billiard
table and $500 worth of land on the same footing?
1t was useless to say that the amount of such arti
cles was small. 1t did not matter-it illustrated
the principle of the proposed scheme of taxation
His competitor was in favor Of that principle, he
Gov. Ellls) was opposed to it. He opposed
to a system which would increase the burdens on
labor and industry and would bring down the tax
on men who lived off bank stock and such like
eign liquor pays ten per cent. tax whilst cof-
fee and sugar pays but one-half of one per cent.
His competitor (NIr Pool) would tax your coffee
and sugar as highly he would the foreign liquor.
The pleasure carriage worth $1,000 now paws SO
tax. $1,000 worth of land paws 80. The new
system would tax the land as highly the car
rage Gov. Ellis could not believe this was right
He held up gold watch and said it was worth
800. That pays one dollar tax. 500 worth of
land pays but twenty cents Would it be Just to
make these things equal? He said our forefathers
in North Carolina adopted similar scheme and
lived under it one year and then secuted it. The
men who fought cur battles and won our liberties
saw in one year that this system was not right and
they adopted the present system, and he held this
fact should be taken hv us as caution in what it
was proposed we should change
Gov Ellis next alluded to the different con-
'tructlons given by the proposed scheme. and said
{ was most important that the proposition should
he distinctly stated before the people could be ex-
nected to adopt it. He had shown how verv ma
erially the advocates of I'D rolorrne differed
amongst themselves. He cautioned the people
md again denounced the whole affair as humbug,
trick to divide the Democracy and obtain office
He pointed to the attack of the Raleigh Register
upon the movement in January last, in which it
was alleged the ahotionists would make capital
nut of it, and then called attention to the fact that
n one month afterwards the same paper took
ground for the measure it had then denounced
He showed that at Wing Convention held in the
East the scheme had been denounced and repudia-
ed, and Immediately afterwards the same men
wheeled round when they found the hobby was to
De used against the Democracy.
The Governor then proceeded to view the Mig
,er question, and showed that the policy of the
aw of the State bad ever been to encourage the |
Increase of negro labor in order to develop the re-
sources of the State, Instead of driving it off to
enrich and develop other States. This policy, he !
the true policy, for the prosperity
# all other cIasses-the merchant, the manufactu-
er, the mechanic and the artizan--depended upon |
he general wealth of the State for their pros |
)erity. He took a view Of the revenue system of
,ur sister slave States and showed that no where
lid system such as that proposed here exist. |
Five Of the slave States had laws relative to the
negro similar to those Of this State; but as he be-
ore remarked, none of them had horizontal and
dd rulprrm system In this State |
Ioung negroes were privileged property, because |
hey were improbable and because it was desirable
hey should be retained in the State. But if they
we're privileged, so, too, were horses and cows and
heep and pigs and hundreds of other useful and |
things, simply because they were |
egarded in their true light-as the means by which
he State was to be developed and her wealth and /
greatness advanced. 1t was glorious privilege |
O throw around such species of property the pro-
ection of the State. As a matter of justice and .
equality, he had no doubt that the slave owner
would submit all his property to be taxed, but he |
and he did so with good reason that if |
II his property was to be taxed, that of his neigh
'or should be taxed also. Why should this not