Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1860-04-18
Gov. Eli. and MI. Pool q Elizabeth City.

Z
the rubernatorial canvass, and asI presume your
readers generally are DESTROYS Of learning the po-
sitons of the candidates Of the respective parties,
have concluded to give you and them brief and
condensed summary of the main points assumed 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 gubernatorial election ana ny
the late Democratic State Convention in again ma
king him their standard bearer in the pending con-
test for the Office of Governor. He then proceeded
to discuss the all cal0rem question; and in the out
set will say of the Speech Ito which was pleas
ed listener from beginning to end that it was an
effort of great abty-it was the speech of states
man who had the capacity to comprehend the inter-
ests of all sections and all classes of the State and
the spirit to do justice to all 49,. ~.
The Governor was opposed to the proposition of
an open Convention-was opposed to the ad oatorem
doctrines of the Opposition. This new issue was
the offspring of party fruitful Of new devices, and
was movement of opposition politicians to get into
power. Had the people demanded change of the
Constitution on this subject? Had the question
ever been mooted among the masses? Mol Itwas
the work of opposition politicians and he had less,
far less confidence in them than he had in the people
of the State 1t was levcled at slaves Disguise it
as they would, The event would prove, f the Oppo-
stion succeeded that the tax on slaves would be
increased and the intention of the getersup of the
movement was to make this species of property pay
more taxes. He admitted that if the ad ualoren
principle of taxation WAS applied to all property it
would not work injustice to the slave owner. But
his competitor would except certain articles from
taxation. What were those EXCEPTIONS? He had
called upon Mr.. Pool to name them, but that gentle
man had declined to accommodate him. The plat
form of the Opposition had specified none-had al
luded to none; but Mr. Pool interpreted it different
ly, and insisted that it intended 70 make certain
eXceptioDs-taking very good care not to name
Them If it was not intended to increase the tax on
slaves, why the call for Convention? They already
had the power to tax every other species of proper
ty, and change of the Constitution would not en-
large the power of taxation except to slaves be-
cause 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 burthens of taxation, but that very differ
cnt thing from this boosted equal taraion of the OPP
position politicians. He would lay higher tax up.
on the thousand dollars worth of gold and silver
plate of man than he would upon the thousand
dollars worth of land. The burthen would not be
so great upon the owner of the plate it would be
upon the owner of the land, who titled the soil for
subsistence. He would levy higher tax upon the
billiard table than upon the threshng machine,-he
would lay higher tax upon all articles of mere lux
ury and vice than he would upon the everyday
necessaries of life because they could better afford
of the tax. But the Opposition proposed to levy
one uniform system of per centage upon all proper
ty alike thus, supposing billiard table to cost
$3.50, and threshing machine to cost $3.50, they
would make the thrcshing machine pay the same
tax the billiard table, and call it equal taration
1t might be "equal taxation" but it was a very
unequal burthen of taxation, from which he prayed
that the people of this State might he delivered
Under the broad proposition of the Opposition plat
fO 1avv nd ro1or fovo
upon every species Of property, much that is now
exempt would be taxed. Your vessels, boats, me-
chanical and agricultural implements would be tax
cd the bacon in your smoke-houses and the corn
in your barns-your horses and cattle-ir fact
everything would be brought under the memorable
hand of the tax assessor and the tax collector! Gov
Ellis was opposed to this-the Opposition platform
was in favor of it-there was the difference. That
was the ISSUE and he was ready to meet it boldly.
At present. the State derived large revenue from
the tax circuses shows, billiard tables, playing
cards. bowie knives, pistols, liquor selling, &c. but
if the nd rat0rem principle were adopted, the tax
upon these things would be reduced to level with
that upon agricultural and mechanical implements
vessels, horses, &c. Luxury and vice would be put
upon an equal footing with industry and virtue A
vessel worth $500 would be taxed as high as bill
lard table worth S5Oo-and so of all the rest
The Governor solcun'y warned the people Of the
Fast against the inevitable consequences of their
ton at the ballot box If they wanted Conven-
ton, they had but to indicate it by their votes and
the people of the West would accommodate them.
If you will not fight your OWL battles, you cannot
expect Western men to fight them for you. And if
you once get into an open Convention. 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. Hedid
not charge that the West would use that power to
the injury Of the East, but man should place his
liberty or property at the mercylof another. HUI
man nature was the same every where. The West
ern people were as honest as any people, but, like
all other men, their own interests claimed their first
attention Eastern people would do as they would
under similar circumstances. . ....
Moreover, regard should be had to equal crpendi-
tire, as well as to equal bnrthens. Western men
would not object to increasing the taxes il all the
money raised by taxation was to be spent in West
ern improvements. The East already pays a heavy
for the building up Of improvements in the West.
Pasquotank county Comparatively small county,
paid some So 900 into the treasury and had no puo
lie Improvement. Burke county, with much larger
population, paid less than $4,000 and had received
half million in appropriations. The First Congress
siona District paid upwards of$90 600 taxes, while
the Mountain District paid only about half that
amount. The East had been liberal-he approved
of these appropriations-but he would not ask the
East to increase her rate of taxation. The West
East He was for completing works already begun :;
but he opposed to insttuting mode of taxation
by which the West would have the power Of making
appropriations nd li6itum, and then of making the
East pay for them. ..... ..- -
Mr.. Pool, in his turn, took the ground that he
was in favor Of equal taxation-that he wanted
equality at the ballotbox and equality at the
He declared that change of the Constitution was
necessary in order to protect slave property from
undue taxaton-that, as the Constitution now Stood
the Legislature could levy as high tax as they
pleased slave property, and he wanted to secure
it. beyond contingency, against the encroachments
of taxation. Par parenthese, they have been some
time in finding this out! And Gov. Ellis in his re-
| joinder, told Mr. p that the present Constitution
gave sufficient check upon that score as the white
folks had to be taxed pari passu with the black
| lie wanted the thing fixed beyond dispute SO
fixed by the Constitution that slave property would
be equally protected with all property; that it was
lust that slaves should gay their due promotion of