The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1861-04-11

Tue fesfuues OF tue StAGe Dy con m uti D
D the tonnage tax. Our revenues woul
e certainly be greater with such tax tha
? without it. and il impo-ed equally upol
, B~rks aud Daarhin, Franklin and West
moreland, would be much greater still =
But it must be rene u bered that we bav.
bad 90 revenue from this source for tbre,
years. aud the State was never more pros
porous. Ii Is, therefore, not now a ne
, cessity; and we provide in this bill! that i
. it>hsll ever beco Ie a necessity. it mu-t bt
rein tated on tn" Penn ylvnnla Railroad
aud be al-o levied upon the Reading and
and other roads Then it will be Just
boweser un~i-e mag be the policy. But
the great is-ue is above the question oi
revenue. Shall Pennsylvania be para.
lysed in her energies 10 great struggle
for the aealth of continent, by unequal
taxes imposed upon her own capital. her
own energy, her Own Industry Shall
she stand etill while all the world mo.e es
on Shall rbe be as giant, bound hand
hand aud foot. while on every side Of us
the liberal teachings of experience have
given new impulses to every tide Of wealth
and eniig ghteued legislation has. gathered
to rival commercial marts around US that
which q bene6crDt God marked on this
great map oI nature a. the tribute Of our
Western Empires to Penu.ylvanal 1t
ne y in time, effect million of direct rev.
enue. o. ten millions if you please, while,
in the saDe period its removal will enrich
our co Il meree, ana our producers of eve-
~ kind, and add scores of millions to the
taxable wealth of the State The con-
struction of the Pennsylvania Railroad
has. 10 ten years added fifty millions to
our taxable property along its line; and. i.
10 addition, 1t pays in legitimate taxes,
iudepe OF tonnage duties. what is
the Interest OF nearly two millions of our
dett. For this 1t IS treated as onster
and curse. 1t pays uore direct taxes
for State purpo-es IN ten years than the
whole county of Berk- has paid iu the
last century. Still 1t is to be regarded
as a mere beast of burden to the State
While every other railroad j. Incorporated
oD tbr principles now recognized by ell
other States, and all other enIi t. hsened
nations Ii it be for re.euue, remember
1t L. throHu directly upon the strong arms
Of your own sous, who make your forests
Sa>e With golden barvest>-your noun-
taiu- YIELD up their exhsu,te,- riches
woo start tue hun of jour spIndle-, and
the rude music of your forees-who FEAR
your schools aud churches, and scatter
iu Wild profu-ron, the beauty and bounty
OF pro. re>slve ci.ihzation Aud II falls
upon theu unequaiiy. and therein, at
'ea t. uuju-ty 1t tail- upon then, too
not for their owu Deft. but Tor the COM
petiuk energy o. ri'ai citIe~-of rival
Statee-oi rissl thorou. hisres.
The Senate, iIoD Berss is also mista.
ke q Ia the s-ruDEtloD that The Penn~yl-
auIa Railroad gsius nlIlioD and half
10y tbls bill over the bill oil l~57 Tor tue
ale OF the Main Lue. just the reverse
l. the truth B, the Act OF 1857, the
Railroad was TO be released from all tax.
e. upon tonuagr, aud also froW State tax
es on all IT. propert5 perpetuaIIy, In con-
sidcratIoD OF the payment OF one ond a
bali millions additional tor the NJ slu Line
Uu1er this bill 1t pays. as the Senator
trob Berks admits by BIZ own Uultipi-
oation le, more than it o~es tor the
NJ ain Liue with interest, aul pays it,
TOO. 10 Il tBu1h shorter Il Ne than it, con-
tract with the State d. IL nd; aud he over
looks the very importsnt tact that 10 ad
dlrloD 10 that, they pay annually, for sll
tlmc TO come, the Regular rates of tax,
upon all their property. viii uow amount
tier bouts. We have thus q certain aud
ste adily increasing revenue from the tax.
es OF this corporation, 10 ADDITION to its
payment, to the State for thirty years
uuder the provisions OF this bill.
Another fatal blunder of the Senator
irom Berks aud perhaps the least txcu
sable of sll-is his a-suuption that the
ton OF the Railroad destroyed
the value OF our Ma,u Lue OF improve.
Geuts. He based a considerable portion
OF his srguuent on this point. and press.
ed it upon the Senate With almost start
ling esruestDess cannot thiuk that be
l. utterly indifferent to the truth OF his
ASSUMPTIONS; tut when the tact, upon this
feature OF his comedy OF err
ror- are of such easy access--wheD the
figures are on the shelves of this Hall
bow are such mI-takes, going to the very
heart of bis argument, to be explained I
So far from the Railroad destroying the
Main Line OF our public works. their rev.
enue steadily increased FROM year to year
after the Railroad vas built The Rail
road brought to our State millions OF pro-
duce that otherwise would have sought
rival channels OF trade. new sources OF
trade we're created along the lipe. and all
OF it had to pass over the CoIu~bia Road
as it buried onaard to build up our own
commerce. Look at the records, sDd the
eloou, nee OF the SrDagor is forgotten iD
bis want of intelligence.
But when all argument is answered.
We are Oet With the allee stlon that 1t Is
solemn contract. They tell u- that it is
4 La II