The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1861-04-18
To tie Honorable The Senate and House Of
REPRESENTATIVES;

To tie Honorable The Senate and House Of
Representatives.:
GENTLEMEN:-T deem it duty owe
to nv constituents to explsin the reasons
which have Influenced NE in casting my
vote in favor OF the bill for the mmuta-
,ion of the tonnage tax upon the Penn
sylvauia railroad coupaDy; aud 10 doing
80. althoush am aware that my action
will be ni-coustrsed, and those whom
have always lsbored to serve iniuced to
become my enemies, shall speak in can
dor and honesty, leaving tiDe to correct
auy wrong Impressions which may now
exist.
1t is we'll known that during the whole
course of ny life hav' been firm and
fast friend of public improvements, aud
ass Senator have steadily voted for all
measures teuding to develope the resour-
ces of this State. What signifies the
great mineral wealth of Penn>j lvania-
her iron, coal, oil. etc. II they are to lie
uudeveloped and hidden in the bowels Of
the esrthi We msy talk of the great
ness of our Statc-her immense resour
oes-her high station among the rest of
the States of the Uulou, bat if the energy
of our people is to be trawmelod by mis-
taken legislation, created by a fear that
corpor ratious will trample upoB public
liberty. We are as State without re-our-
ce., and the weakest among then ALL
While | admit that corporations should
be properly checked, | am just as loath
90 impose upon them unnecessary bur-
tbens as | would be upon the people in
their Individual capacity.
When 10 1876 il was found necessary
in order to secure the trade Of the great
West to our people, and especially to
Pbilsdelphis, to incorporate the Pennsyl.
sylvania Railroad company, Senators
and Meubers of the House of Represen
tatives, together with Governor Sbunk,
deemed 1t all important to tax the trade
passing over the Pennsylvania Railroad
Eve mills per ton per mile, IN order to
protect The trade of tie Pennsylvania Ca
s1aI. There vas DO other object iD plsc-
ing tax on this trade, aud there could
asve been no other, for the trade passing
over other roads IN the State was exempt
from such q tax. Afterwards it was
found necessary to reduce this tax to
three mills per ton per mile, because it
was ascertained that as UeighborlDg
States granted to railroads within their
borders the greatest possible facilities, 10
order to reach the west and its trade, the
vretcbed policy of our State was fast
losing it to our citizens. The canal was
we'll enough 10 its day, sDd when trans
porters bad 20 other means OF transpor
tation, but it was obvious to every right
thinking man that il must eventually
give war to the facilities which railroads
afford to those engaged in trade. So far
as the principle of taxing trade sntranStt't
vas concerned, it was au illcoDceived pol
iey, because it sought to make the trade
of other States. and which preferred the
Penusylysnia Rsilrosd to ell others pay
tribute to the State to make up for pos
sible deficiency in the receipts of the ca
nal. do not for moment doubt but
those who ioaugarated the policy we're
governed by patriotic motives, bat the re
suit hes shown tho fallibility Of human
judgement. as we'll as the folly of taxing
trade passing through the State. while
other States invite its transit without tax
alton.
The Legislature passed an act rcless
ing coal snd lumber passing over th'
Pennsylvania railroad from taxation. aoC
the reason urged for this exemption was
that these articles were used alike by to-
poor as well as rich, snd therefore shoul'
be obtained iB market as cheap as posi-
hls. When this Act wss passed tber
Vas no Outburst Of popular indigestion