Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1861-02-27

PiO'ee''S 'ne PeOpie III tne cpJo1 nioHs oi 'ueh
inalienabie rights-their life, their liberty, |
their personal security, their property. But
the government cannot be carried on without
revenue; hence taxation becomes necessary,
and all taxes lawfully levied for this purpose,
are cheerfully paid by the people in consider
alton of the protection and security furnished
them And has the Rail Road Company no
rights which it expects the State to protect?
Is it not dependent as the people on the
government for protection in the enjoyment
of its rights? No sane man will return any
thing but affirmative answer to these queries
1t must then matter of course follow,
that it is right the Company should in COM
mon with the people. bear its share of the
bur,heu of supporting the government which
protects it. The Company was not deceived
with regard to this tax. 1t knew it was SO
nominated in the bond when it accepted its
Charter. If 1t regarded it as burden too
grievous to be borne," it should so have in
formed the Legislature. and refused to p:o-
ceed to the construction of its road. But
has this tax really blasted the prospects of the
Company, and prevented its road from pay
iug stock holders for their invest ments? The
annual reports of the Company for years.
prove that the road has been "a paying insti-
tutiou, and its stock has always been reck-
oned amoRg the very best and most saleable
IN the market. The net earnings of the
Company for 1860, was 81. 2.231, ,617. being
6 per cent interest on S37, 1913. .7S3. consid-
erably exceeding that OF any other Company
in the Union, whose road is not greater in
length. The tonnage tax amounts Annually
to only about $3.50 900, and certainly the
miDish the enormous amount of net profits
we have stated above.
The company confesses that for years it
bas been discr imi mating in the assessment of
freight, in favor of through freight and that
while it was carrying through freight at al
most non paying rates it has taxed the way
| freight, belonging to the citizens of the Com
mouwealth, at a truly oppressive rate. The
statement of its net earnings which we have
| given proves that this was not necessary to
enable it to compete with rival routes, but
that it was imposed for the pur pose of bully
ing or frightening the people into the repeal
of the Tonnage Tax. 1t contends that in or
der to pay this tax it is compelled to increase
the rate of its charges on local freight, and
that therefore it should not be imposed On
exactly the same ground every business man
in the Commonwealth might claim exception
from taxation. The farmer is taxed, and
hence be is compelled to sell bis grain at a
rate which will enable him to pay his taxes,
and leave him reasonable profit to remuner-
ate him for his labor &c, The merchant
Is taxed, and is thereby compelled to increase
the price OF his merchandise. The profess
slonal man Is taxed, and consequently bis
patients or clients are compelled to pay the
/ piper In the matter of fees. If the position
of the Company is correct, then almost every
man in the State has also the right to ask to
be placed on the non paying tax list. The
section of the bill with regard to local or way
freights, is gull trap to deceive the people.
1t was evidently dawn by some lawyer full
of wise saws and modern instances aud
more familiar with legal fctions, the John
Doe aud Richard Roe part Of the law, than
the principles of equity. 1t is SO evidently
! tub thrown to the whale, that it cannot possi-
bly, deceive any one, who is not determined
to shut his eyes against the truth.
The portion of the bill which proposes in
creased payments on the purchase money of the
Public Works, up to the year 1890, is also
chip Oft the same block. The tonnage tax as
we nave already stated amounts to about
S37O, 900, annually. This amount ifprom2tly
| appropriated to the payment of the State deb,
up to 1890 would accomplish about the same
end proposed 10 the section of the Rail Road
OIL to which we are now referring And it
would not then stop. 1t would 60 and be
source OF revenue to the State. not merely
until 1890. but until the year 1000, or more
probably, until the Heavens and the Earth
pass away. The people of PENNSYLVANIA
should tell the Company. that they ask no
gifts, and least of all such gifts as it would
bring them
But the ''gem" of the bill, is the section
which refers to the completion of certain
branch rail roads, the Ebensburg & Cresson
among the number. The people of this coup
~ have been told that the Company proposes
at Its own expense, to complete our rail road
Let US see how this is. The 4th Section pro
Vldes that the Company shall loan on interest
to certain rail road companies. sum equal
to the tonnage tax accrued since the 2Otb of
last July up to the passage of the bill. for