Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-04-11

oShusSAto " AZ appeal l1ibliiitiGhNtl anu con"
beyond the lot Of other states. | |
lave barely time to allude to the topic
think it just that we should not conceal
he TACT that the people OF Massachusetts, will
We compelled by the circumstances OF their do.
nestle condition 10 pay AN amount of the eX-
1enses OF the war beyond their proportion of
population. ANY plan Of internal taxation
Ehich is likely 10 be adopted, will tail in d
arge degree upon the industry, upon the pro
1uctlon and consumption OF the people in all
OF which there is no state which in proportion
to It's numbers presents 50 great variety and
luxury OF life 10 be subjected TO tribute, as
this Commonwealth. The burdens ct the
debt cannot in any considerable measure be
laid upon the lands OF the people. 1t is nos
public policy that they should be. In Great
Britain, where this matter of taxation has been
reduced TO almost science, l understand that
land pays directly not much more than one.
sixth of the whole tax. The condition OF tile
real estate of country is one of the standards
of its Civilization, and the stability and uniiur-
nifty OF its value must be maintained by all
practicable legislation. 1t is therefore directly
upon personal property, as one OF the instru.
ments of production it is upon production
and consumption, il Is upon labor and enter-
PRISE that the next twenty years OF taxation
will greatly depend. In these respects Massa-
NAuSSttS Is ueSltllSu IL DeCOule Il prominent
contributor l FIND by inspecting the statistics
oil the census OF 1860, so lar as | have seen
them, that while Massachusetts returns one
seventeenth part OF the real estate of The loyal
states, she actually shows one-eighth part OF
the whole personal estate. In this particular
no state is equal, except imperial New York,
and even that state is absolutely but little in
advance OF us. while proportionately she is far
behind us. For while New York shows con-
siderably more than double the real property
OF Massachusetts, her personal is in excess OF
ours by mere traction large and pOpuous as
New York is, These are striking facts. They
place us far in the van Of the other states in
respect to our personal property and person
al property is peculiarly an exponent OF our
industrial power, one OF the chief instruments
OF our production, the tools of our industry
and enterprise; and these agencies of produc-
ton and industry are to a great extent repre-
sentatives of the proportion in which we shall
be brought to bear the expenses of the war.
1t now you ask whether Massachusetts will
not be called upon 10 sustain burthens hey ond
anything she has experienced in the last forty
years, answer, certainly she will. Ii then it
be asked whether she can bear the load, l an
swer, undoubtedly she can. invoke the tes-
timony OF her history and experience. Her
people in days gone by have illustrated both
tue ability and willingness to support govern
ment and liberty by every conceivable sacri-
lice. cannot forget that within two years after
the engagement which is COMMUNICATED by
yonder shaft, tax OF 100000 was laid upon
the state "when few had "a competency and
none could boast of abundance" l cannot
overlook the fact that in 1880 the debt OF Mas
sachusetts was So 100000, or onetourth part
OF the estimated valuation of her property. l
cannot speak OF the present war without being
TpmlnIgI "A Il
TO lI9O, Massachusetts had actually paid to.
wards the public expenses six and halt mil.
lions OF dollars, and that this amount was af.
forwards increased TO ten millions by the in
credible eXerliOns of her small population.
Whlie am discussing our present necessities
ana The adequacy OF our resources 10 meet
them, committee of the general court Of 1914
nile IN the area before me and report that dur
ing the twenty-tOur years succeeding the ad
option OF the constitution, the federal treasury
had received from Massachusetts alone thirty
millions of dollars. And we are to remember
that these amounts were paid when not only
were our population and valuation compare
lively small, but especially we are to remember
that they were paid when the productive forces
OF the state were confined within the narrow
limits OF the Old dispensation of her industry
which has since passed away and been sue
ceeded by another and better Those great
producers of the world, those great taxpayers
of nations-Arkwright and CrOmpton, and
Watt and Whitney and their compeers in ex-
perimental science-had not then waved their
wand over the dead level of human employ
ment The field of our producing power pre-
sented at that period only the few original &C.
cupants OF men, undistinguished and undis.
eliminating, poddlng uncUnsciOusly towards
that higher destiny of the division of labor
which is blessing our day with harvest of
publlc wealth. Steam and water has not yet
been tanned to fellowship with the click o. the
loom and the song OF the spindle. Neverthe-
less, in all the simplicity OF their pursuits and
in all the property of their resources, the mon
OF that period responded at length to every
public Claim, redeemed at length every public
levy, and transmitted to US the record OF their
sacrlhces without the faint of reputation and
without so much as the blemish of non-pay-
ment. The heritage which they bequeathed
to us, and which for half a century we have
improved aud embellishcd, this temple of our
present Zion, ought now to fade away forever
before our eyes, if with bold faith, if with ex.
ultant alacrity we do not gather around it with
all our hearts and devote all our resources to
its defense.
l have thus spoken OF Massachusetts in the
past, her contributions to the common ber-
ties, when her financial abilities were thus re-
stricted. But how shall | speak of her pres
ent capacity to grapple with the exigent de-
mands of this crisis The glow OF a new dis
pensation now pervades the domain of her art
and labor and commerce. Under the impulse
impaired by machinery and the useful arts
she has thrown off the identity OF the past age
and mounted to an elevation of productive
power and wealth that finds no parallel among
American communities. Since the payment
OF the last national debt, such progress as be.
fore would have been the measure for ages,
has been concentrated into the space OF a sin.
gle generation. Within period OF thirty
years the property of the state has been in
creased from S2OS, 100000 to s842, 900 600, or
more than tour hundred fold. This valuation
is standard measure of our industry and the
consideration of il in connection with the re.
turns OF our production will justly inspire the
highest hopes OF the future. | have already
said that the ability of the people to respond
to taxation is TO be estimated chiefly by their
producing ability, and in this respect Massa.
chusets is in condition to disregard all the
croakings of the sad or the dsatiected. For
tunately we can point to a well established
system of statistical returns Of our industry,
which has already furnished volumes of facts
upon winch the credit OF our securities delles
the scrutiny OF the markets of the world
The first of these volumes was issued nearly
twenty five years ago. When Mr.. Webster
was in London, in 1889, certain English CAPT.
talists who had been applied to for money
upon Massachusetts bonds, the first ever issued
in foreign market came to him for infOrma.
ton touching the credit of this parvenu on the
stock list, 81 went TO my trunk" said Mr.
Webster, land took out an abstract Of the
official returns of the amount of the productive
nj ar M 10 InIp In