St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1862-01-16

tax must also be- paid III coin or treasury
notes, making four and one-half mills Of
specie tax. Or otherwise stated, you
want for State purposes in all in 1862,
1913 800 for Federal purposes, $84 ,245,-
40, making the total sum to be collected,
|Sl77,545,40. The State ta@ of four mills
would yield upon valuation of $39, ,OU0,-
600, $l5G,00O; Federal levy of three
mills, SILT 900, making total of $685.
600. ~.....-. g.
Doubtless our people would respond to
a national tax in the present crisis tj,ore
cheerfnlIy and promptly than to any other
but it is easy to see that this nearly doub-
le burden would press heavily on the al
ready strained resources ofthe people, aud
it behooyes us then to devise, if poss bic,
the means of postponiny an immediate re-
sort to taxation, till the expansion Of the
property basis shall have made it less on
erous-
\ second mode is to create State loan
(Which l doubt not VIC are warranted in
doing under Sec. I, Art 8, Of the Consti-
tution,) from the moneys arising from the
sale of the school lands The preluina-
ries for such sale, if directed by the Ley
islaturc, may soon be adjusted, and a sum
sufficient for the purpose may possible be
realized within The requiring time.
Or, thirdly, if this is doubtful in anti
cipation of the revenues from this source,
loan might be effected; in the money
market for a period Of two or three YEARS,
at a rate of interest not, | trust, exceeding
seven precent., to be reimbursed from the
proceeds Of the sales of school lands, which
may be converted into a funded debt for
that purpose.
One or two, OF all of these expedients
will enable US to provide for The present
exigency without serious embarrassment
to tho people.
INEQUALITY OF TIE FEDERAL TAX.
While Minnesota will cheerfully and
gladly accept her full share of the sacri6-
'ccs which the obligations Of patriotism i'm
pose upon the nation, it is nevertheless
much to be regretted that the Federal
Constitution provides no way of appor-
tioning the direct tax which it authorizes,
except upon the basis of the population Of
the different States--a principle, which
since the tax is levied upon property, dis
tributes the burden very unequally among
the different members Of the Centederacy
and works serious injustice to the new
and sparsely settled, and comparatively
poor states of the West
This inequality will Lc made clear by
comparing the rate Of taxation necessary
to produce the amount levied uton the
assessed valuation of Minnesota with that
of Rhode Island, having the same popula-
ton '' :"
Population Assessed Federal Rate Of
1862 Valuation. tax. taxation.
r. Island, 17l.62l l3o, ,0OO, ,Oov 1l6,9OO 9-10
| mill
Minnesota, 1902 3o,ooo,ooo los, 500 s-1v
That is to say, the quota of Minnesota
relatively to the value Of her property, is
more than three times as great as that OF
Rhode Island The comparison might be
extended with somewhat similar results to
nearly all the States. Against our 2 $40
mills, California pays but l7-l0, Ohio and
| New York, | $40, and 50 on.
But the injustice Of a system which ope-
rates so uncqually is sufficiently manifest
from these examples While it: is OF
course impossible for Congress under tie
terms of the Constitution to concede us
any abatement of the present tax, equity
demands, and there can be no technical
objection to their making such modifica.
tion OF the collection laws in our favor as
would serve to obviate to some extent the
practical inequalities Of the present sys:
TEN. Our claims to the consideration oil
the Government in this matter are en-.
hanced by the fact, that while the bur-
dens of the war fall three fold upon US,
our remote frontier position exciudes us
from any Of the compensatory benefits
arising from the disbursements Of the Gov
ernment for the materials of war
MILITARY AFFAIRS.
The very full, detailed, and interesting
report of the Adjutant General will of
course receive prominent share Of your
attention.
The publication of the rolls of the gal
liant men, who for the first time in the his
tory of Minnesota, were called upon to
cross the border in defence of the common
veal, is just tribute to their valor and
patriotism, and will, in after times, be ther-
ished by the millions who shall inherit
these broad lands, as the roll Of her prim-
tive heroes. The names emblazoned there
will furnish the theme for many story,
of patriotic daring and heroic adventure,
in after times; and future generations will
be as proud to trace their lineage to these
soldiers Of the Union, as are we to the he
roes of the Revolution. : sIAI ~
When the infamous attack npon Fort
! Snmntnr occurred in Anril ll8fil.l I WAS