Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1863-05-04
Tax in Kind

a Tax In Kind.
The Tax law Just passed by the Confederate Con-
gress, has q novel feature in it, TO our people; and1or
want of a proper understanding of the law, many may
be disposed to regard il as onerous and oppressive
upon the farming class. But a careful examination
must satisfy any one, that while . few objections
might be urged against it, IL is equitable and just
and admirably adapted TO the times and circumstances
in which we are placed.
The law provides, that after reserving for his own
and family's use fifty bushels OF sweet ana irish pota.
toes, one hundred bushels of corn, or fifty bushels OF
wheat, and twenty bushels of peas or beans-wh1ch
reservation will exempt maDya poor family from any
1.-THE, as it ought-each farmer or planter, throughout
the whole Confedcracy, shall pay to government, In
lieu of a money tax, one-tenth, or ten per cent, OF
all the corn, hay, fodder, cotton, wool, wheat, oats,
rye, barley, rice, tobacco, cattle and meat, peas, pota-
toes, ground peas, sugar and molasses-made from
cane-which he may produce during the year. These
stores are to be collected at convenient depots; not
exceeding eight miles from the farm or plantation, at
the producers own expense for transportation to that
short distance, which will be very inconsiderable,
when the government will take charge of them for
such uses as if can apply them to. When the 1.-THE
returns exceed, in any locality, the present or pros
pective wants of the army in that vicinage, which
must be the case in very many localities, the surplus
will be sold and the proceeds paid into the Treasury !;
and when it is manifest, from the assessment returns,
that such surplus will exist, the sale may oe made
without c0necLing tnlS surplus. lnlS is one 0DJec-
tionable feature in the system, this making govern
ment a trader in all farm products, bat it is unvoid-
able
The system, it is believed, will produce many hap
ply results: 1t will insure beyond peradventure an
. abundant supply of everything necessary for the army,
! so far as the country is capable of producing army
supplies, and this supply will not be drawn from one
= or a few localities, as heretofore, which has occasioned
A serious inconvenience, but equally, according to pro-
ductlon, from the whole cultivated land. 1t will save
to the Government, and of course to the people, a large
cost in the way OF transportation; it will thus save
- also the wear and tear of railroads and their machine
cry, and give them greater transportation capacity for
the usual trade and it will furnish to the army, fresh
e and %healthful, such p~erishable articles as will not bear
long transportation. 1t will, to the extent it goes,
prevent the accumulation of debt-perhaps five or ten
). millions per month-and, which is quite as impor.
y tant, will to the same extent prevent the necessity of
currency issues, now so greatly in excess OF business
requirements and it will also put some money into
the Treasury, though not a great deal. Il will prob
aoly yfeld a fuH supply to the army OF nearly all ar
ticles it needs in the way of food, except wheat, of
which it may give t%wo-hfths; it will yield a large
surplus OF corn, and perhaps of several other articles.
Under the Mosaic dispensation, the Hebrews gave
: OF the ~trstlings of their focks, and the first fruits of
IN the earth, as a sacrifice to the Deity. 10 latter DAYS,
w and IN many countries, ecclesiastic bodies, by permis-
sion OF the State, have derived their revenues from a
1.-THE of farm products-but let not this prejudice our
u people against the present tax. We shall give our
a. tlthes of the earth's fruits, as a cheerful sacrifice on
thealtar Of our country's independence; and may Hea-
MT ven prosper it and us as we deserve, and as its mcr-
cy may dictate.