Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1863-11-13

IkNShhAEAA -AAAAaS ~ ASs ~ ne EAEhAS
worth I'm the aenate, against Gh Q
Committse,s AnSeiSslmeiif to strike
, out OF seetlon ~ OF House BiIl No.
os,a niII 10 prorfde Eor the Assess
ment OF TaxeS.
[The words proposed to be stricken out
were as follows: 'tAll agricultural pro-
ductions grown directly from the soil aud
the natural increase in number and the
products of live stock during the year pre-
vious to the first day of February in any
year."]
Ma. PRESIDENT IL am opposed to the
amendment to strike out. and call upon
every Senator on this floor to reflect we'll
before he votes for striking out the only
part of the bill which proposes or looks
TO the just and equal rights of the farmer
that class of our community that always
has had as much, If not more, of the taxes
to bear than any other portion Of tax
payers Sir, lock at the principle that is
involved IN the question that is now about
TO be settled; is it not the most important
one that has been before this body during
this session, or perhaps that may ever
come before itagsiu! confess, sir, when
see, as l think do, disposition mani
fest on the part Of some Senators to hunt
the farmer and poor laboring man down
by virtually taxing his daily labor, no
longer could keep my seat, and, sir, whilst
/ have voice to speak il shall be in de-
feuse of the equal rights of the fHrmer and
mechanic; that class OF our population on
! whose shoulders rests the future hopes OF
our glorious new State, as we'll as the
| hopes of our country. Now, sir, what ia the
great key note to the constitution on the
| subject Of taxation? Why, sir, it is that
"taxatiou shall be equal and uniform
throughout the State" Now, sir, let us see
amendment should carry. Then, sir, the
Assessor would be compelled to swear ev-
cry man 70 give in on the 6Est day Of Feb
rlarY IN saehsysar. eyer. ARSss SssSss 81 SyFs4s !!
down to the last haa Az, 4.A.s hin GppiOs5
his potatoes, turuips, in short everything !
that his farm produces, let IL be little or |
much, which WAS raised for the support Of
lis wife and little ones, having nothing to |
spare for sale or market, and in many cases |
not enough to satisfy the wants of his fam
ily until the next harvest-and yet should |
the proposition carry, all must be taxed.-l
Aud when the tax collector goes round aud |
calls on the poor man with u .arge and de-
pendent fami to pay taxes on the very
grain that is eat up by them, and there is
not one bushel left to sell to raise taxes
with, what then must be done? Why, sir,
the Sheriff must sell his COW that gives
milk tor mis- children. Is this not taxing
mans labor? think it would be. What
encouragement would there be to the farm.
er, as he goes forth to his daily labor, when
ne knows he turns the furrOW, that ev-
ery bushel Of grain be raises is 10 be taxed
on the first day of February2 at time,
too, when he has not more than got his
winters provisions garnered, and the sea.
son of his wants but commenced. In ad.
dilion to everything else, it would compel
the farmer in the very middle of winter to
measure all his grain to ASCERTAIN how
much he bad to be taxed; uotwithstanding
not n bushel of it could be spared from the
wants of his family. Why, sir, under this
rule the laboring man who works bard on
the last day Of January to get bushel Of
grain, and the next day the Assessor taxes
it, though be may plead with the Assessor,
and point to his suffering children, and
claim that it is his daily labor, and that il
would not last his family until the week be
ended, lets alone to last until the sheriff comes |
round TO collect the taxes on II, aud yet he |
is told that such il the Eaig. Already the |
farmer is taxed on every foot Of his land,
whether improved or not, and why is It |
that the improved and highly cultivated |
lands are taxed so much higher than that
in the forest state2 Simply because OF
its capacity to produce. Now, if the ca
pacity Of the land to produce is taxed, aud
then tax that which Is produced by labor,
before 1t is put into market and turned
into capital, would that not be taxing the
farmer twice ? think it would. What,
tax the utmost capacity of the land, every
hoof of stock on it, and then, after all that
is done, if this amendment should carry,
the very hay that man has TO feed to the
very cattle, horses, sheep, &C., that he has
lust given in to the assessor; the hay, too,
that he had gathered from the land by the
dint OF labor, for the only purpose of feed.
ing to his stock and thus prepare them for
market, and after the stock is improved,
wonder If the assessor does not put them
down the next time he assesses them at
their improved value. Then, sir, having
taxed the hay and the improved value of
the stock that eat it, would that not be
taxing the farmer tHiCe7 Common sense
seems to say that it would. Would that
be "equal taxatiou?" There is no way by
which it can be so worded, smothered up or
hid from the people. that they will not
know and feel that it is unequal and uu-
just. Again, strike out the exemption
proposed in the bill as it is, and it would
hunt down the farmer and laboring man
still further. Not satisfied with taxing his
d lands. whether good or bad, with all theiE
capacity to produce, their increased value
every horse, every COW, In short, all
the stock that is year old, his money
= his bonds, &C., and, after ell this
follow him to his house, and then tax ev.
cry thing within, even the couch on which
he rests his weary limbs. But not salts
fed With all this, those who favor thu
amendment 10 strike out, would hunt hiu
down still further; they would even tai
the increase and products of live stock du
a ring the year previous to the LIST dSy o
FahPuaFC Vau sir nn6pP thia iP0O FU1R