The Placer herald., 1865-09-30
Our Untaxed Nobility.

Congress has not yet, we believe, granted
any titles of nobility, but it has done some
thing better, it has exempted it's bondholders
from from all taxation. A title Of nobility
would be at best an empty honor, which the
malter'of fact Shoddyite would disdain, but
material dollar and cent advantage over
his less fortunate neighbors, is distinction
exactly suited to his money getting avarici'
Gus disposition. We used to hear much
about the three hundred thousand southern
oIigarchies, who it is alleged, owned all the
negroes of the South; but they paid ,hsr
taxes like other mrn, and had no exemptions
on any score. We have now changed all this.
We do not indulge in any such sham aris.
locracy as that. Nothing short OF the real
article satisfies us. We have even outstrip'
ped England in this respect. No peer of the
realm would think Of being exempted from
paying his regular proportion towards the
support Of the Government, but we have
class of men who look down upon their grow
cling, hard working, tax ridden neighbors
with inetfable Indifference. The cry of the
revolution of l776, was mo taxation without
epresen,a,ion," but we have reversed this
motto. II is now representation Without
taxation. Our untaxed nobility can vote
burdens upon their fellow men, from which
they are free. There are some three hun
dred thousand of these men, holding in their
hands about one-thrd the wealth Of the
country. They can buy up legislatures, they
can subsidise the press, they can influence
every channel of public opinion, and docs
any one suppose they do not, or will no,9
The peoples Intention is being called to
this subject, as we'll it may. The untured
nobility and their organs entrench themsel.
YES behind the law of Congress- and the al
legged decisions Of the Courts said to be fa-
vorabe to the nobility. But the people will
get at this subject, without wading through
law books or judicial nonsense of any kind A
Government whose foundation stone il equal
rights, cannot consliiutionaly make dlslinc-
tion between citizens. 1t cannot tax one
man, and exempt another. The Constitution
forbids Congress granting any order Of no
bIi.y, and if it be unconstitutional to confer
an empty title, which really nvades no ones
rights and Injuries nobody, how can any man
dare to stand up and tell the public that
Congress can violate the very idea upon
which the Government was founded, and
which violation strikes down the rights, in.
terests and welfare of nine'tenths of the citi-
zens! The State of New Hampshire has a!
ready taxed her untaxed nobility, and tho
the act has brought forth howl from the
Washington monster, who is trying to gulp
down all power, yet people everywhere ap
paud the course of the Granite State
There is imminent danger, unless the people
move themselves, that this untaxed nobility
will fasten their tangs permanently upon the
county. They own or influence nearly all
the great daily papers, and they will work
with unsparng energy to bind the taxation
to pay the public debt upon the shoulders of
the labo'ing and producing classes. How
terrible that burden will be, with one third
Of the property exempt from taxaton can be
imagined from the foretaste people have al
ready had. AS the currency falls to a spe'
Gle standard, this weight will be more and
more severely felt. Let the untaxed nobilh
ty take notice that the people will not stand
it-that no man can be elected as amember
Of Congress hereafter who does not 20 for
Equal TAxArIoK.-Dsy Book.