The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1865-08-30
Taxing Government Bonds.
[From the Chicago Republican.


At the east, especially in the State of
New York, the Democratic party is tax
ing ground in favor of taxing United
States bonds. We remember to have
listened by the hour to judge of the
Supreme Court of this State who took
the position that the State of Illinois, had
the right to tax all the unsold United
States land within its limits Is the
doctrine Of taxing our United States
bonds ANY more rational =!
To which the Rochester Union well re-
plies,
No; not if the Republican makes a
parallel case by putting the aasold Uni
ted States lands and the Hnsold United
States bonds upon par for considera-
ton. If the United States holds any
lands unsold, or any property interest
whatever in lands within the limits of
Illinois uusold, that State has no right to
tax such lands or such property interest
But if the United States sells such lands
and disposes of such property interest,
then that State has an unquestionable
right to tax them. The object Of the
United States Government in selling its
lands is to obtain money But who pre-
tends that the government has any right
to put a clause in the deeds conveyiDg
title that the lands sold shall be exempt
from taxation by or under state OF mum,
cipal authority Is the doctrine OF nat
taxing United States bonds sold and rep
resenting solely the property interest oi
the individual holder therein any more
rational The public lands Of the I'M
ted States are the property OF the govern
ment and the public credit Of the United
States is the property OF the government
Both are put into the market to be dispo-
sed of and to raise money. Both ale
sold upon such conditions as the govern
ment deems best for its own interests.
Brown, Jones & Co buy a large tract OF
land and go to farming and stock raising
upon their purchase in the vicinity OF
Bungtown, Illinois; while Smith, Thomp-
son & Co, buy large amount of bonds
and 90 60 banking and note shaving up
on their purchase in Wall street OF
Bungtown, Illinois Brown, Jones q Go.
are taxed upon their lands by the State
and municipal authorities to pay the cN-
penses of local government TO keep the
highways in repair, to maintain apolice
force and Judiciary systim, &c and at
the end of the year they find themselves
pretty we'll fleeced by the various tax
gatherels who have plucked them while
on the other hand Smith, Thompson II
Co. who have been shaving the notes OF
Brown, Jones q Co. and those OF other
honest and industrious people, pay no
state or municipal taxes whatever, al
though they enjoy all the protection and
advantages of local government, roll IN
their carriages over the highways have
their property watched by the police,
their debts collected by the Judiciary,
&c and at the end OF the year their ac-
cumuated gains have so swollen that
they can stand robbery of Il quarter IF
a million or so by their Cashier, a. Wa,
the case with National Bank in New
York the other day, without affecting
their sovency! Is the doctrine which
thus discriminates, and thus presents
contrasts In its effects, rational!' L, II
to be 50 endorsed by the toilmg taX-paS-
ers who own real estate and personal
property other than United States bonds
Would it not be equitably just for states
and municipalities tn say to their citi-
ZenS WIZ INV COT th'ii li"P0i'S III - -
bonds and refuse to pay taxes: gentle
men, you shall not vote. you shall not
hold Office; ynn shall not have the rro,cc-
ton of the police, you shall NOT have
standing i'll the courts, &c.-wOuid II
not Would not the pursuance Of such
policy as is here indicated towards the
tax repudiators be quite as RATIONAL
and quite as reasonable as l",y yrTUd;A-
fiGnl Ii not why not