Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1865-09-21
GEORGE LANDON-TONNAG TAX.

Before undertaking to correct the errone
Gus impressions which prevail in regard t.
Mr. LANDoN, and his vote on the Tonnage
Tax question, it is proper to say few
words IN regard to our own position and
action respecting it.
Before and after the election of Mr.. L.
to the Senate,we entertained the belief that
this was an improper measure, and ought
not to receive the support of our Senator
We advised him accordingly but he voted
for it, alleging, that upon investigation, he
found it to be right, and challenged us to
an examination to the subject. This we
had not done before, our impressions hav,
ing been made up, as had been previously,
those of Mr.. LANDoN, and our community
generally, from the rumors circulated by
enemies of the measure and now, after
weighing the testimony for and against it,
carefully, we are not prepared to say that
we should have done as our Senator did in
the premises s-for we do not know that we
should have been willing to meet the oppo-
sition such a course would invoke but we
are prepared to declare that the facts of
the case do we'll sustain Mr.. LANDoN in the
avernent he makes, that he did right and
if our opponents have any filings to make
at us about inconsistency on this question,
we can only reply, in the words of the old
adage- ''that wise men change, fools nev-
err
As further introduction a good deal
could be properly said here in exposition OF
the scandalous means resorted to by dema-
gogues to array an acrimonious enmity
against Mr.. LANDoN, merely for the purpose
Of getting political advantage but this
would make our article too long, and we
may avail ourselves of another opportunity
to ventilatc the plot entered into to run
down our candidate for Senator.
Then how is it with regard to the Ton
mage Tax question Did GEORGE LANDoN
vote away this revenue of the State, or did
he vote to ratify former contract the
State authorities had made, to discontinue
this Tax?
When the Penn'a r. R. Co. asked for a
charter to construct r. r. from Harris
burg to Pittsburg, along the line of the ca
nal and its connections, which the State had
built at heavy expense, the objection, that
it would interfere with and diminish the
business of the canal, and hence impair the
revenue Of the State was raised. To make
up for this supposed loss Of revenue, it was
proposed that duty be laid on the busi-
ness Of the r. r. for the benefit Of the State
it was properly called Tonnage Tax.
The Penn'a r. r. Co. accepted this onerous
provision with great reluctance, alleging
that no other road in or out of the State
was so burdencd, that it would compel them
to charge higher for freight, than was
charged on other roads competing for west
ern trade, and that this would be ruinous
to them The Company, however, made
the local trade, the business men along the
line of the road, who had grain, -four, iron
and merchandise to carry, bear this burden,
and by this means the Penn'a R. R. Co.was
enabled tC compete successfully with the
Baltimore q Ohio, and the New York State
roads, for the cotton, cattle and other pro-
ducts coming east from the southern and
western States.
Much fault had always been found with
the management of the public improve
ments of the State, and not without cause.
They had been constructed at a cost of
nearly forty millions of dollars, al borrow
ed money, and on which the people had to
pay interest in the shape of taxes From
these enormous expenditures little or no rev.
enue accrued 1t was alleged, until the
people believed it, that the revenue arising
from tolls on the State improvements, were
squandered in elections, and in enriching
partizan favorites. These corruptions in
creased, and with them, the complaints of
the people, until it became a necessity to
sell the public works Accordingly acts
were passed by the Legislature offering them
for sale, but being held above their suppos-
cd value, no bids could be had Finally,
the Penna r. r. Go. intimated a willing
ness to purchase the main line, running
from Philadelphia to Pittsburg, provided, it
could be relieved of the Tonnage Tax,
which was laid on the road, in consequence
Of this line. The income to the State from
this tax was heavy, and to yield it up was
viewed as a serious question but it was
also question of justice whether it should
be continued after the improvements were
sold, in whose behalf it was levied and
especially was this question of justice to
those taxpayers, along the line of the r.
+ who had the whole Of the Tonnage Tax
to pay They insisted that it was an out
rage in the first place, to saddle the great
and leading artery for trade, in the State,
with such tax, and that it must be taken
of, whether the main line of the States