, 1865-01-26
GhifaaG Wribu11e>
THURsDAY, JANUARY 20. 1851.
mR. GREEN, OF ALEXANDRA

THURSDAY. JANUARY aB. 1865.
MIR. GREEN, OF ALEXANDER,
We publish elsewhere a portion Of the de-
bate 10 the State Senate on Friday last, on
the resolutions instructing our Senators, and
requesting our Representatives in Congress
10 vote for IN amendment Of the Constitution
10 abolish and prohibit slavery In the United
States. The remarks of Mr.. Green Of Alex
audcr, seem to us susceptible Of very brief
answer.
1st. Mr.. Green SAYS that ho accepts the
Constitution and tslorcs it without change" :"
The reply Is that the s.cond resolution OF the
ch,cnco platform calls for \ convention ofAll
the States to change the Constitution. There
il no other function Of "a convention Of all
the States" but to amend the Constitution,
and Mr.. Green will not deny that that was
the intention ofthe Democratic party in call
inx for such convention. Therefore, Mr.
Green must either place himself outside the
pale Of any healthy or unhealthy political or
capizatiop. or he must be more gunrdcd in
his pledges Of affection for the Constitution
t'wilhout change" -
%, Mr.. Green argues against the existence
Of any power to change tue constitution In
the manner proposed, and illustrates his po.
s;tson BIZ saying that If thrce-fourths Of the
States should attempt to deprive any single
State Of Its equal suffrage in The Senate, that
State would have the right to resist. The re-
ply to this is found In the nth article Of the
constitution itzclG which Is n fol1oW9:
.T.he Congress, whenever two-thtrds Of both
Hcueea shalt deem II necessary, shall propose
amcndmcnts to this Constitution, or on the appli-
eaon Of he Of as :" INC ~
e,nendments. which, in either case. shall be valid
to ali 1ntents and purposes q part of this Consu
os ~ea e s ,sese seser s. 81
In thrce-fourths theteuf - one Or the other mode
Of ratification may be proposed y the Congress;
~ taq no s ta ~ ~ls1 ns
the FIRST and fourth cla1ses In the ninth SECTION Of
the first article; and fA1t no State, scaAont ~
eon.tnt, shaA b dtpr1esd.ef IL 'Quai suffrage IL
It thus appears that the power to amend
the constitution WAS originally restricted On
three particular subjects, Of which the power
to abolish slavery was not one. It appears
that sincc the year 1903 the power Of amend
ment has been restricted to but one subject,
and that lis the very one which Mr. Green EN-
ploys 10 prorc that the power does not exist
% to an entirely different subject. We will
suppose that Mr. Green's landlord at Spring
field with whom he seems to be finding faulty
encounters his guests ut breakfast and says:
-"Gcu1lcmcn, you can take anything on this
table except the buttcr.'' The company pro.
ceed to help themselves to the potatoes, when
Mr.. Green, being profound constitutional
lawyer, cxclaius: "No, gentlemen, the pow
eis sou'e'4su 4pon w ~. s.u1'ne4y iuu.leo'
Sou ssunot 80 @as pote.oes' oesaaSs YOU
suoa'o tou.A tA' oaI.s, ~ 4.ne,o'u "oulu
nase 11su1 " fe74st* 4as IN MI afeens
a'suneat'
Inc Con'eoefae organ IN tnss CITY nas
taken tne same Vl.T OF the power TO amend
the CONSTITUTION that Mr. Green holds. we
commend TO both Of them tue speech recent
" made IN Congress oy Mr. Cox, Of Ohio.
whose orthodoxy cannot DC questioned by
either. Mr. Cox dec]ared that, In his opinion,
two-thitds OF Congress and lofee-1onEths OF
the States could, Il they should see 1T, estab-
hsh monarchSi IN 1nas country and invite
the King OF Dahomey 10 RUE over us. He
used LUIS IS an extreme Illustration OF 1ne
power see'eo III q CONSTITUTIONS 1na)oE'ty VI
1he people 70 amend 1ne const1tut'on'
THE TAX ON ToRACco-H0w 1T
AFFECTS THE rOKTdwEF-
To lcgislate away the bread Of the poor Is
to promote infaelity, immortality and crime.
On the other hand, to frame such system OF
taxation as will distribute the inevitable pub
Tic burden caused by our WIZ, equally upon
all, SO rs to do as little violence rs possible
to oil business interests, and neither destroy
the value Of capital nor take away the brcad
of industry, ls an object In which all are con-
ce1Ded who feel any interest in the general
good Of society. However much we might
wish 1t to be otherwise, experience proves
thht while men s1e hard pushed to keep soul
and body together. they arc NOT prone 10 look
carefully after the future welfare OF either.
II Is rightly assumto by congress ana Inc
people Inst al1icics OF donouol Necessity,
u NOT posiuse!S injurious, saeo Is spateoas
liquors anu tooacco eaouao nc taaso 70 ene
utmost extent snoft o1 leat pro-
heltoFJ rate which by destroy
Ing all prohtao'eness IN Tue Thing
taxed, stops dealing IN 1t, and 80 drles up the
SOURCES OF Eevenne, instead OF deriving from
1hem constant supply.
In taxing ap1rituous liquors the contest
was one mainly OF private Interest," wrangle
between manufacturers, spectators md re-
taileTs. The growers were not interested be-
cause all the articles which enter into the
manufacture Of sp(rituous liquors, corn. pota-
toes, rye, barley, &C., are raised without re-
gard TO those uses, and If the manufacture
and sale Of Iquuz ceased would still find q
market.
But tobacco may be taxed either in the
hands Of the farmer, the manufacturer Or the
seller. In either case neither o1 these classes,
but the consumer must pay the whole amount
Of the tax actually COLLECTED By the Govern
mcnt. but 1t by no means follows TINT the
Others will not be affected md injured pecu-
niarly in sums not represented on the asses
sor's list, and no part Of which goes to the
Government, but WHICH goss oatof the hands
of tie poor into the hands Of the speculators.
The question whether tobacco shall be taxed
In the hands Of the producer, manufacturer or
seller involves, therefore, the whole phlloso-
DIV and economy Of internal taxation, The
nre6cnt law taxins tn.,arco in a nart of a rast
80. r:,,..,,.1 +.-.t:.., a,.,.-.a.s
system oi internal revenue ta1at1sn embfaced
On 1cc+ r.-,a.;a,o .,,,,.-. t,,,+ - t. &, -a,,,
~ Aooa' 1Apc1AcAee eno"e . taa1 ~ ~ - IL 0ouie
respects ae,ect''e even ~ ao'a1uls ahu ~
- e - r' -AA
examination oi these defects ought to impress
~. ,-se,.an.s 49, ,aa,~e - na...;a,.s ~
faeL Ntio14''"neeo 0uo Anohe ~ couI4"ae -
falling into equal plumbers IN the changes 1t
NAV mike In future.
/. The present law taxes tobacco Of all
kinds only in the hands Of tho manufactures,
and cisa-s according to their value pcr
thousand. Hcrce. il manufacturers sells
certain cigars Mt wholesale for $50 per thou
sand, he pays IS tax If he re,ails the same