The mountain Democrat., 1865-11-11
razInw GOvernmNnt Rond.,

rites tel US that the law Of Congress is
explicit-that ait is SO nominated in the
bond, " and, ShylOck like, they insist upon
the pound Of Resh. This is true, b6I the
question is whether Congress has tho
power TO pass such law-tO exempt the
property Of citizen Of State from tax.
alton By State for the support of its
Government. And this question ~i1 Se
sgitated until it has been de6Di!ely set.
tied by the highest judicial tribunal of
the land. The people all over the coun-
try will demand that oil the men and all
the property Of the land shall bear their
just proportion of the taxes. 1t is we'll
said that there is no parallel to the injus.
tice which has exempted SO large class
Of property from its share Of burdens
none to the folly which has endeavored
to erect and organize in this Democratic
country 4" scrip nobility" hich claims
to have bought perpetual exemption from
its portion Of taxes. The holders Of the
bonds will themselves, if wise, beg to be
permitted to strengthen public credit by
sharing the public turden. Speaking Of
our National debt Thaddeus Stevens, good
Republican authority, says" 1t is gen,
orally estimated at four billions in my
opinion it will go far beyond that figure.
There is no use in belittling it. Taxa
tion must be double what it now is to
meet expenses" And he sni6cantly
asks" Can our people bear this ?" The
wealthy bond-hOlders, who receive all
the benefits Of the Government and bear
none Of its burdens, can but the labor
ing classes, who are crushed by excessive
taxation, cannot. Why should the
wealthy be relieved from. supporting the
Government? Is it fair, or honorable,
or republican for Congress to legislate
for their exclusive beneHt9 But, say the
advocates Of exempting Government
bonds from taxation, Government needed
the money to carry on the war and capi-
talists would not loan it under any other
circumstances Sound argument, truly !!
When Government needed men to carry
on the war it conscripted them. A Re.
publican Congress had no respect for the
lives of laboring men it had the great.
est respect for the moneyof rich :nen!-
One it forced into the arny-the other it
paid premium for the use of his money!
1t virtually said the life of poor man
was valueless tho wealth OF rich man
pricelesS On the poor man it heaped
burdens s-on the rich man benefits
No one wishes or advocates repudia.
ton, but the Republican party leaders
and organs are pursuing such a course as
is calculated to provoke men into the ad
vocacy Of reputation. They insist upon
the Government bonds. which comprise
one-thrd of the whole wealth of the
country, and are in the hands of capital
lists and Shoddy contractors. being held
exempt from taxation. No one will deny
that the proposition to make men in mod 9.
crate circumstances and poor men pay
all the taxes assessed to carry on the
Government, as well as to pay the indebt.
edness due to the rich men who hold the
bonds and are exempted from taxation,
will ultimately lead to disposition to re.
pudiate. The unfairness and injustice OF
the system cannot be denied or excused.
A system so partial and iniquitous is cal.
culated to incite resentment The Dem.
ocrAtic party does not propose to repu.
diate, but it justly insists, that each man,
in proportion to his wealth, shall bear the
burdens Of the Government in the shape
Of taxation.
The masses of the people will not be
long in discovering the injustice of ex.
empting large amounts of property in the
hands Of capitalists and shoddy swind.
lers from taxation and making proper.
tionatcly increased demands upon others.
And when the people fully realize this
injustice they will soon find means to
remedy the evil. Chase, Cooke & Co.
will fail in their attempts, supported
though they are by capitalists and mer.
cenary papers, to bulld up monied aris-
tocracy or privileged class. who are, by
special enactment Of Congress, to be ex.
empt from the burdens of Government
while enjoying allthe rights and benefits.
We predict that il the attempts of the
Democracy to equalize the public bur.
liens upon all citizens fail at present, they
will be successful in the end-an end
speedily to be reached. The toilng mass.
es will not tamely submit to carry the
burdens which justly belong to the wealth
of the country. They will soon make
their wishes in this matter known in the
balls Of legislation, both State and Fed.
eral and if remedy is not applied. we
shall soon see the seats of power filed
with the representatives Of labor and not
Of wealth. Our system Of Government
furnishes ready and legitimate means to
effect this change; and if it did not, those
Eow in power ought to consider the con.
sequences that may in the future follow
the precedent they themselves are setting
ia the disregard ofjuStice and law. The