The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1868-04-22
LETTER FROM HON. JOHN POOL
Il ~. - - 4
NEWTON. N. G.. April 10th, 1858.

will comply with the request made of me, to
state in writing the substance of my remarks
on that occasion in regard 10 taxation and
suffrage. for general circulation in the
County.
The first section of the fifth article of the
proposed Constitution is as follows:
=. Sec. The General Assembly shall levy
capitation tax on every male inhabitant OF
% the State over twenty-one and under fifty
years of age, which shall be equal on each,
hi to the tax on property valued at three hun
.dred dollars in cash. The Commissioners OF
the several counties may exempt from CAPT.
tation tax in special cases, on account OF
poverty and infirmity. and the State ami
county capitati0n tax combined, shall never
exceed two dollars on the head.
10 The object of governments is to protect
4 the three absolute rights of individuals. VIZ:
I" Life, liberty and pricate property" Every
4 mans "Iite and liberty" being considered OF
4 equal value, whether he own property or not
-o each one should contribute equally to the
support of the government in consideration
of the protection guaranteed to these two
ID rights This contribution is levied by
capitation or poll tax which should be equal
and uniform. a .so a... g
e. oa For protection to "prioate property'' each
should pay in proportion to the amount OF
property which he owns.
" But as taxes are laid from year to year by
the Legislature, and as property owners may
: sometimes have the control of the Legisla-
p ture and sometimes non-property own
ers may control, in order to prevent tempo
rary Injustice to the one class or to the other,
it has been found wise to provide in the fun
3 damental law or Constitution checks upon
each party. Hence the provision in the pro-
posed Constitution that a capitation tax
"saaT' be imposed on every "ialtobitant"
between certain ages and that it shall be
q neither more or less than the tax imposed
I" on property cazued at three hundred dollars
IN cash." This compels an inflexible equi-
librium between the capitation tax and the
property tax, which prevents the property
owner and the non-property owner from
either dong or receiving injustice in conse-
auence of the temporary ascendency OF
either the one or the other in the Legislature.
But to prevent extravagant expenditure
and oppressive taxation, the Constitution
provides that the Capitation tax "shau neoer
erceed tho dollars on tile head," and as the tax
ION property valued at three hundred dollars
and the capitation tax must be equal, the
Legislature can never impose on three hun
D dred dollars worth OF property greater tax
j. than 50, 90 or 66s on the $4,000. Thus is
lust equilibrium secured and also Con-
stitutional limit fixed, which can never be
exceeded, in order that the people may be
fully protected against not only dispropor-
- I. 81, y
i.u o Sec. of the same article provides that
three hundred dollars worth of household
and other chattel property may be exempt
from taxation But this applies alike to the
rich and poor, and is therefore equal and
just to all.
Sec. of the same article provides "that
no income shall be taxed when the property
from which the income is derived is taxed"
Upon the subject of taxation perfect secu-
rity and Justice is guaranteed to every man.
Under this Constitution disproportionate
and excessive taxation are both rendered
impossible. 1t is most fortunate that the
people of North Carolina have an opportu-
nifty to end revolution with such ample
guarantees, and if they delay to do so now,
'' believe they will act most unwisely and
imprudently. In Tennessee, Virginia. Ala
bama and Arkansas the new Constitutions
do not contain these ample guarantees, and
it is to be feared that they will be lost to US
if the Constitution now proposed for North
Carolina is rejected.
SUFFRAGE.
By the Reconstruction acts of Congress
about 10000 white men in this State are
not allowed to register or vote The pro-
posed Constitution not only does not impose
any additional disfranchisement, but with
very commendable liberality provides that
every man shall hereafter be allowed the
elective franchise. According to the Registra-
ton returns under the Reconstruction acts,
the whites have about 36, 900 majority in this
State
The proposed Constitution by enfranchis-
ing the 5000 now excluded from the ballot
box by the registration will secure to the
whites $4,000 majority. Should this Con-
stitution be adopted, no man, however weak,
can fear NEGRO supremacy" With nearly
all the wealth. intelligence, education and
influence and $4,000 numerical majority at
the ballot box, the whites will have the full
control of all matters of legislative detail.
z They will control the questions of separate
schools, separate militia companies, appren-
tlceships, guardianships, and all other ques-
ti0ns which are properly left to be regula-
ted by the Legislature. So long as the col
, ored people receive equal justice and pro-
lection they will hereafter vote as each man
may think right upon the various questions
that may arise. But having $4,000 votes
+. out of $4,000 they will concentrate their
vote whenever any party may attempt to
n Cypress them and in that event enough
1 white men of just and liberal views will
always be found to vote with them to Sc
cure them against unfriendly legislation.
But should the Acknowledgement of six
teen thousand whites in the present election
he found insufficient to secure the adoption
OF the Constitution, and the success of the
Congressional plan of reconstruction, and
the whole matter is thus thrown back again
upon Congress, can any man doubt that
the next reconstruction act for North-C Caro-.
G lima will make its success sure by disfran.
chising much larger number of whites
perhaps $4,000, instead of 10000, and il
may require that this disfranchisement be
Iperpetuated in the State Constitution, as is
the case in Tennessee, Virginia, and Other
States recently in rebellion: And should
iA Congress not require it, the Convention that
3. shall be elected under such disfranchisement
10 may itself perpetuate it, and may fail ia
give the guarantees upon the subject of tax
alton that are now offered. Upon these
points believe the danger to he great.
10 2 BY the ratification of the Constitution
41 now proposed, colored suffrage will be per
petuated ia this State, but the prepOntler
ance of the white vote will prevent neprt
supremacy" Should its rejection result a.