Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1868-05-29
THE WILMINGTON JOURNAL
WILMINGTON. n. c..
SATURDAY. MAY 23. 1858.
The Tax List and the Ballot-Box.

South, than the startling dgureS WHICH SUN
up the amount of property owned by the
masses, white and black, who are placed IN
control of the welfare of these States, and
especially of those who have been placed IN
official positions. We published, not long
since, the amount of taxes paid by the
members of the late so-called Constitutions
Convention of South Carolina, and the
whole amount did not reach one thousand
dollars, half of which was paid by one
Conservative, and two-thirds of the balance
by three others of that body. We venture
the assertion that similar investlgatlon
will demonstrate that we were not much
better off in this respect. We hope to see
the figures published at an early day.
As for the New Hanover delegates, Alb
bolt, Galloway and Ashley, neither OF
them Lave erer listed or paid one cent OF
State or county tareS, NOT EVEN POLL TAX,
in this county. The same IS true OF
Estes and Price, who, with Abbott and
Galloway, have been returned to the Legis-
lature. To this list we will also add Mann
and Schenck, who have been elected to lu-
crativc and important county Offices Here
we have the entire Convention and Legs
lative representatives, and an important
portion of the Executive officers elect of
this county, who have never contributed
one cent for it's expenses, and while they
swore in August last that they had been
citizens of tho State for one year at least,
and have, since that time, if not previously,
voted, certainly once, possibly twice, have
never yet paid poll tax in North Carolina
Can such men truly represent the people
of this county? Can country prosper
under such rulers Is it right, is it just,
that the entire property Of the State shall
be taxed by such characters Can such a
government last Ought it to continue !?
We are soon to have municipal election
in this city. A Mayor and Board of Alder
men are to be selected to take charge of
three millions two hundred thousand dol
lars worth of real estate, according to its
assessed value. The whites, who own more
than thirty-nine fortieths of this entire
property, are in a minority Of upwards of
seven hundred, while the property held by
the few white Radicals of this city, who
own and control this majority vote, is but
double that represented by the negroes.
The assessed value of property in Whining
ton, in round numbers, is three million
two hundred thousand dollars, of which
negroes own seventy-two thousand, and
white Radicals, giving them every doubtful
name, less than one hundred and fifty
thousand, leaving in the hands of the
minority about three millions.
This property and the business it pro-
notes gives employment to more than
three thousand registered voters, to which
we may add the DISTINGUISHED, making a
total Of say thirty-fve hundred. Of these,
more than two Thousand are negroes, nine
ty-fve one hundredths of whom own
no property. OF the one hundred, or one
hundred and fifty white Radicals, fifteen
or twenty represent real estate.
The Legislation which has given the car
pet-baggers possession Of New Hanover
and of the State, through the votes of the
negroes, will soon place the property of
this city under charge of men who have no
sympathy and but little interest with our
people. And we are to have the care of
three million of dollars of property ; the
levying and collection of taxes the en-
ployment and paying of the police the
police and sanitary measures, and all the
internal regulations for the administration
OF the city government placed under the
control and In the hands of men forced up
on our prOperty-owners, against their near
~ unanimous protest, by the blacks of our
city, who are employed and sustained al
most entirely by the very men whose well
fare they have SO little at heart, and whose
interests they are attempting to sacrifice.
These are sad facts, but mono the less
true for that, and should receive the con-
sideration Of our citizens. We have never
made warfare upon our colored people
have not abused them as a class for the
very natural but no less unwise and de-
structive course which they have been per-
suaded was for their interest. We have
confined ourselves to individual and partic-
ular instances of bad conduct We have
deplored the fact that they were being
used for our delriment and their own ruin,
and often predicted that the time would
come when their folly and wickedness
would make it imperatively necessary for
the whites to protect themselves against
their action by the only peaceful
means left to them. And we submit that
if the negroes Of this city are to be voted
by the few whites who have heretofore
controlled their action for their individual
promotion and welfare, and to the detri-
ment of those who employ them, and whose
property and business they are injuring,
then property and business must combine
for their own protection. By concert of &C.
ton, before the time when it will be necessa-
ry for our citizens again to elect municipal
officers, the election can be controlled in
the interest of the property and business
of the city, by employees who will sympa.
thize cordially with their employers. These
are practical suggestions, and the continu
ance of the present policy will soon demon