The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1868-05-07
For the Standard.

L
have told the good people in regard to the
Constitution lately ratified by the people o.
North Carolina A great many honest mer
would like to have a few points at issue
solved and with that object in view, adj
dress you this article.
Does the Constitution limit the tax upon
the poll so as not to exceed two dollars pen
capita for all purposes9 Does the Constitu.
ton limit the tax upon property SO that
$500 worth shall not be taxed higher than
one poll in any one year3
have read the Constitution, and have so
understood its provisions. l have heard
members of that body so construe the article
on revenue and taxation, and we have the
declaration of such distinguished lawyers as
Hon. John Pool, Tod r. Caldwell and others
so expressly declare and interpret the Con-
stitution. Per contra, the Hon. Mr.. Ashe,
the Copperhead candidate that was for Gov
ernor of the State of North-Carolina, declar-
ed in his speech to the people of Caldwell,
that land could be taxed Gd Anaiten1, and II
the Constitution was adopted it would be
virtual confscation and ruin to all property
holders in the State. Likewise the lesser
lights of the great boohoo concern, preached,
ranted and raved until many honest unsuspec-
ting people became greatly alarmed for them
selves and families, and either did not vote
or voted against their former deliberate and
oft-repcated convictions of justice and
policy.
Messrs. Editors, can you offer any solution
to these knotty questions2 Can you have
fair, competent judicial opinion that will set
tie this very serious question in law9 Would
it not be well to retain Judge Merrimon in
the case9 His opinion will have much
weight with our people, especially in Lenoir,
Judging from the fact that our neighbors
there had him and the long forgotten and
defeated candidate for Governor, the Hon.
John Kerr, to declaim in a peculiarly mellow,
dramatic style from the pulpit of one of
their churches against the Constitution and
the Republican party, even before the first
was formed or it was known what it would
be. trust, Messrs Editors, you will spare
no pains or reasonable expense to have this
matter settled, and take the liberty of sug-
costing way that will suit to a dot, and
speedily determine this whole matter My
idea is this, that our reverend brother Pell,
of the Sentinel newspaper, he and he is here
by most respectfully petitioned by his breth-
rem of the different denominations in our
town of Lenoir, to abstain at least forty
eight hours from beef and all o.her carnal
flesh, and thereby bring himself in the i'm
mediate presence of the Most High God, and
pray with his accustomed fervor for wisdom
from on High. so that the Almighty (whose
mouth-piece and servant he truly is,) will in
struct him to declare the true and lawful
meaning of that section in the revenue ar
ticle made by these sinners and infidels of
the Republican Convention relating to taxa
tion,-that will settle the whole thing.
Then we have had various local Solons
harrassing the women and children about
taxing their beds. their chickens, their cups,
and that it would require all the boosters the
little boys claimed to pay the fax ON the
hens. Oh lordy. how the children ran to
their mammas and poured out their full heart
in floods of tears at the wicked inventors of
such cruel wrongs! And tile gentle maidens
were made to weep untold sorrow, because
they were forced to 90 to school with mig
gers, and oh horror of horrors. they would
have to marry real Niger buck. BOUNDS,
what crashing of teeth and frOthing at the
mouth did these Gamalie!s of the law show
forth in this boodless fight against the hell
ish host of Radical villains. One told the
people of the wicked presumption of a
Northern Carpet Dagger of the name of Alb
bolt, who had dared to visit Western North
Carolina, but he did not tell the people what
they all knew, that he the speaker came in
from Tennessee, either Just before or after
had Carpet-bag or not, am not prepared
to say. Then the honorable gentleman elect
to the House of Representatives, Col. jas. Z.
Harper, for whose liberality and candor many
Republicans had entertained respect hereto
fore, told the people how little intelligence
and decency there was in the late Conven-
ton. He did not deny that there night
have been very few tolerable decent men
- - &l,oi. Il r., RI Il
ing. 1t was infamous, and to crown their
wickedness he told how much they voted
themselves per diem Would the people
stand such blood-suckers of the public
treasury, that sacred fund collected out of
the poor people for the sole use and benefit
of Northern Copperhead Judges and South
erh Conservative Democrats. No he could
not stand it, though peaceable man, he
would almost fight sooner than submit
Wonder if he told the people how much he
voted himself per diem and mileage when a
member of the Legislature two years ago,
and how much he received as some sort of
commissioner? for two or three months pud-
dering about Raleigh last summer six dol
lars per day and twenty cents per mile to
vote against the Howard amendment and
aid in enfranchisng the soulless niger, as
they are represented now, by the learned
sons OF Galen, and lecturers on ethnology
Nor did the honorable representative elect
tell his constituents that he voted to tax the
people to pay the interest on the public debt
two years ago, but left the impression ON
their minds that the Convention had done a
grievous wrong in authorizing the Legisla-
ture to provide for the payment of the inter-
est in the future.
Such Messrs. Editors, are samples of the
reasoning of the so-called Conservative par
ty during the late canvass canvass that
will stand solitary and alone during the time
for the bitterness and abuse heaped upon
men who have done what the law-making
Ipower of our government demanded at their
hands, and in all respects enacted just, lib
erai and philanthropic Constitution, and it
ii be amusing to witness the disappointed
bliticians when the practical workings of
laws under the Constitution proves to
DC, deceived people that the justifiers of the
tie war and the mourners after the lost
Iuse," intended to hurry them into still
ther trouble; and it will be very refresh
to see them take an oath to support the
hstitution and laws of the United States
"a the State of North Carolina which they
ave so often abused and denounced as I'M
institutional. Please publish brother Pell's
ecision when rendered. JUSTICE.
caldwell County, May 1, 1868.