The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1868-04-17
Public Roads.


The following communication should
lave appeared early in March, but was by
'ome means mislaid, and only discovered a
lay or two since. Hence the delay in its
publication
Mr. EDITOR The perplexing road ques-
lion see has been brought before the Legis.
lure by my old friend, j. G. Clark, (Senator,)
n the shape of a bill for Baltimore county,
nd he being practical man, processes to
catch the hare before he cooks it," and
would levy 10 cents in the hundred dollars on
he "assessable property of the county.
would like Mr.. G., or some other competent
person, TO tell us how much and how many
'aXes are already levied on the assessable
property of this State. We would also like
70 know how much property, bonds, stocks,
all roads and telegraphs, and how many
folders there'ar in this State that do not
nay texes on those bonds, stocks, &c, and in
whose hands all exempted property from tax
s-the people would like to know the tax
aging people Are there privileged class
s in this country who are exempted from
he burden of taxation if so, who are they |?
nd upon what have they fed that they have
';rown so great" Please tell us, and enable
us 10 shake off this oppressive burden of tax
s that this privileged class of bond and
stockholders do not pay.
Some my ancestors come to this Coun-
Try during the reign of Cromwell A. d.,
1862, they being no doubt too royal or too
loyal, do not know which, to live under his
government (the Commonwealth Some Of
their descendants at Long Island, on that day
that came so near being fatal to the American
army and independence, and which would
have been so but for the old Maryland Line
who threw themselves between the advancing
British and the rapidly retreating Northern
army and enabled it TO make good their re-
treat Some of them stood in the ditch" be-
fore Baltimore, September, 1914, and some
came to this country to keep their necks out
of a slip-knot at the end of q rope tied to a
beam about twenty (20) feet from the ground
for wearing of the green" and after all this l
am called upon for taxes just the same as
"any other man." and | suppose extra road
taxes, too, will be levied on me-
| am very fond Of good roads, properly
mGnded, and of sufficient width to pass u
loaded OK cart, if am in a sulkey with a
good horse attached TO it. | am willing to
pay my part, and according to my property ;
but do assure you my dear sir, that / am
not willing to pay all while the privileged
bond and stakeholder sweeps past me In fine
style, in his carriage and pair, and leaves me
W lOttI ltih ussISStl VII an tilC pup
crty have of every kind, while perhaps not
one-tenth of his property is taxed, and on that
which is not taxed he gets 7-30 interest in
gold every six months now worth about
LA and raising, and on his bank stock 16
per cent, and at those enormous rates of in
terest, he is not taxed, while my poor land,
Uaying about three per cent? cattle, horses,
plows, harrows, mortgages on them, and
everything else | have, is put down on the
tax list, at the highest possible valuation, to
make me believe | am worth more, after being
robbed of several thousand dollars worth OF
property by my black republican friends and
their allies, than / was before the robbery
But | cannot see it in that light, my percep-
ton is too dull perhaps can they enlighten
nc?
| sec in your paper communication pro-
posing plan for the improvement of the
roads of the State" If the people will ride
over the road from the Post road TO the old
log meeting house they will be better able to
make up an opinion Of this persons capability
to instruct them, the people of the State, in
the art of road mending. / will leave the
financiering out and only hold him for the
faithful performance of his contract to keep
the road in good order at all times (any time, J
during his supelvisorship.
l said like good roads, and have Travelled
over some i'll this State and Virginia, as
good as were ever made, those "around
London and Paris" not excepted ; but how
are we TO have them ?. In former letter !
said the agricultural, mechanical and produ-
cling interests are already taxed to the utter
most | still say so. Remember otis the
last hair that breaks the camel's back y
therefore take warning in time and do not
make the load entirely uncomfortable, but let
the Legislature, as l suggested, tax the
bonds, stocks, rail roads and their bridges
telegraphs, the circulation of banks, and eve,
~ and all other property not now taxed in
word, tax all and every man according to
his wealth.
Who will be the first to move to equalize
taxation Let the people see to this al
once and demand it of their representa-
lives ONE OF THE PEOPLE.
Feb. 27th, 1867.