Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1869-04-09
phe Tax Bn-mow the Money Goes.


If there be any class Of our citizens who
believed that Democratic and Conservative
speakers and papers over-estimated the
cost which would follow the adoption OF
the new Constitution and the election of
Radical officers, they will doubtless have the
truthfulness of those predictions most for
chilly and most disagreeably impressed
upOn their minds as they read the proyis-
ions OF the Revenue Bill just passed by the
Legislature. And when the tax collector
comes to enforce it, the blessings of the new
Constitution and the new Government will
be realized in all their dearly purchased
improvements.
The causes which have led to these
onerous taxes are multifarious, and have
been repeatedly discussed in these columns
during the canvass of last Spring. There
is not one prediction then made in regard
to extravaganza and profigacy which has
not been fully borne out by the result.
This, too, only in the "green leaf " of
Radicalism in North Carolina. Their
railroad appropriations, which have more
than doubled the public debt of the State,
find no reflection in the tax bill, but are
deceitfully hid behind shallow promises to
meet their own interest. Their gigantic
school system is still i'll an incoherent state,
with all its fangs artfully covered by beau
tiful platitudes upon the blessings of edu-
cation. The Penitentiary appropriations
have been only delayed by the criminal
rapacity of laundering thieves, and tho
Supreme Court has temporarily "nipped
in the bud the plunderings of the lob
byists and iobbers only by declaring the
bonds in which they operated void and
worthless. When all these things are
brought into the ordinary and extraordi-
nary expenses Of the State, as they surely
will, our people will begin to realize, in
deed, the cost of their government.
Willing at all times to respect the opin-
ions of those who anticipate great progress
and wealth by the building of railroads,
and advocates ourselves, within reason and
means, of the State fostering works of in
ternal improvement, we will allow such the
brilliant anticipations for the future which
they predict, and sincerely hope honest ex-
penditures of these appropriations will be
followed by the most speedy benefit to our
people. Fori these burdens are to be met
by taxes then is the last hope of recupera
ton by the present owners of property
in North Carolina gone forever.
But in no party spirit, and as matter
simply of common interest, and with sin
cere desire to promote the general welfare,
we would ask why at this particular time,
when our people are so impoverished, was
it found necessary to increase the number
of State officers, so that the magnificent
Capitol is found too small to provide each
with an Office Why such extravagant
salaries ? Why are three men, Judges
". B. Rodman and A. W. Tourgee, and
'. q. Barringer, Esq, paid sic hundred
doNd1S per month to draw bills for the
members of the General Assembly. while |
the first two also receiue their regular sdLa- |
ries as JudgeS Why pay nearly fifty thou
sand dollars to absent members of the Gen.
eral Assembly Why pay those present
seven dollars per day ? Why appropriate
S6tC'E HH|tIb co ufECs CtJELy uOHCUS, Jana we |
ask the question with all due respect for
the memory of the dead to provide for the
expense of the committee who attended |
the remains of the late Senator Rich to his |
home 4" Vermont? Why employ five or
six Professors at large salaries as instruc-
tors at the University before single pupil
had entered, and then ask an appropria-
ton of twelve thousand dollars to support
them in idleness We could go on for
hours asking the reasons for the needless
ana reckless extravaganza which character
Uses the administration of the affairs of tho
State, and to which only one reply could
honestly be made. Party favorites must be
provided for and party mendicants must
be supported.
We refer to these matters more in sor-