Norfolk day book. [volume] (Norfolk and Portsmouth Va.) 1868-1880, 1869-05-01
SATURDAY MORNING, May /, 1869
MECHANICAL PURSUITS AND
WORKINGMEN OF THE
SOUTH.
NUMBER SEVEN.

we paFe uISeo OTSanIZatlOu among
the working classes, with view to
taking intelligent action ON matters that
are sure to arise under our new condi-
ton. Suppose you are organized for
this subject, the question will present
itself to your bodies what action to
take in regard to State policy? You
recognize the fact that you have escaped
from that condition Of affairs which
would necessarily entail on society in
the South a conflict of labor and capt.
tal,by the abolition of slavery, you will
see that the war has left us all more or
less poor even the rich have been re-
duced in their circumstances, and the
poor have been made poorer and what
ever prosperity comes to our State
hereafter must come through industry
all trades must work together harmon
iousy, for The purpose Of opposing
outside competition. The rich must
help the poor in order to help them.
selves. and the poor must help the rich
in order to help themselves. Ali must
work!
Then when you get this view prop
erly instilled in your minds, it will
naturally occur 10 you that a system OF
AID vALoREM taxation is essential to set
the machinery of the State agoing on
fair and equitable principles. Make
the taxes as light as possible on labor,
and put it on accumulated wealth.
The farmer, in this view, is the
foundation of your society-uake the
tax on his farm say Of twenty-five acres
as little as possible, or have none at all
on it if possible assess his improve
men's on that farm at their fair valua-
ton. Ii he has more than twenty-five
acres, look that ovsrplus for some in
creased taxation, say of half dollar an
acre or dollar an acre each year. This
will allow the farmer a chance to carry
on his business with but little if any
taxation on his farm. II he has extra
wealth in the shape Of land or anything
else, tax it as you will tax all other
wealth. Then you have the merchant
and the stoIe-keeper. There is no
earthly reason that they should be
burdened with all the taxes of the State,
unless you wish to establish an anti
commercial and anti-trading policy, in
order to allow the people OF other States
to do your trading and commerce. Put
mole nominal tax on these also, as
light as the farmers tax, and if they
have got extra wealth look to that also
for the burden of your taxation. Of
course this plan should DO pursued with
all trades, professions, and callings, the
mechanics and manufacturers included.
This process will encourage tho in
dustries, from which alone we must cx.
pect to build up our States and it has
been found to be tho most fair aud
equitable system of taxation in every
place it has ever been tried.
Let us look for a moment at the i'm
mense area of land covered by the State
OF Virginia. Here we find land enough
to be comfortably occupied by at least
ten millions of inhabitants--and we
have not much more than million on
it. Ten millions of people could find
subsistence on her soil, and all of them
by being industrious could make moro
money and live better than the present
number do. What is the cause. and
where is the defect? 1t seems quite
natural for us, in searching for these, to
look at the fact that the most of this
vast area of land is owned and held bv
comparatively few OF this million now
10 the State, and these holders of this
land pay comparatively no taxes on it
and it is thereby the very best invest
ment IN which they can hide their
wealth from the tax gatherer. Well. as
long as this is the case, they will con-
tinue to hold it, to the great detriment
of the prosperity of the people.
That is the cause, but it would take
volumes to properly portray the evil to
State flowing from this system. more
particularly if it is to be allowed to con-
tinue under the pressure there is for adj. |
vancement Of our material development. |
1t is common thing for some people to
own from six to ten thousand acres Of
land Does any one suppose they would
do so II there was fair aud equitable
tax on it? Of course not Whv fen
thousand acres of land in the old CONN.,
try is large principally in some cases
and sustains population Ct eight or ten
thousand inhabitants. And as we don't
want any lords, dukes, or aristecracy.in
our State, suppose gentle pressure in
The shano IF <a~o4:1v. =: /. y,