The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1869-05-26

to estimate the profits Of his business as
part of his income So the owner of a bill
lizard table pays property tax on the value
of his table, and a license tax for carrying on
his business. Hcspaysno income tax on his
receipts from this. source. The paragraph
cannot be distorted to mean anything more
than this.
You say much prejuice is raised against the
Revenue Act by the construction adopted
by me- To this answer 1st. That 1t is my
duty to constue the act as passed by the
Assembly under the Constitution according
to its letter and spirit Whether the people
will like it or not is another matter, and
cannot be guide to me.
3D. When the people come to look into
subject and understand it, they will see that
this is the best mode of taxation for al!
classes. supplies" in the hands of per-
sons cannot be exempted without letting 90
tsee supplies in the hands Of merchants and
lawyers, the wealthy as well as the poor or
the mechanics, and all Others who have no
farms will make complaint of injustice and
oppression.
Sd. You totally over-estimate thesmagni-
tude of the subject. The tax, except in rare
instances, cannot amount to more than lew
cents on any one tax payer. The poor men
you mention did not have on hand the list
of April more than few dollars OF
produce How can cent or two
tax ruin them9
4th Ii we break the Constitution,
which no good citizen will know
| ingIy do, in order to relieve against
this tax of few cents on any one man, and
open the door for the loss of thousands of dol
| lars to the Treasury, the "corn miser'' will
claim to keep his boarded grain in his barn
untaxed, under the name of family sup
plies" Large amounts of bacon will be kept
/ in smoke houses, away from market. Mer
chants, lawyers and spectators will claim
to hold their family supplies exempt, and
will accumulate provisions long before
they will be needed, because they are I'M
taxed property.
If it were constitutional, would not OBJ
! iect to limited amount of supplies in the
hands of such tax payers but the indefi-
mite, unlimited exemption you contend for,
besides losing money to the Treasury, would
be the wosrt possible policy for the poor
man. While piece of bacon or barrel of
corn might escape cent or two tax IN the
possession of the poor man, huge barns of
corn and smoke-houses of meat would be
held from market by the rich man, because
in any other form his property must be
taxed.
5tb. Surprising should break the con-
stitutlon and law and advise, as you desire,
what good will it attain9 The Treasury
must have money, and that to a large amount,
in order to keep up the public credit. If
you lose the Treasury several thousands of
dollars in this way, it must be made up in
some other way. The people must pay the
money, whether estimated on one kind of
property or another.
9Th AS said before nearly all the great
thriving States have adopted this kind of
taxation In Ohio only 500 of certain arti-
Giles is exempt. In Others, even less So
far from being ruined, the people have pros
pered under it. AS President Lincoln wanted
to send all his Generals the same kind OF
whisky, which certain backbiters told him
was running Gen. Grant, SO we should pray
for exactly the same taxation which has
ruined Ohio, Indiana and Illinois.
| 9TH. Equal taxation is the poor mans
| boon.
| He will feel that while he can only be
made to pay few cents on his little proper
| ty, the rich man must pay in proportion to
his riches.
| am told that since the war in the strick
en- town of Fayetteville, poor men, without
a cent of property, have been forced to pay
eight dollars apiece tax, including State,
county and municipal. In other counties
they paid So for State and county alone.
When they come to find the difference, be-
tween the old State and the new. they will
not begrudge the Treasury few cents be-
| cause iorsooth the tax is estimated on par
| ticular species of property.
Sth In conclusion l beg that you will
use your influence to make the people salts
| fled with the Revenue act. Gentlemen
of intelligence like you should not be misled
by the clamor of men, who have never re-
fiected on the principles and policy of the
Constitutional provisions on this subject.
Explain the matter to your neighbors, and
my word tor it. the clamoryou mention will
die away in the light of justice, equality and
truth.
Very Respectfully,
d. A. JENKINS,
Public Treasurer.