Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1870-06-03

writer in the last Spectator, signing
himself Independent Ticket" produces an
.rt;c,e calculated to bias the minds OF many
md prejudice them, before hand, against the
new =. Council Just elected by large MAORI
tv Of the people. AS the editor OF journal
which reflected the views OF the majority,
we can not permit it to pass, without a w0fd
or two of comment.
The appeal made by independent LICK
etn is very adroitly made to the Taxpayers
with an array of figures, and argument
thereon. intendedto dismay the nervous ana
;ntimidate the people generally. 1t is the
same clustering game played to 50 little eI-
feet nreyious to the election. and Will s'snai-
" fail to relieve the gentlemen who were 50
earnest in their opposition to the WILL OF 'ne
people. ao7 eso
His figures are made up of s2' 'ooo'
debt created by the Council ~ years slnce'
for the payment of which no steps were taken'
nor was it seriously considered by previous
Councils till the majority of it became due,
Jan. LIST 1S7O,) 100000 voted by the
neople, by an immense majority, as the
amount to be subscribed to the stock OF the
Valley Railroad, and $43, 600 which he as
o,ues the new council apill add to the debt.
Asserting wish not to 'crimlnate or re-
criminate," yet he does so in almost every
line. and in the assumption spoken OF seeks
to PREJUDICE the action of the new councll
and to criminate them before they enter upon
their duties.
Leaving out of his count the assumed
$4,000, no matter ,shat set Of men 7cere
elected counc,lmen, the remainder ($27 500,
old debt and 800, 900 subscription to the
Valley R. R. was necessary to be met and
as all such things are, by taxation 1t Will
readily be seen, therefore, that robbed OF It's
bold assumption, the scare-crow raised BY
independent Ticket. is only barren
pole.
The tremendous rate Of taxation, which
independent Ticket" faunts SO exuRaatly
before the public, is another scare-crow In
another part of the field. Property will be
re-assessed and every man will pay just his
eo,,az proportion of what is necessary, and
not, as for some years past, when one man
paid tax upon nearly full value for his prop
erty and another upon about one-fifth or
one-sixth of its value. Indeed, we have IN
our minds oyeoa taxpayer, who has paid
taxes for number of years upon property
assessed at LOO, (not double the rent he
received for it, and which he has lately sold'
as we learn, for over 100000. How would
q per cent on $1,70o compare with four
tenths of one per cent on SIC, 900? Very ia
vorably don't you think? But perhaps it is
this very equalization of taxation which In
dependcnt Ticket don't like. Wonder if he
is not paying taxes on some fine property at
about one-6fth of its cash value ?
in conclusion, we feel warranted in saying
that the newly elected council will enter upon
the discharge of their duties with full
sense Of the responsibility upon them, and
with the best interests of the whole town at
heart. and we have no doubt they will man
age its affairs as economically and with as
little burden as possible to the tax payers.
They will have sufficient work for while in
fnanciering the debt created twenty years
ago, aud which independent Ticket and
his predecessors in the council took no steps
to meet at maturity, and we ask that the
public will not allow such balderdash as that
emitted by Independent Ticket to bias
their Judgment, but wait for the action of
the new council, when it will be full early
to either praise OR condemn.
Of one thing we think the people can rest
assured, that there will be no greater taxa
ton than /. absolutely necessary for the best
interests of the town, and that all will bear
it equally.