Vicksburg weekly herald., 1870-05-07

voice in making our laws or elect
ing our general or local officers
who do not contribute to the sup
port Of the government which af.
fords them nourishment and pro-
lection.
There is no principle Of repub-
licanism which has been more
strenuOusly insisted upon by all
parties than that there must be no
taxation without representation.
It was the foundation stone Of
this Republic. The converse Of
this is also a correct and essential
principle in q Democratic govern
ment People who do not pay
taxes have no right to represen.
tation.
Government is to protect its
founders. Taxes are assessed to
defray the expense Of that gov
ernment, and those founders, those
who are the recipients of the
benefits Of such protection, pay
those taxes. When communi-
ties band themselves together for
material good and protection
it is with an express or implied
compact that every one who has
voice in the formation of the
government, in electing officers or
making laws, shall pay his pro
rata of the expenses therefor. Up
on such a wise and bene6cent
principle is government based, and
to destroy this principle is to un-
dermine the law and order Of a
State. So vital has been held this
principle that laws have even made
it compulsory.
And is this not just and fair to
all?
What right has A to say, by his
vote, who shall rule over the com.
munity in which he lives, if he
does not contribute his portion
however small, to the defrayment
Of the expenses entailed upon the
community by such government ?
In such a case A is not part
of the governmental power Of
such community, because all such
have compacted to pay the ex-
penses thereof, and he, because he
pays nothing, is only a partaker
of the benefits Of the protection
afforded by mere courtesy, having
no right thereto, and is, in fact,
what is vulgarly known as a
"dead beat"
1t is true some of our women
and our children, and some others
pay no taxes, and yet are the reclp-
tents of all the benefits accruing
to the heaviest tax payer But
their case is a special one. Man
himself, as a father, husband or
brother, or for the sake Of his
manhood, voluntarily takes their
burdens upon himself. Not so
man with his fellow man. And
the laws themselves make the dis
tinction. Now we contend in the
name of right and justice that q
class, upon whom depends the OBJ
legation to pay, shall not shirk
their position, swindle the COM
munity,and enjoy all governmental
privileges and benefits with inso.
lent impunity, while good men,
true men and honest men "bear
the heat and burden of the day"
In the eye of the law, as We nave
said, no one has the privilege Of
voting who is not taxed, and We
stated the propriety and business
of that rule. That being the case
shall such an one, upon whom falls
his share of the burden, escape
from payment, thereby increasing
the burdens of others, and insult
and defy the law, and shall the
law and the people be pOwerlesl
to help themselves
We insist, then, that no vot'
shall be legal in this State for any
public officer, whether general O.
local, unless it comes from a tal
payer. Not one who is assessed
for taxes, but who swindles tn,
people out of them, but one whC
can produce a receipt for his las
taxes. Let this be the law of thl
land. Is it not fair and just?-
Whom would it injurO?
Not a citizen whose prescncr
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