The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-01-30
A Voice Of Lamentatiou from the
Country.

Editors Of the Dispatch: While we OF the
country district deeply sympathze Wqtn the
citizens of Richmond and the mercnants
generally in what they are pleased to call the
unequal and burdensome tax upon the mer-
camille interests of the State. we think we
are prepared to show that the farmer suffers
under q burden of taxation, both direct aud
indirect, more onerous, II ahytnlng, tnan
that of which they complain. The merchant
DAYS tax upon his whole capital, anu upon
every r,i1yestment of that c1pltal; but
the tax always comes out OF the pronts real
lied from the whole capital. The farmer, on
the other hand, pays tax upon his whole
capital, and only realizes profit from about
one.fifth or one-tenth of his capital. The
farmer who owns and pays taxes on one
thousand acres of land scarcely ever IS able
10 cultivate more than one or two hundred
acres, and he realizes doubtful profit from
this only once year.
Another burden under which the farmer
sroans is the cost of transportation OF his
produce to market. Those of us who live
along the line of the railroads In the State
indirectly pay an enormous tax, which, we
are told it is necessary to lay on us in order to
build up the interests of the cities at the termi.
nj of the roads. Take as an instance the CheSa-
peake and Ohio railroad. On this road it costs
fifty cents to transport one hundred pounds
of wheat or corn from Cincinnati to Rich.
mond, while from Beaver Dam, a distance Of
forty miles, to Richmond it is twelve cents
on the one hundred pounds. From Ander-
sons turnout, thirty miles from Richmond,
the writer paid forty.eight cents freight on
one calf weighing not over one hundred
pounds. We are asked to endure this bur-
den because it is necessary that the ,coy or
local freights should pay the deficiency
of the through freight, which is not self
sustaining. And this latter, We are told, is
necessary to the interests of the city of Rich
mond. We bear this tax, both direct and in-
direct, but we cannot say we do so cheer.
fully, when we listen to the groans of the
merchants. If the Legislature will take our
lands, pay for their cultivation, detray the
enormous expense of railroad trans
portation of the products, and IN.
sure us profit in proportion to the assessed
value of our land und stocks anything ike
that realized by the merchant. we will en-
dure the tux, and endure 1t cheerfully. We
rustics are asking ourselves and one another
wherein arises the necessity for this over
WIDENING burden of taxation? If 1t is the
public debt, as we are led 10 oelleVe,
we want to know for what purpose
that public debt was created? Where
have all these millions gone to whose interest
we are goaded to pay? They have been in.
vested ia the public works throughout the
State-in the railroads and caDalS-we are
told. II this be so, then the custodans of
the public interests have been most derelct
in their duties to the people of the State in
not securing the interests OF the State in
those works beyond the possibility of for
FIXTURE. In nearly every instance the interests
of the State have been sacrificed, leaving the
State still bound for the original capital invest.
ed and much accumulated interest. In some
instances contracts have been entered into by
some of these corporations, the terms Of
which have never been made public, by
which the interests of the State have been
jeopardized, If not entirely destroyed, and
the corporation ITSELF the very cause and Or
igin of the public debt, has been made eX-
empt from taxation. This is a degree OF
generosity on the part Of our representa-
tives that we, their constituents, are not pre-
pared to appreciate.
II this public debt, the creation of which
has accrued so little to the benefit Of the
country people, is to be paid, the people, the
whole people, must shoulder the burden.
Each person, individual and corporate,
must bear his proportionate share Of the
burden. The country has right to expect
it, and they demand il. RCs.