The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-07-05
How TO Pay the Public Debt.

From the LynChburg Republican,
We baYe known some individuals who,
finding themselves involved In debt, devoted
all their time, energy, and talents to devfSing
means to keep from paying their indie oten.
ness One-half of the energy and ability
which they wasted In trying to find out
chow not 10 do It," would bave solved the
problem Of show TO do il" in very salts.
factory minner.
Now, il those individuals who are contin-
ually rarking their brains to devise means to
keep from paying the public debt of the
Stare would only devote small portion
of their time and talents 10 developing
some plan 10 provide for lis pay ment, we
think they would be giving much better
direction to their energies and abilities, and
doing the State much better service.
We propose TO make one suggestion which,
if it were fully carried out, would very ma
terially aid in accomplishing this very desi
rahIe object. We do not claim that there is
ANYTHING new in the suggestion, but, old or
new, 1t is worthy of repetition. and of being
enforced By argument until its benefclsl
effects are fully realized. 1t is this: Build
I'D our own cities. Owing TO the aggrega.
ton of capital, commercial and mercantile
enterprise, and manufacturing establish
meutS III CtttSSs lucy aiSCt laA
in proportion to their population than any
Other portions of the community. Rich
moud, for instance, while it contains less
than oue.tweutieth of: our population, pay
about ore.nlnth of the whole amount OF
taxes OF the State. The other cities pay in
about like proportion. as.
10 1870 the total amount Of tax on per-
sona property in the State was $500 rs,
G-r La net wiz
moud. Norfolk, Petersburg. and Lyncbburg,
S41. l97, 4s; paid by saDe cities. $25 8S4.35;
Total on real estate, $780,, 276 70; paid by
tsame tcities, St9I, So; tolai. on licenses.
S299, T9l 80; paid by same cities, Sl0s, 415, %
Thus 10 Is shown that four cities, whrh
contain about one-twelfth of our popula.
ton, paid about one-sixth Of the tax on per.
sonal property, more than one.half OF the tax
on income, one-eighth Of the tax on reai es-
tate, and nearly one.ha!f of the tax on Ii.
censes. = {;
| Now, suppose Richmond was equal te
Baltimore, Lvpchburg to Lowell, Norfolk &c
Boston, and Petersburg to Jersey City those
four cities alone would be able to pas che
whole public debt 10 ten years and not fee
it half as much as they do the present rate o.
snxstion. -
But the question may be asked, How are
| we to build them upp We'answer by ira
ding with them and spending your moBe,
there, which you now 70 out of the State to
invest, We do not ask you to do it from pa
triotic motives, but because it is your own
Interest to do SO. There is large portion
OF the Stale that would find 1t TO their ad.
vantage to trade with Ly1chburg, another
with Norfolk, and another With Petersburg.
Each of these elites should be liberslly
encouraged and patr0niZsd. Each. has its
peculiar advantages which are understood
by business men, and If they ouIy received
proper encouragement they would be able
10 offer still greater Inducements than mo-"
But without Disagreement to any other
city, Richmond is the metropolis of the
State, and much the largest city within her
borders, and 10 accessible from every por-
ton Of the Common wealth. The whole
State should unite to build her up, and in
50 doing every other community would
ne benr1sipg themselves. !, In every de.
partment OF business and trade she ofsrs
Inducements equal 10 any city out of The
Stale. for her merchants and manufacturers
propose to duplicate any bill Of goods 10
their line that Can be bought elsewhere. II