Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1876-01-14
Maryland Agricultural Association.

The regular monthly meeting of the Mary
land Agricultural and Mechanical Association
was held last Thursday afternoon, A. Bowie
Davis. president, in the chair, T. b. Dorsey,
secretary. The business of the meeting was
the reading Of a paper by Mr.. Davis, giving
reasons tor the introduction Of the resolution
tav oring IN exemption of cultivated land from
taxation, which was adopted by the society
but not concnrred in by The executive commit
tee Mr.. Davis said that by the adoption OF
the constitutional amendment of 1864. &c. 600
slaves in Maryland, mostly farm hands, were
suddenly enancipated and scattered 10 the
towns, villages, oysler-p packing houses &c
Their places in farm labor were not filled, aud
the ehrct is now apparent in smaller crops,
unfinished Improvements and general dilnpi-
dation. Land has become drug, and in many
places cannot be sold at one-thrd Of its former
value. The effect Of the labor loss to the
farmers can only lie appreciated by imagin-
ing Withdrawal Of S25, COO 900 capital from
the banks aHd its effect on the commerce Of
Baltimore.
The State board Of immigration had failed
in inducing foreign labor TO stop in Maryland
because OF the cheap freights to The West and
the untaxed lands to he found there In the
meantime by the iherality of our representa-
tivcs in the Legislature, facilities for travel
and transportation TO and from the West
multiplied and the means too generously given
10 bring into direct competition with the pro-
ducts Of onr reduced farms the productions
of the virgin prairips and the exhaustless al
luvial deposits Of the Mississippi valley. And
yet these facilities and the large interests they
have developed, such as The coal fields of AL
'cgany county and the oyster trade of the
Chesapeake, are seeking by every possible
means TO avoid paving their just proportion of
the expenses of the State which created and
protects them. Under these circumstances il
is not to he expected That the farmers shall
tamely submit 10 the unequal burden of Taxa
ton thrown upon them. The only means left
:. means that has elsewhere proved successful,
is the exemption from taxation OF all cult
waited land IT is this that has peopled the
West, placed our sister State of Pennsylvania
in the front rank of agricultural prosperity.
aud even built up the city of Baltimore by
trade from the West. This is the keystone of
the prosperity of New Fnglands manufaeto-
ries, and it is by her protecting corn laws
that old England is the richest agricultural
country in The world
Hon. Elisha Whittlesy of Oho long a
leading member of Congress, and subse
quenily comptroller of the United States
treasury, said in a speech many years ago that
| Maryland from patriotic motives had done
more to build up Baltimore and the West than
any other State in the Union. He instanced
! the destruction of the neighhOrhOod markets,
taverDs, towns and villages 10y the division of
travel and transportation from the National
Turnpike through the Counties Of Howard,
Frederick, Hartford, Allegany to the Rail-
road and of the lille benefit the Latter work
has been TO the counties on the Potomac aud
the Eastern and Western shores of the Chesa-
peake except Allegany, which has increased
in wealth 400 per cent since the development
of her mineral resources We are told that
the exemption of farming lands is impraclica-
BILE, and would require a revolution. We say
then lag on jus tax on all the nOn-tax pay
ing property, viz; Churches, literary inst
tutions, railroads and canals, mineral inter
ess, fisheries and oyster beds. Next make
productive the seven and a-quarter millions
in the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal.
| Then come back to old-fashioned simplicity,
efficiency and economy. the expenses of the
| State in one year. when George McCuhbiu
was treasurer and jeremiah Hughes printer,
were very different as contrasted with those at
the present day. A session of the Legislature
then cost $40, $50. now Sl9l, l52; Judiciary
the S35 800 now S9l CSC; treasury then So,
$50, now SIG S25: land Office then $3.50, nov
81 500 arms and military then 81, loo. now
S23 SIG printing then 81 400, now SOB 600;
colleges, academies and schools then ) u 500,
now $50 600; salaries Of the executive then
81 966. now Sl4. 039 This is enough to
show the reckless extravaganza of our pies
ent rulers as compared with the system o. our
foreflthers, and think it will be sale 10 say
that we bad MS good laws, rs much iGtcli-
gence, eqna honesty, and that eveuhanded
justice Was dispensed MS cheaply aud quickly
then as now. By economy in the State ex
penses and an equalizing of taxation partial
relief NAV yet come to the oppressed farming
Community.
Mr.. Davis also qroted from Lord Coke to
Vim. Blackstone and Thomas jefferson to
show that our legislature could not hind its
successors but That succeeding legislature
could alter, repeal and nhrogae the acts o.
IA proceeding one at pleasure; particularly
was this true MS to the taxing power, which WAS
too vital to the existence aud self-preservaiiou
of the Stale TO be irreyocably parted with in
favor of any particular interest or corporation
Mr. Davis received the thanks of the asso-
citation for the able paper, and it was deter
mined to bring up the subject AT fn;nrr
meeting Col w. W. Bowie and Mr. Adolphus
Cook speaking ia regard 10 the dog tax said
that the present laws do not sufficiently pro-
tect the sheep raisers. They thought the dog
tax instead of going to the school fund,
should be so placed tina. it would accrue 10
the benef of the sheep rasers.