Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1877-02-27
lCONIMIINICATEn- |
Editor Of the Bristol Meas:

by all means the Legislature should
pass the dog tax BILL and the bill in.
trodHced by our modern "Punchn to
tax liquor two cents on the drink. -
These two bills should be passed, not
because they are wise or right, for
neither il wise or right, nor because the
proposed punch act will produce as
much revenue as our ordinary liquor
Xbil!s have produced. for it will
not, but because the passage of these
laws will knock the last prop from
under the Funders and Bondholders,
and bring about q speedy settlement
of the public debt upon a just and
equitable basis.
Stewart, Dooley, ct id, after years
of painful and fruitIess search after
new subjects of taxation with which
to stop the holes in the sinking ship,
and save the "hOnOr and credit of
the State, in utter despair have long
since abandoned the impossible un-
dertaking.
Governor Kemper, a recent convert
to the Walker theory, came in his last
message with a flourish of trumpets
to the rescue of the Funders, and
gravely proposed to pay the public
debt, and thus save the "honOr and
credit Of the State by rObbing a few
Office holders in the Basement of their
bread and meat, and reviving the his
tUric humbug of tax on oysters.
Three several Legislative committees
have publicly pronounced the Cover
nOr's raid on the Basement as belong
ing to that species of economy which
would stop the spiggot aud leave the
bung wide open, and his stale theory
of tax on oysters was not diguifed
with the ordinary reference to a COM
mittee.
In barnying the bondholders and
humbugging the people the Fundcrs
are not wanting in resources So il
was, when Gov. Kemper had spent
his ammunition, which said spending
was a little more than q flash in the
pan, they heralded to the world that
John Letcher the ancient watch dog
Of the Treasury, eX Governor, States
man and patriot, who. during a long
number of years of retirement in his
mountain home in Rock bridge, had
made the tangled condition of the
States finances a speciality, had CON
sented to serve the people again for II
short period with the sole view of sa.
wing the "hOnor and credit of the
State, 1t was not doubted that tn
statesmanship of the days when there
were giants in the land, would be
equal to the solution of the problem,
Of providing revenue sufficient to ray
the public debt.
This declaration and the reappcar-
ance of the Ex-Governor on the public
stage, inspired new confidence in tie.
ability of the people to pay the pubic
debt and his want of confidence ia
tho 4. iii nOpN "a nv 4 Sr,,fhta
bill, his belief that the Governors re-.
concentrations as to an oyster tay,
and the abolition of the basement ofli-
ces were futile, and his opposition to
the exploded theory of Messrs. Stew
art ~ Co., that the public debt might
be paid by tax on church property,
COMMISSIONERS and collins, gave promise
that he was fully abreast OF, if not in
advance of the progress of the times.
What must have been the dislp-
pointment and chagrin of the bond.
holder when the Ex-Governor, the
proudest statesman in the land, after
calmly considering the subject for
years, came to the deliberate conc!u-
sion that there was but one new sub.
iect in the State, not already taxed 10
death, upon which a tax could he le,.
led sufficient to pay the interest on.
the public debt and save the ''honor
and crrditn of the State, and that sub
jeot was poor old dog Tray"
Is II any wonder the creditors of ,hr
State were startled and astoun lrd
when he great finance measure Of Tive
session was developed 10y eX Governor
Le!eher and embodied in the c,L-
brated act entitled "a bill to tax dog,
to pay the public debit aud the ne
ton Of the bondholders in ealing n
meeting at once to ass Virginia ro
compromise her debt, should surpli-r
no one.
The Legislature by strict pa.ly
vote declined not to hear any testiu.6.
ny diiu3ldc AZ to the merits of the Lu
and counted out the eX- Governor and
his dog tax" on technIcality, mad
both went over till the 4th of July
Not satisfied with sacrificing GOV
Kemper and eX.Gov. LetcheT, nm.
Funders have drawn into their mr~h
es another eminent statesman of ,hp
ancient regime. lex Governor Smith
better known as Extra William ."
has taken the floor. lie is possessed
Of "A strange halluciuation. He has
conceived the idea that the Govern.
meut may be run and the "honor and
credit" OF the Stale preserved by an
additional tax on whiskey, aud Tor
this purpose has introduced bill,