The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1877-05-24
The RuIabaga Tax Question.
AUSTIN, TExAs, May IL,

| AUSTIN, ll-NAS, May II, 1870.
Editors Democratic Statesman - In a
| number of your paper a few weeks
since, saw an analysis Of what purport-u
cd to be ono OF the votes cast by the
members of our late Constitutional
Convention entitled "Taxation and
Revenue This vote is not fully and
correctly stated, as l am prepared to
SHOW. But il seems to me that il one
cote Of the twenty or thirty cast by
that body on said article and its differ
ent portions, is to be taken rs an index
10 the sentiments and intention, of ita-
| .-.~ .aIDeas, mat tno mat vOte-the one
by which the article was adopted
should be the one selected, and which
you will find on page 72G of the con-
vention journals. l will now analyze
it. OF the members of the convention
whose votes are here recorded, forty
one are for it and thirty against, (four
paired oiT.l The Democratic lawyers
on this vote were nearly equally di-
vided, eleven voting for and thirteen
against the article. Of the farmers, u
large majority voted for it. All the
doctors, preachers, teachers, all the
merchants but one or two, and all the
editors but one CIR two, voted for il.
While on the other hand every Reppb.
lican that was present when the vote
was cast, voted against the adoption
of this article, and they had four or Ave
lawyers in their number; also, every
large LAND holder, land agent and ultra
railroad man in the body.
Now, with q little demagoguery,
this vote can be used with telling eff
feet against our antI-constitution agi-
tators. Everybody knows that preach
ers, teachers, doctors, farmers and
merchants and editors are seldom
Spectators in wild lands or railroads,
while many of those classes who voted
against this article are noted for these
propensities. All those voting for it
were Democrats, while every Radical
voted against it.
Many of the ablest and purest men
in our body voted against the adoption
of the article entitled Taxation and
Revenue" and. principally in conse-
quence of its rigid provisions with re.
gard to taxing railroads and out.county
lands. also opposed some OF these
provisions, but voted, rs many others
did, for its adoption, because we saw,
and plainly so, too, that il was The best
we could do, and that if faithfully car
ried out it would redeem the State and
counties from their Indebtedness and
save the people from being overbur-
dened with taxation.
1t is we'll known fact that many of
our Republican friends in the Consti-
tutionRl Convention opposed the best
provisions in the Constitution in the
Convention, and trled TO have as many
obnoxious measures adopted as possi-
bic, so as to defeat our organic law
before the people; and they had several
able men, too, In our body. They also
declared solemnly against its adoption
in theirparty conventions, and marched ~ 81 n
" d1foat it Notwithstanding the ur-
holy alliance :.
Now the truth is that no one vote
is fair test of the views of any OF the
members of the Convention on this
article (Taxation and Revenue) as
whole, but the only fair way to reach
this is by consulting all the votes cast
on this article, and get their views on.
its different parts.
Now, Mr.. Editor, we dislike very
much to notice these little matters, but
the "squib" (saddling the produce tax
article entirely on the Grangers) has
gone all over the State uncontradicted.
We very we'll know that the object OF
these filings is to gradually and almost
imperceptibly build up a prejudice
against the new Constitution, and
thereby pave the way for its substitu-
ton or for wholesale amendments. We
don't fear fair argument, but deprecatc
these insidious attacks. We don't
pretend to know what "smart Aleck"
originated this ''sugar plum" that has
sweetened up SO many palates in the
State, but we will now see If the diff
ferent papers will be as ready to pub
lish ''my analysis" as the other-not
my letter, but simply my analysis OF
the final vote on the article on Taxa
ton and Revenue" guess not-but
let us see.
Yours respectfully,
A MEMBER OF THE CONVENTION.