Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1878-10-30
THE BULLION TAX BILL.
A FULL HISTORY OF THIS OBJ
NOXIOUS PAPER.


Demagogues Trying to Ride Into
Power on an Issue Dead as an
Egyptian Munmy-Etc.
[From the Eureka Sentinel, 24th.I
There is good deal of demagog.
cry being shouted from the stump
and through the press about the
Bullion Tax question. An effort is
being put forth to brighten the PEG.
pie into the belief that an attemp,
was made two years ago, and will be
repeated again this winter, to repeal
the Bullion Tax Statute. This is
simply the boldest kind of dema-
goguery, and there is not man in
the State of sufficient intelligence
20 mount the rostrum or write for q
newspaper who does not know that
he lies in his throat when he utters
such sentiments. The proposed bill
of two years ago did not aim at a
repeal of the Bullion Tax law or
anything approximating it. The
revenue derived from the proceeds
of the mines would not have been
affected $40. 900 year by the enact
ment of the Compromise Bin at the
then rate of production, and the loss
TO the State would be still less at
the present rate of production. The
law was general; not for the bonan-
zas alone-as is sought to be estab-
lished bv dishonest fishers for votes
and related to every mine in the
State. Both parties mad pronounced
in their State Conventions against
the out and out repeal of the law,
but neither had said a single word
against modification of the same.
Taking the State platforms Of the
two parties, and vast majority of
the county platforms, as the sense
of the whole people of the State on
the subject, and there was no proof
going to show that the people bad,
in any public or representative ca
pacity, taken position against a
reasonable and equitable modifca-
ton of the law. And it must be
borne in mind that member of the
Legislature is State officer, charged
with the responsible duty of legisla-
ting for all the people of the State,
and in duty bound to heed the ap-
peals, petitions and demands of one
section precisely as be would anoth-
er. That is to say, his sworn duty, as
legislator, is not restricted to local
or county limits, bis oath of office
requiring him to act for the whole
people. If then, as we have shown,
there were no obligations imposed
by the people represented in their
State conventions in opposition to
and it transpired, as
was the case, that very large pro-
portion of the taxpayers Of one Sec
ton of the State petitioned for modi-
fication, as was also the case, and
there were no protests and demon
STATIONS of disapproval from any
source, who can truthfully say that
the member who voted for the Com
promise Bill did so in open defiance
Of the expressed public will either
before or after the election? The
modification amounted to
little then, as we have shown, and
would amount to less now on ac-
count of the Bonanzas being exhaus-
ted. The real essence of the COM
promise consisted in the rebate of
the penalties due from the Bonanza
on their unpaid quarterly
tax. We have not the exact figures
at our command, but it is our present
that the total amount Of
the back tax was in round numbers
$500, 900, of which $105, 1000 was due
on account of penalties, and is still
due, as we shall more fully explain
as we proceed. The Legislature pro-
posed to throw off the penalties to
get the principal. The WAYS and
Means Committees of the two Houses
had been told by Judge Lewis, of
the firm of Lewis & Deal, that the
State could not enforce It's claim in
the Supreme Court of the United
States inside of three years. IF this
were to be the case, land we had the
word of the peoples attorney for i'd
the State rate of taxation must be in
creased from 90 cents on the hundred
dollars to 81 10, and besides the
must be authorized to ne
gotiate loan of 5000, 900 at a high
rate OF interest, running a term of
wears, to meet the immediate wants
of the Treasury. We were also ex-
pected to appropriate $4,000 TO
send lawyers to Washington TO look
after the bullion tax cases. This
then was one side of the case. The
other may be stated even more
briefly, as follows: BY accepting the
back tax the necessities of the Treas
ury would be provided for without
borrowing the 100000 mentioned
above; the $4,000 would not be re-
quired for lawyers; the State tax
rate would not demand raising to
81 10, nor yet to be maintained at
30 cents, but could be safely cut
down to 40 cents, thus working
saving to merchants, ranchers and all
other classes of taxpayers of $780,
900 per annpm. This is the case,
and this is the issue on which. GER