The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-03-28
rhe way to Moncssy In our state
hfassira 49, 81 5s5

JO3lne #Eu2tOTS Vi satesss3Dsof 49,
Your paper has certainly been makang
narlful effortsto elevate the pubic moIais
and to preserve the honor Of the stare.
The times, as yen have sho are sauly |
out OF Joint. ], for one, am growing y ,Yely i
weary-rzwith sorrow, confess lt--ol neuL !,
spoken of las Hthe grand sola
&c. 4 speech beginning
with lavish professions Of patriotism ana
full OF loud asseyerations OF q purpose 10
nreserye untarnished the immaculate nohoF
OF our grand old Commonwealth, but WHO
ing up with advocacy OF some miseIap.e
scheme OF getting rid OF the public deDt Dy
some shift or device short OF its payment,
always suggests to me the bnrlesque lmlta,
tion OF Or, Johnson's style in the >" Retected
Addresses in which the ghost OF the ola
Doctor is made to say that " BE who COM
Dares incipient grandeur with final WI.
garity is reminded Of the pious haWkcrs OF
Constantinople, who solemnly perambuiate
her streets, exciaiming, In the name OF
the Prophet-fgs!0
The contrast of what Virginia, until re-
Gently, undoubtedly was with what sue Is
now made to appear, is pititui ana painiul.
"This Is truth, the poet sings, ,or,ns
That sorrows crown OF sorrow IS reiilei oeii'e
happier things"
Is size indeed the proud State, she once
was, or must we, with shame and Confusion
OF face, inscribe on her Capitol, i" is'an'
fuH"?
This is the evil. Foryears there has been
an upceasing, persistent effort to conceai
her values from taxation. There has been
disreputable rivalry between counties and
sections in reducing the assessments OF
landed property, and commissioners OF the
revenue have followed suit in their Valua-
lions and returns OF personal property.
There are portions Of the State-and those,
too, which have suffered least by the war
in which valuations OF real estate are less
per acre in some instances than the net
value OF years crop. From quite num-
Der of counties there are.no returns WAL
ever from incomes, and large majority re-
turn next to nothing from this source. The
personal property is manilestly set down at
Scarcely more than half its actual value, and
much bonded property is no doubt secretea
altogether from taxation. The Legislature
must understand this state OF things, win all
its Inequalities, and yet makes no cHort 10
correct it. They prefer that virginia should
appear impoverished and undone rathcr
than see her put forth an honest effort 10
pay an honest debt. They make great
show OF zeal for the public good in cutting
some cases rerrenching wisely, III others I'M
wisely. They save few thousand dollars
six or seven thousand) by cutting down
the salaries OF the circuit judges to ptHul
fjgure-below the average incomes OF The
successful lawyers OF their circuits-and
then they conveniently construe the Con-
stitution so as to provide another session,
next winter, for themselves, ut an expense
TO the State OF from $4,000 to 100000.
tchey find the Motfett-register law on the
statute-Dooks and yielding avery promising
revenue. 1t is obvious, however, that it
needs supplemental legislation to secure its
ricid enforcement They sit 4 hundred
DAYS, declare that property can bear no
higher rate OF taxation than at present,
leave vacuum in the Treasury, and adjourn
without DerfecJing this system OF liquor
taxation, from which, ii rigidly and honestly
enforced, an anDual revenue OF 100000 or
more could easily be derived. They leave
an imperfect law ON the Statutc-DookS,
which honest men may observe, but which
every knaye can violate with probable impu.
nitv, and thus honesty Is Discriminating
AGAINST. and many men in the liquor btlSl-
ness, who would checliully observe the law
if all were compelled to ITS observance, VIII
be almost forced to cvade if, OF else discon-
pulous dealers, who have 10 idea OF making
honest returns unless forced TO DO so by
stringent legislation. This is OF piece
with all the revenue system Of oar
State. Bondholders. as 4 general rule, may
or may not be honest. 1t is prcsumable,
however, that they are as honest IL tic
average OF their fellow-citizcns. But woe
TO the bondholder who is honest! He
must render, under oath, his bonds for taxa
ton at their full value, and sec the lands OF
his neighbors assessed at half or two thirds
OF their real value, and personal property
fother than bonds) assessed by some gentle
manly and accommodating commissioner at
one-half its value. SO that the honest bond
holder-and there are some such-muSt sub
NIT to be taxed about double in proportion
with other people. Now, ehe injustice and
the sting OF the thing is just this: not that
he has, as pp honest man, to pay his taxes
whether other people pay theirs or not, but
that he is in reality required, in order to
raise q given amount OF revenue. to pay
larger per cent. than would be necessary il
all valuations were honestly and fairly made.
Thus again is honesty Disseminated against
in the working Of our laws.
Let me ask, Why should not all the real
estate OF the Commonwealth be assessed by
feed and uniform rule, and why should
not that rule be what it would bring, Zone
fourth in hand and the residue in one, two,
and three years, bearing interest from day
OF sale"?
Suppose man sells farm for $4,000, OF
which $500 is paid in cash, and for the re-
malnder takes the bonds Of the purchaser
at one. two, and three years, bearing inter
est from date. In returning his property
for taxation he has to return the $1,000 paid
in money as money; the $500 iii bonds he
has to return at their face value, as they
are interest-bearing and solvent. Now, II
what the land sells for is taxed as $4,000,
and is $4,000, why shall not the land be as
sessed at $4,000, and taxed accordingly:
This is certainly the spirit and meaning OF
our Constitution, which declares that tax
aticn shall be equal and uniform, and that
all species OF property of equal values shall
be taxed alike. Who does not know that II
all the lands OF the State were honestly as
sessed ON this principle, S100,000,0OO or
more would be added to the. present re-
ported values?
WIN cannot the fraudulent game ,1hich
has been PLAYING all around be put stop to,
and our affairs be hereafter conducted on
honest principles, under which Justice and
equality shall be meted out to all persons
and to all sections? Would not this be in
conformity with the good name which Vir-
oiniu has heretofore deserved and enjoyed:
Would it not be promotiye OF her highest
interests, which cannot be subseryed by
ANYTHING short Of the Strictest honestly?
Let not, then, honesty be any longer dis
eliminated against in the conduct OF our
H. l, "a tta( NJ,