The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-11-28
The Tobacco TAX Menorial q louisa

49,
The Dispatch, fully sensible soi tliesahso.'.
lutte necessity OF pressing to "a successful:
issue the decrease, at leasss Of the grinding
tobacco tax, called special attention to the
matter several weeks since, and ged its
friends In every tobacco county Of the state
To- carry out what had been so forcib.y
urged by the Planter and a,1'ae,-- namely,
the holding of meetings and The prepaiaa.-'
ton OF petitions to Congress. praying for
the repeal Of this tax. The county OF LOUISA
has responded with an energy becoming her
neople, and VIC have the pleasure OF pre-
senting below a copy of their petition,
framed By the committee appointed fer the
purpose, md commend its form to every
portion Of the estate. This petition, we are
informed, will bear some five thousand sls-
natures. Now, let the other tobacco coun-
ties follow suit aoithoM delay. II is the de-
sire OF our Louisa friends that the Rress
generally throughout the State ana our SIS
ter State, North Carolina, present this petl-
ton in their columns, and we trust 1t Will
be their pleasure to do it-.they certainly
corla not do their readers a better service.
Mr.. ROBBINS, OF North Carolina, worked
with tho same unfaggipg zeal last session as
our Mr.. TUCKER and air. CABELL, and II IS
our hope that their labors will not prove
to have been in vain:
TO the Honorable the Senate ana rouse o.
Representatives Of the congress OF me
United States:
Your memorialiSts, citizens OF Louisa
county, Va, engaged IN the cultlfa1loh OF
rho soil, or in trades and occupations de-
nenflent upcn its products, respectfully
hut earnestly pray your honorable bodies to
repeaI the present internal-reyenue tax on
manufactured tobacco. They respectfully
show that the portion OF the State in which
they reside-known as Midland Virginia
is specially adapted in soil and climate to
the cultivation Of leaf-tobacco, USED almost
exclusively in the manufacture OF chewing
tobacco for the markets OF this country.
This is, in fact, the only reliable money
crop we can grow, and is the main depend
ence OF our people, both white and colored.
for their living. It has been the staple crop
Of our section OF the State from Colonial
times, and experience has demonstrated
that no other can be proftabiy substituted
respectfully clam that the argument so per-
s,stently urged by tie Government "hat
The consumer payS the tar" Is not true.
The planter has learned by sad experience
that he bears the heaviest share OF it in
the Notwithstanding price OF his pro-
duct, which Is now. and has been for some
time mast, far below the cost OF production.
The effect Of this onerouS tax is not only
seen in the fact Just stated, but in the enor-
nous decrease in the number OF lnanuiac-
turers and dealers, in the exclusion OF men
of limited means from the business, ana It's
concentration in the hands OF large capl-
talists. Under its operation the trade III TO-
bacco has practically become a monopoly.
Before the tax was imposed. and for short
time afterwards, there were number OF
factories in this county, allordlnS market
at home sor our staple, and giving employ
meDt to many Of the co!ored people. The
tax has DESTROYED them all. and this is the
cyncrierce OF the whole toDacco-groWlng
section of The State. This tax not only de-
nr,yes your memoriallstS Of Il fair compensa-
tion, for their labor, but it operates as
ruinous tax upon their lands. Land Is val
liable IN proportion to what Il produces anu
the market value OF such produce. SIch
has become the depression in all the tobacco
counties OF Virginia that lands have ceased
to have a market value. 1t Is our deliberate
opinion that ii this burden is continued,
many portions OF the tobacco region, once
the fairest and wealtbiest portion CT our
State, will become wilderness. That this
state of things results from the tax IS OBVIOUS
from the fact that in other portions OF the
State, not adapted to the cultivation OF to-
bacco. lands have not rcceded from. but IN
many localities have advanced GA dnte-tet-
Inn prices.
Your memorialists feel that the tax upon
tobacco is an uni ust discrimination against
them and their section OF the Union; that
it violates the provision of the Constitution
which provides "that taxation Shall be uni
FORM" and imposes an unequal and griev-
Gus burden upon them, which, III their i'm.
poyerished condition, they are not able to
bear. They have not been silent on this
subject because OF Indifference. Unaccus-
toned to complain. they have patiently
waited and borne this fearful burden until
ruin starcs them in the face. They now
avail themselves OF the only means lett
them, and humbly but earnestly pray your
honorable bodies to afford them relief as
speedily as possible by ab0lishing this I'M
lust and discriminating and gricvous tax,
the imposition and continuance OF which
has been an etipctual bar 10 their recovery
from the prostration OF the war, has already
robbed Virginia Of many millions OF dollars,
and has been the chief cause OF her pecu-
mary distress and Inability to meet the IN
tercst on her public debt.
Your mcmorialsts will cheerfully bear
their proportion Of the public burdens, and
willingly pay all taxes bearing equally upon
the pcopie OF all the States which snail pc
necessary to support the Government and
maintain its honor and credit; but they do
most solcmnly and earnestly protest against
this special and unjust tax upon their CHIEF
staple-a tax partial in its operation, and
more excessive and burdensome in amount
than was ever imposed by any enlightened
government upon the agricultural produc-
ton OF portion Of tie people.
FRANK Y. WINSTON,
GEORGE j. HUMMER,
HENRY w. MURRAY,
Committee.