Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1879-12-12
WHO rs TO PAY FOR ALL THISg

To those gentlemen, whether Readjus-
ters or otherwise. who own their farms,
and who cannot conveniently move them
out of the reach of taxation, this is very
important question. The excit ement at
tendant on the triumph of new party;
the daily tickling of the personal curiosity
of the public by the removal of this old Of
fcer and the installation of that new one:
the stimulation Of expectation about the
coming official changes in our immediate
communities, even to the removal of our
county judge, whose long career on the
bench has been marked by spotless repu-
tation, wisdom and economy in the mat
ter of our county affairs, and a wise and
impartial administration of the laws-are
but temporary. All this must soon be
ended. And then comes the legislation
which affects the pockets of the tax-pay-
ers. And when we say the taxpayers we
mean those men Of some means, great or
small in amount, who are anchored in
Virginia. The amount of interest pre-
scribed by the McCulloch bill has got to
be paid, or n,ore-one of the two. There
is no escape from that. In the case of
Tennessee, her legislature, her judiciary.
and even her State conventions, decided
that certain bank issues, guaranteed as re-
ceivable for taxes by former legislature,
years before, should not be SO receivable,
but the United States Supreme Court has
decided that they are in the nature of a
contract, and they shall be so received.
That ends the matter for Tennessee. A
similar contract in the form of coupons
has to be complied with by Virginia. Now,
who's to pay the piper? Not the mere
voter; things are to be made easy for hin.
by the repeal of the prepayment of the
capitation tax. He is not to be compelled
even to help the schools to which fuud his
capitation tax went. OF the patrons of
the Moffett bell punch! Oh, no ! that is
to be repealed! Not the owners of land;
their assessment is to b. cut down twenty
five per cent. Not the professional men
and merchants; for in the general amnes-
ty of the Barbour bill those gentlemen can
pay all their taxes in cheap coupons. That
would leave nobody to pay for running
the State government and the schools.
But somebody has got to pay. Now. who?
As the debt stands to-day with the re-
duction of $24O,O0O year in interest,
already effected by the McCulloch- bill,
there is still left, with the six and three
per cent. rate. nearly million and a quar-
ter annually that can collect itself. Then
what are the government and schools to
be fed on? Who is to pay for them?
These are questions which must make
a property holder think gravely over
the situation. If you strip him of all aid;
let other classes go free, the money must
come out of him. Will the land-holders
be more ready to stand an increase OF
taxation-for that is what it must come
founder Readjuster government than
under Conservative one. We think when
the horde of voters. who do not pay the
capitation tax and do not now vote-some
one hundred and thirty-fiye thousand in
number-are turned loose on the property.
holding tax paye of this State, with the
new ideas that have been given them in
this last campaign. they will teach them d
lesson they never dreamed of. The Re
adjusters may lower the assessment il
they like. but this new horde, for whom 1t
is proposed to take the fence dowa, will
show them that the rate can be raised. 1t
has been the history of every constituency
of that class that has been let in upon the
property holders Of State, and it will be
repeated in Virginia.