Smyrna times., 1879-05-21
California Ratifying Kearney.

CdllIOrlid was asked WneLneF IL WanJeU
Constitution that would expel the Chinese,
and put an embargo upon men with wit
and energy enough to accumulate money.
The answer was made at the polls, last
week, that it did want such Constitution.
1t is quite evident that this whole matter is
the fruit of hatred of the Chinese among
ignorant people. They were not reasoned
into their opinion concerning "Chinese
cheap labor" and they cannot be reasoned
out Of it. Demagogues cried their throats
hoarse over the "Asiatic parasite" and as it
was found that they did not cry in vain, the
blind leaders of the blind widened the field
Of their attacks. The money-changer, the
merchant, the stockholder, the great land
owner, in fact all capitalists were de-
nounced Per SC. The angry river of preju-
dice and selhshness at last breaks its banks,
and the State is inundated.
On the LIST OF January next tho citizen Of
California will drink his coffee under very
peculiar clrcumstances-the most peculiar
since the times Of Edward ILL.,, Of England.
That monarch once unsuccessfully under
undertook to collect polltax, and like
wise prOpertytaX on everything but the
clothes on a mans back. Out in California
they do not except even the clothes. Once
year the property holder must hand in to
the assessor a minute list of his personal
possessions down to his toothbrush and
on this list assessments will be made
Feudalism failed to collect tax on a mans
under-clothing, but perhaps the curbstone
statesman can do it.
Ii man is a president of a railroad or
gas company, he must discharge his Chin
ESQ employees, and wait for the Legislature
to regulate his rates for passengers and for
gas consumed. If he contracts for cooley
labor, it will be void If he owns a large
ranch among the mountains, he must pay
as much per acre as the owner Of a city lot.
His railroad as corporation must pay tax
on all its property, and after that he must
pay tax on the market value of his stock.
If he has wheat in warehouse, he pays first
on the wheat and then on the receipts for
the wheat. If he imports, both his cargo
and his bill of lading are subject. If, per
chance, he owns newspaper, he pays a tax
on the property and dues of the paper and
also its good will. The gst of this latter.
day taxation is that general credits and
| also the property they represent are tax.
able. In applying this rule David A. Wells
| goes to this extent:
Every form Of title in property may have
in turn other titles based on it, which are
| CHi'tAOAV ~ Il4FdlG wv DeISDlD3 anu Inus
through the agency of fiat property and
hocus-pocus title property, the actua,
property may be taxed cd infn;ttm. And
thus, the " chief end Of man " in Californif
will consist in watching assessments ant
| paying taxes.
Should the Constitution be enforced il
all its phases, we do not see but that there
is small choice between being Chnamar
or millionaire at the Golden Gate, unC
one of the first effects will be to drive capi
tai from tho State. As tho people ther,
have demonstrated that they cannot a
present listen to reason, the best way is t,
apply Gen. Grants rule, and rigdly enforce
the unjust taxation.
But the question: in one form and another
will come for decision before the Suprem
Court Of the United States, whether such
monstrosity as this Kearncy Constitution i
itself constitutional. There are som
things, thank God, which even sovereig
and independent State" cannot do in Til
Rapublio