Huntsville gazette., 1885-09-05
Madison County Turnpike Law.


The people of Madison county
will be called on to determine at the
ballot box on the first Tuesday
in November whether bonds of tie
county to the amont Of two Hundred
Thousand dollars ($200.O00) shall
be issued to aid in building certain
turopikes in this county. These
bonds are to run thirty years and to
bear not exceeding seven per cent
interest per annum. OF course the
bonds would be placed on the mar
ket at seven per cent interest in or
der to make them the more salable.
The matter OF burdening the peo-
pie Of eur county with such q debt
is matter worthy of thought and
deliberation. It is folly to say that
the taxes will fall alone or heavier
on the rich OF the county. The
truth is taxes created by such large
debts as is proposed in this turn
pike matter are more oppressive to
the poor than to the wealthy class
The rich man who lives on his in
come or by the clipping of coupons
from his bonds, can more easily and
with less Inconvenience meet the in
creased burdens Of taxation, than
the poor man who is strained to such
an extent to pay his ordinary taxes
that he even has to deny himself and
family many Of the necessaries OF life.
It is this class Of people, and not
the rich who groan under the bur-
den of high taxes.
So We have no hesitancy in say
ing to our friends to pay no atten-
ton to suggestions from any one
calculated to encourage the idea
that the poor man will bear none Of
the burdens Of this large debt if it
is voted on the county.
| II the taxes on land is increased
out Of whose pockets does it come
The onlp answer is out of the pock-
cts Of the reopl4who rent lands, in
the shape of higher rents.
No, the truth is. and we do not
hesitate to say it, the welfare, pros.
perity, and happiness Of the
laboring people is far more
protected and advanced by low taxes
than by big public debts and high
taxes.
| Besides this if tho plies are built
toll gates are to be established every
three miles. If one Of our friends
we're to start from New Market he
would have certainly four toll gate'
to pass through. Suppose he was
driving a one horse wagon and had
twenty chickens to sell at 124 cents
each. Pikage at each gate is Is cts
for one horse Wagon. Pikage for
the round trip wsuld be 81 20. sale
of chickens 81 50-leaving 81 80 as
balance. Out OF this the man would
nave to pay for his own dinner and
food for his horse. How much
would he have left from the sale OF
his chickens with which to carry
sugar and coffee home no, this
policy Of making the people pay for
turnpikes snd then making them
pay to travel on them wont do.
Then again, the law authorizes
the commissioners to allow some peo
pie to go through the toll gates
witho paying toll and to require
others to psy. How many colored men
would have free toll passages ? This
feature of the law deserves to be
met with universal condemnation.
Official favoritlsm, legaljzed will
prove the hot bed Of dissatisfaction.
! The truth is our taxes are very
low now and we have had high taxes
or many years past, and why not
ilet the people run awhile under low
taxes to zee how it feels.
An unknown colored oman was
| atallv injured bv iumDinp from the