Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1885-07-24
10 lie Yoteno a Warren county;
The Levse Cotton Tax.

Az VA -
Dear Sir-An article appears in
your issue Of yesterday discussing the
question Of leyess in the Yazoo delta,
the cotton tax and among other things.
charges the people Of the upper dis
trict when they raise their voice IN
protest against the odious cotton tax
with acting In violation "of every SEN
timent Of honor and good faith" As
a lover Of fair play, and having a firm
faith in the good intention Of our neigh
bors, allow me a little space in which
TO examine the question and show
their position. Let me ask, Mr.. Edi-
tor, how is it, in what way is the
honor of the people Of the district In
volved in the levy Of a cotton tax.
Have the people ever, Of themselves or
by their representatives made promise
that such a tax should or would be
levied? Have they ever even init
mated that such proceeding would
be permitted or tolerated. Onthe con-
traTy, the authority for such athing has
not only not been given, but 1t has been
absolutely, positively and in no uncer-
tain voice refused. AT the last session
Of the legislature an attempt was made
to pass a bill authorizing a tax upon
cotton, and Squarely the issue was
made by the representatives Of the
district. We will not levy a tax upon
cotton; the experience of the lower
district condemns and we will not
sanction 1t. We will issue the neces-
sary bonds though" they said, "and
levee the necessary tax upon property
to pay them" The bill was defeated.
Bonds were issued and commissioners
sent to New York to see to their
negotiation; arriving there they APP
preached Mr.. Wilson in whom they
hoped to find a friend. He tells them
that Mississippi bears a bad name In
the money markets of the country,
and that while it was impossible to
negotiate bonds secured by a tax upon
Mississippi land and personally, he
would provide money and take
up the bonds provided they
give him their promise to use
their influence before the next
legislature to accomplish what the
preceding one had positively refused
viz, the levy Of a cotton tax for the
payment of these bonds, a thing which
Mr.. Wilson had positive notice be could
not expect, and which our commits
sioners had no right to promise. We
have never been able to see
but one difference as far as the security
is concerned between a tax upon
Mississippi land and a tax upon Mis-
sissippi cotton, and that lies In the
fact that Mr.. Wilson's company own
about a million acres Of land depend
ent upon and subject to special taxa
ton for these very levees. But the
commissioners being delayed and fear
ing that they would fail utterly in
their mission, promise and get the
funds. Are the people, then, subject
to reproach, Mr.. Editor, when at theil
first opportunity they say to Mr.
Wilson: mo, sir, we win not levy thii
tax. Our commissioners had no RICH
to bind US to this thing, and more thai
that, you were duly notified thai W
would not submit to it. You are at
tempting to shirk your share Of tn
burthen and ~perpetrate a fraud upoI
us beside" I think they ara right
But let us see If there be any othe
good reason why they refuse to submit
to a cotton tax. l have called it odioui
and have said that the experience Of
my district condemns 1t. Let US see
1t is a tax upon labor, a tax upon tn
poor, while the rich go free. 1t is
very burdensome tax, becoming light
er and lighter as we look upward
il the scale Of wealth. This year bu'
a small tax is required as compares
with the demand Of former years, ye
even now it reaches the enormous mag
nitude of sixteen per cent. on the Ia
borers' net earnings. l was in you
county a week. ago. Continually
heard complaints about the politics
corruption and the uncomfortable burth
en- Of taxation. / inquired how mucI
they paid, and when they told me sew
enteen mills, / had to laugh.
Let me illustrate: A gentleman a
this point leased a plantation last yeaI
Protected from water he would un
doubtedly have made a bale to every
acre planted. But the levees brokI
and he was o~verfowed. On over tw'
hundred acres of land planted he mad
nInety-one bales Of cotton. ThiI
scarcely paid expenses, and he wa
fully aware that this would be the re
suit, and only planted in the hope Of
reducing what, on the goth Of May
when the water began to leave him, h
realized to be a calamity. Yet tax O.
one hundred and thirty d ddollarsw wa
levied and collected from this man
His merchant, who received the bench
Of his labor, paidfiye mills ad valorum
and his landlord but a very little wher
compared with this sum. Is not this
wrong? 1t certainly looks that way
to me. It is Objectionable fol
other reasons. The machinery fol
its collection is cumbersome,
exre siye, and at last impracticable