Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-05-14
INTERESTING FIGURES.
Leusr from the secretary or the Common
wealth.


Court Of the United States, by which
the most daring blow has been dealt at
the rights Of the States which they have
ever received at the hands ofany tribunal,
either State OF Federal, has placed the
people Of Virginia in position which
demands that they should resist the en-
iorcement Of that decision by every
means within their power as law-abiding
citizens.
No man who exercises the rights Of
citizenship and feels an interest in the
prosperity and good government Of the
State ought to lend himself in any way
TO the enforcement of that decision.
The doctrine is admitted by the court
that the State cannot be sued; and
upon the heels of IT the doctrine is laid
down as the law that her officers may
be subjected to the punitive judgment
Of Federal court for obeying the law
Of that State. That is to say, vir-
GINA is informed that she may elect
officers to administer her laws, and they
must look to her alone for compensa-
ton for their services, but if they dare
to enforce her statutes as she directs
they shall be subjected to such pains
and penalties as a Federal judge may
choose to inhict. How are the people
to protect themselves from the enforce
ment Of this doctrine BY open re-
sistance to the DEGREES Of the Supreme
Court of the United States? OF course
not. Then how? By refusing to be-
come the agents of those people at
whose bidding the decision was rem
dered.
The number Of taxpayers in the
Commonwealth is about 100000. The
number Of tax-receivable coupons which
mature annually is 80. 253. the value of
which is say s998,660. Thus it ap-
pears that if all the taxpayers in the
State desired to use coupons in pay
ment Of taxes, only 39,253 out of 3O0,-
600 could use them, thereby leaving
2G0,74 people tout in the cold"
OF the 1928 coupons above men,
tios ed 23,G05 are $50 coupons, making
s70S,l 1860 are sl5 coupons,
making 1868, 400; l,340 are 1850 cou.
pons, making sl0,050; Ass are So
coupons, making 1854; 1864 are
$3.50 coupons, making 1896.
Now let us see who Of the taxpayers
of Virginia can use these coupons in the
payment of taxes.
The rate of taxation is forty cents on
the 800. The taxpayer, to be able
to use the sl.50 coupon, must have
property the assessed value of which.
in round numbers, must be 800; to
use a g coupon, the assessed value of
the property must be $500; to use
$3.50 coupon, the assessed value must
be $4,000; to use a sl5 coupon. the
assessed value must be $4,000; to use
$50 coupon the assessed value must
be $4,000. Therefore, it appears that
of the 80, 253 taxpayers who can by any
possibility use these coupons in the pay
ment Of taxes, 23,605 must use the
$50 coupon, if it is used at all, and
each one Of that number must have pro-
perty, the assessed value of which must
be at least $4,000. There then remain
IL, $50 Of 80, 2j3 taxpayers who can use
the al5 coupon, and each one of these
must have property, the assessed value
of which must be at least $4,000. thus
leaving only 5000 of the 100000 tax
payers Of the Commonwealth who can,
by any possibility, use the $3.50, SO.
and $3.50 coupons; 1910 of whom
must use the $3.50 coupon, 4,l88 of
whom must use the 50 coupon, and
1904 Of whom must use the $3.50
coupon. The number of taxpayers in
the State who pay over $50 taxes is
3,l30, LAS Of whom reside in the
cities and towns and 1855 reside in
the rural districts. There are 945 who
pay over 900 taxes, $50 of whom
reside in the cities and towns and $50
in the rural districts. There are 2G2
who pay over 5000 taxes, l7S of whom
reside in the cities and towns and 81 in
the rural districts. There are lbs who
pay over $500 taxes, 90 of whom reside
in the cities and towns and 80 in the
rural districts. There are 70 who pay
over s400 taxes, 50 of whom reside in
the cities and towns and 10 in the rural
There are SO who pay over
$500 taxes, SO Of whom reside in the |
cities and towns and 16 in the rural |
districts.
BY inspection Of the foregoing Stats
lies, which are taken from the official
records of the State, it will be seen that
our fifths Of the taxpayers of the State
'ould not use coupons in payment of
heir taxes if they would. The cou-
IONS can only be used by the large pro-
,erty-hOlders, more than half Of whom
eside in the cities and towns. They
re urged by the brokers and agents of
he bOndholders to use them, and every
onceiyable inducement is offered to
Jet them to do it, the only object being
o empty the public treasury and so
isturb the Government Of the State as
o force the people to a compliance
With their demands. If the bait is
AIKEN and the equalization of taxation
estroyed in favor of the wealthy and
n detriment of the rights of the poor
eople, will they not have just cause
Or complaint?
Therefore the appeal is to the large
roperty-holders to protect the State
rom the efforts of the bondholder to
mpty her treasury, to assault her SOW
reignty, to take the administration of
er affairs out of the hands Of her peo-
lie and place them under the control Of
he Federal courts, thereby destroying
be autonomy Of the State and humili-
ting her people in a way more bitter
} be borne than any other that can be
Onceived. III. W. FLoURNoY.
A Findlay (Ohio) special says A
rivate telegram from Fremont, north
a. -