Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-01-07
To the Editor of the Dispatch

. tfO I~06Of W tfS f'"INeN'as
The coupon question, like the ghost
of Banquo, will not down, under the
present laws of the State. The Federal
courts, ignoring the eleventh amend
ment to the Constitution Of the United
States, will continue to render tleirp per-
picking and humiliating decisions and
DEGREES against the State. As long as
coupons can reach the taxes Of the
State, a portion of the citizens and tax
payers will force their reception upon
the collecting officers.
The coupon litigation has not only
been adverse to the State, but quite
expensive. 1t will not do to continue
this litigation and the great question
Of the hour is how to eliminate the
coupon from the judicial forum. I'm
less so eliminated the litigation will 60
on, and 60 on to the discontinue and
degradation oft State. The settlement
proposed by the Riddleberger bill, which
has been accepted by the Democratic
party as finality, never can lie made
such until the coupon is eliminated
from the jurisdiction Of the courts;
and this cannot be done without re-
modelling our tax bill and changing, to
a large extent, the channel through
which the revenue needed for State ex-
penses are to reach their proper desti-
nation. You have earnestly appealed to
taxpayers not to use coupons; and in the
country, to a large extent, your appeal
has been needed. Had all taxpayers
SO acted, the coupons could have mo
longer a day in court" The many
have periodically paid their money
the few have insisted upon forcing their
coupons. This should not be permitted
If the Legislature has the porer to pre-
vent it. Senator Mccormick is trying
to prevent this by making taxes col
lectable monthly. So far as l am
personally concerned, | hive no
objection to the Senator's bill.
| would be willing to collect
monthly or quarterly. | am sure, how
ever, such bill, if enacted into law,
,cOuld be exceedingly unpopular and
might endanger the success Of our party
in the State. think it would be I'M
wisc to adopt method which would
send the far-gatherer erery month to the
houses Of the people, and if the law
were not strictly enforced, and col
lections made monthly or quarterly, the
accumulation Of the taxes due and un-
paid would let in the coupon.
Your object, in your appeal not TO
use coupons, and Senator McCormick's,
by his bill, is the same, and the one |
have in view-to wit, the withdrawing
of the coupons from the courts. The
plan | propose is that the Legislature
shall reform the tax-bill and reduce
State taxation (strictly so called to ten
or twelve cents on the 800. This
rate of taxation, with the money
derived from the license-tax and tax
on process, notarial and county-court
seals, will give the State enough money
to pay her executive, legislative, and
judicial officers, the interest to her col
lcges, and the interest on the Riddle
berger bonds. The money needed for
schools, the eleemosynary institutions,
and the criminal expenses Of the State
can be collected in the several counties
under levy made by the Board Of Su.
pervisors-the levy to be made in ac-
cordancc with an estimate to be made
out by the Auditor Of Public Accounts,
and furnished 10 due time to the Board
Of Supervisors of each county. This
levy should by made ut the same time
the county levy is now made, and il not
so made . mandamus should issue
sgairst the Board to compel the levy.
But there would be no need for such
process. Our present tax ia 40 cents.
No one can or will object il 10 cents Is
msde payable directly to the State and
80 cents 10 the county authorities under
the leyyo the Boardof Supervisors.
The Auditor could very easily In his
estimate state how much Of the thirty
cents was required for each object
above named. " coune the bill re.