Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-05-04
Why Not Pay?

Our Baltimore broker-friends in theil
circular Of last week ask the following
question, which may mislead some
persons If not answered. They ask:
"If only a small portion of the tax
can be settled by coupons, why in the
name Of "truth and justice, religion
and piety," Governor Lees proclama-
tion,) doesn't the State accept without a
murmur these few trifing mementoes
Of her perfidy (which are virtually ad-
mitted to be insignificant in amount)
and say no more about them?"
1t would be sufficient reply to the
above interrogatory to say that If the
Legislature were to lift its restraining
hand and allow corporations, and mer-
chants and other licensed classes, to
pay their taxes in coupons, the States
revenue would be reduced by nearly q
million Of dollars annually.
Other than those whose pockets the
Legislature can reach without touching
other persons purses, the people who
can pay their taxes in coupons arc few
In number. There are fewer than fifty
thousand coupons maturing annually.
Most merchants and corporations re-
cognize the fact that it is to their inter-
est to pay their taxes in money. If
they should all agree to pay their taxes
IN coupons this year and thus use all
the coupons maturing annually, the
Legislature wouldcompel them next year
to pay double taxes for licenses. There
would be no other resort,--since
II would be manifestly unjust to levy
IN additional tax upon the people who
couldn't use coupons, to make up for
. deficit in the Treasury occasioned by
persons who had used coupons. There
are about three hundred thousand small
taxpayers who couldn't get coupons to
use IL they would, and who therefore
could not be expected to allow the
Legislature to put an additional tax
upon them because the licensed classes
had refused to pay taxes in money.
Our Baltimore broker-friends seem
to DO determined not to open their eyes
70 the fact that the people Of Virginia
decided In 1879 and again in 1881 and
1882 that they would not pay the State
debt - hxed by either the funding bill
Of 1871, or the McCULLocH bill Of
1879. To redeem the coupons--thst
Is, to use them in paying taxes-is to
pay to that extent . debt which the
voters have again and again decided
that they would not pay. What is
the use Of arguing against facts?
Why undertake the absolutely hope
less task Of trying to induce
tho same voters to pay . debt
which they sre determined not to
pay-thsir determination being based
first upon the assumption, which is .
fact 50 fer - they are concerned, that
The funding bill Of 1871 WAS passed by
maud, and, secondly, upon the fact
that the Supreme Court Of the United
States usurped Jurisdiction in deciding
that they owed the debt. They quote
four out Of the nine Justices OF the
Supreme Court Of the United States to
sustain this latter contention.
TIE following article ws take from
~ Fredericksburg Star. II was writ
len By . distinguished Virginia states. |
paa--ens who employed bis great
sjent for years IN trying 70 induce the
'sop's d virsiais 70 stand up 10 their
ia bssgnin Of 1871. We quote
re ~ nee; !!se e y S:s,:T asS a. ms =
I1IIi \ tooDGoo ~ rormeob - tnxco ~