Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-12-03
seItioquy OF a TaS.Psyer.

lstaunton specistor.l
Tho time for the payment Of the state
taxes has arrived, and II i my dntl 70 lsy
them. for the amount OF nv lax y ihe pro-
norton | am under obligation 10 pay 10
helm 10 make up the sum Of near three NH
lion dollars necessary for the support OF the
government which protects my properly,
nv life. and my liberties; educaies nv
children. and provides for the insane. the
crIpples. the deaf and dumb and the blind.
and Tor the helpless and destitute. Shall
nav with coupons or with money! ~
nav with coupons I can save about one
half 81 the amount of my taxes. Wonid u
pe right for me 10 do soy Nv taxes repre-
sent the amount In money Of my proper
ton Of the suas necessary for the support
OF the government; and u pay win cou-
pons the government will not receive AGENT
OF nv money, for one hall Of u viii keep,
and the Other hall will go into the pockets
az the bondbolders aud the sharks nov
speculating In coupons, and my duty 10
nav nv taxes for the support oil the gov
crnment will not have been performed, DIt
will have been eyaded. If ] pay IN eou-
pons I do not pay anything towards tue
support Of the government; but, on the
contrary, withhold from the government
what Justly owe it-one bslf OF winch
keen myself, and the other half give to the
speculatOr in coupons.
N pay In coupons ] violate the law of
the State aud the pledges which both po-
htical parties In this state have soiemnlv
made in their afiirmsnce OF fidelity 10 the
Riddleberger bill ~ finai settlement oil
the yexed debt question. II II be right for
me 10 nav Ia coupons. II IL right for all
other tax. payers 10 do likewise; but " they
should do 40 then there would be no money
In the Treasury for the support OF the GOV
ernment-notbng but coupons, winch,
though a. numerous a. tue "autumnal
leaves In NallambrOsa's vale" would be rs
worthless az those leaves for the support OF
the government, aud there could he no
government; but there would be instead
bankruptcy. rum, and chaos, and hence Vt
could not be right for all, or even consid-
cradle proportion, TO pay In coupons; but II
Il be riR ut for me 30 do so II i equally right
for all others; and as the dirrful result OF
such action shows that II would not be right
for them to do so, II follows, necessarily.
that Il would not be right for me. SOME
not many --resolye to pay with coupons,
and these aud the coupon'spcculators argue
that should do so likewlse--the former
because they want Others To share the
obioquy with them. upon the principle
OF the fox In the fable that had his
:. AUDI, r,rraiive" curtalled, and the
latter, because they want 10 mate their
commissions on the sales Of the coupons
hui they do not present II In that way. but
saw they are only looking 90 my Interest,
and that should moi pay In money whilst
oihtrs-and they greatly magnify the mum.
beis-pay in coupons. But that argument
siIikcs me ~ one that proves too much,
and, therefore, Is no argument At all; for u
II be- right for me 20 do wrong because
others do so. then 1t would be right Tor M
10 cheat, 20 lie, TO steal, 10 murder, because
some others do -. That Is the chief argu-
ment OF the coupon. payers and specula-
tors, and yet il is worthless.
II il were neither legally nor morally
wrong, would il be polite TO pay IN cou-
ponss What would be gained by first
Withholding from the government the
funds IL needs. making it bankrupt, stop
ping the schools, closing public institn-
lions, &c., and then imposing sufficient ad'
diuonal taxes to raise the money necessary
TO set them up and a2oing agaln, or else
leave the government in ruin and society
in chaos: do not see that or any other
citizen could he benefited by such apolcy
| rs that. II would be like saving dollar
| TO-DAY and losing tHO Tomorrow. That
does not look like good iinlncie1ng 10 me.
| II seems clear TO me, after looking at the
question from all sides, that it is neither
| legally nor morally right, and neither pro
fitable nor polite to pay IN coupons; but
| that it is both legally and morally right. a
well as polite and eXDedient, to pay It II
/ money, and that is the conclusion to which
| have arrived, and will certainly pay il
money. II has struck me a. very remarka
| bic that those who belong TO the party tina
| originated, advocated, and adopted thu
! Riddlebtrger bill as the only true ant
proper settlement Of the State debt, ant
condemned in the most emphatic terms tn
payment of taxes in cOupOns-"the cut
| worms Of the treasury should now b
the very persons who are trying to persuad
the taxpayers TO pay in coupons. haf
| wondered much ut this. and have pondere
il well, and have concluded. a j have bee
unable to conceive any other reason Tor u
that their motive must be TO embarrass tn
State government as. much as possible, I
cripple, il not destroy, the public school,
to make confusion worse contounded,
and then TO say: "See what the Demo
crats have brought the State to "-hopln
thereby to get themselves into oihce, an
not caring a farthing for the fate OF u
state and its institutions. IL has this al
pearance, and that the more conNinces II
that It is my duty, and that OF every oth'
tay.payer. TO pay in money, as ! will mo
certainly do, for | know that in so doing
cannot fail to do right, for will be payir
into the Treasury OF the State the amour
/ owe. aud will be faithfully dischargr
nv whole obligation; whereas ii shou
nav in coupons | would pay nothing in
the Troasury--would not relieve myself
the oblieatIon-but would put my mon'
into the pocket Of the bondhoIdcr and co
non. speCulatOr.