Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-05-16
ARemarkahle Circular.


We have had returned to us from the
country another copy Of the circular
To the Taxpayers and License-rsx
PAYERS of Virginia, which has been SO
generously scattered over the State by
"The Council Of Foreign Bond
holders of London, England" Judg-
ing from present appearances we
shall soon have enough Of these
circulars TO paper small-sized
room. The magnanimous Council
Of Foreign Bondbolders, Of London,
England" seem to have acted upon the
principle Of the inventor of the patent
tick.exterminator, who claimed that no
family In the country could afford to
do without his compound, for the rea-
son that If any family happened not to
be afflicted with ticks it was the plain
duty of some member Of it to 90
chinquapin-hunting and accumulate
stock for his benefit. The circular of
" The Council of Foreign Bondbolders
of London, England" is a curiosity.
Considering that it assumes to be
guide TO taxpayers gotten up in that
unselflsh spirit which has always char
acterized the foreign bondholders, it is
as remarkable for what it does not con-
tain as for what it does contain. Asa
specimen Of benevolent coupon lite
nature il is very incomplete. 1t gives
no information about the protests
against the payment Of taxes in cou-
pons which have been made by mass
meetings Of country people all over
the State. 1t says nothing concerning
the anti-coupon resolutions adopted by
business organizations in some Of our
cities and towns. 1t utters not word
Of warning to the dear taxpayers that
the majority of the suits to compel
the reception Of coupons in pay
ment Of taxes are likely to cost the
plaintiffs more than they will come to.
II fails to tell the I" license-tax payers
that to force coupons into the Treasury
IL to pile up trouble for that class in
future. At all these points it appears
to have stopped like the little boy who
fell down in the race--very "suddent."
However, these omissions are not the
most noticeable features Of the circular.
We quote a most extraordinary para
graph-s paragraph which hasa decided
psy Geological and Concordian flavor. 1t
is as follows
"E. G. Jones, travelling salesman,
rendered coupons for his license, which
were refused. BE then went on with
his business without q license. The
Auditor, Second Auditor, Treasurer,
Secretary Of the Commonwealth, At
torney General, and Assistant Treasu-
rer Of the city Of Richmond caused him
to be arrested for selling goods without
Q license. The prosecution Of Jones
WAS promptly dismissed by the Hust-
ines Court Of the city Of Richmond,
and Jones at once sued all the parties
implicated in his arrest for 100000
damages for an unlawful and malicious
arrest. His case will be tried in May
or June, and he riU be gicen large
damages.
The italics are ours. The paragraph
suggests three questions;
Do the Council of Foreign Bondho'd-
ers Of London, England, claim to know
the unknowabls
Have they been advised as to what
the instructions of the judge will be in
the cases
Do they mean to say that they
are the keepers Of the consciences Of
:" the men who will be sworn to try the
issue
In ell seriousness We say that they
must answer one Of these questions in
the Affirmative, or the assurance con-
tanned in the words we have italicized
is b,utnm fsimen. They are at liberty
to choose which one they will answer,
but what will the public think what
ever may be their choicss If they
chose the first they viii render them
: selves ridiculous and will not DO be-
lieved. If they chose either Of the
other two--well, touching that point
comment is unnecessary.