The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1886-12-30
Abeolute Idiocy,
MR.. JOHN WISE THROWS BoMB.
RICHMOND. VA, Decemb

RICHMOND. VA, December 90, 1885,
TO the Editor of The Dispatch.
Permit me to inquire. as a tax payer and cit
izen, what. short or absolute idiocy. can
ecutive department of the state government to
the tax collecting officers. forblddng them
as are offered to them in payment OF taxes
No advantage is gained over the tn xpayer by
snch refusal. for the supreme court. in the
Poindexter and Royal cases Ola U. f., p. 270,
ll6 u g., p. 572), has declared the act of tender
without delivery Of possession complete pay
ment. No disadvantage can accrue to the
stale by taking the coupon into the possession
of the tax gatherer, because form OF receipt
can be Weca w e ahe atso
Lbeg you and every citizen OF virginia who
loves his state and is interested in her sol
suit Of the failure to impound every coupon
that is rendered in payment of taxes. A man
days he would pay his taxes for 1886 with the
Identical coupons he used last year to pay the
taxes of 1885. and that he proposed to make
come.
This is the legitimate result of the instruction
of the auditor forbidding tax collectors to take
into their custody all coupons SO offered. am
informed that license can be obtained IN this
required e1 by law. How? Why, simply enough.
Certain parties have coupons and make reg
ular business OF rendering them They are put
the trade" The party desiring license pre-
tends to h package Of these he
goes WIN tIl6Isi III lilo tdACdlttClOFs dpptICa III
license. tenders the eoupons they are refused
the taxcollector not only declines them. but
takes Of f Che aa
payer returns with the applicant to his place
OF business. receives back from him the cou-
pons, prepares an affidavit of the facts OF appil-
Geftffcatenhf noreRp Eefilsgle and gives him q
to business. and the state officers dare not mo-
lest him. owing TO the decisions IN me FG an
where are the coupons that were ten I,oI
Are they retired? No. They are alive and
nss a ass shs nss ass
refused. II the coupons thus rendered had
been taken into the custody Of the tax gath
erers we would at least have the satisiactlo p,
OF knowing that our public debt was reduced 70
this extent. even If the treasury was depleteu
of cash. But as matters stand it Is twice as
bad as that. Neither has the tax been paid nor
is the public debt reduced. for while by opera.
ton of law the tax is cancelled, the coupon tnaI
was used to cancel ~ ~ SUI n av be uasd to
cancel hundred or thousand tlmes its
amount and st pessnsa tof pay bavs bee ee
used. and none others. to make tender OF the
whole $50, 600 Of taxes. ! understand that men
5 Sa city h un ssy ass psoea s.
handling; that they have paid them many times
their cost by this process, bringing forth some
| hundred fold, some sixty.fold, some thirty
| fold !" aud that they are still vital and efica-
| cious for tender, under the terrible folly which
refuses even to look at Thorn when rendered:
| Exactly the same process may be. and doubt
less is, rosorted to touching the tax on real and
The bankruptcy which must overwhelm the
state under such management Is inevitable
Not only must the reyanue fall short leslti y.
| same coupon will coma and come again to can
| eel taxes 40 that tax of $4,000 600 year might
be absolutely wiped out by very taw aPt ~
| pay either the expenses OF the government OF
/ the honest coupons. To refuse TO lmpound
every coupon rendered is not only q folly put
| a Grim against the state, her taxpayers, and
| the holders of her public debt.
lam a believer in the principle OF readluat-
ment, and forcble readiustineft was the only
practical reimbursement. believe the Hlu ;,1ae.
were right When sought their enactment
did not believe the supreme court OF the United
States would interfere with their operation ne
cause as understand the eleventh amend
ment to the constitution of the United States
and their rulings IN snead We. tennessee. yum.
nfngham vs. The state or Georgia. anu O.,s -
Jurisdiction in such cases would arise bul
the supreme count did find Jurisdiction Wniie
cination incomprehensible TO me, and was. as
think, totally irreeonclable with It's former a.
decisions. No power on earth can avoid tne
decision that o tender OF a genuine coupon ir
payment of taxes on property or for LICENSE II
valid and discharges the debt.
lation can be- tleVissd these taxpaye rs wht
tender coupons aye escaping taxation, Hut !,
the name Of all that IL sensihle, why iet ths
40 not advocate accepting coupons. d.
, say however, that 1t Is folly not TO PROVIDE 10
1mpounding every coup'n rendered. so tnat
| cannot, as now. be used to discharge taxe
twice, thrice, or a hundred times and yet b.
presented for payment. The policy now pnr
, sued Is suicidal. Under tive are In the whirl
, ing rapids of bankruptcy. few years OF sucl
folly will pile the debt mountain high. ap
well aware that am powerless for any actlY'
usefulness to my state. The community y
which live has so often shown radical dis
$. mt from every View have on political CUES s
tiOnS that have no hope or desire to be IN an
/ representative position In which might serv
it.. At the same time we all have an interes
in common In a question like this if1t Wef
| a mere exhibition of democratic stupidity
would enjoy it. although such exhibitions hay
lost their novelty, but to point out and protes
, | against this folly Is a duty owe to every ma
, whose property is taxed to pay this debt, and
merely utter my cry OF protest In no pc taat "
may select some one to correct it In who's
ability they have the confidence they hav
always denied me,
Yours truly, JOHN 3. WISE.