The southern sentinel. (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910, 1886-09-03

Ed. Sentinel In your issue uf Aug,
18th, appeared u communication from
Mr.. +. +. Shumaker, in opposition TO the
proposed mill tax. Mr.. Shuluaker
starts his communication By stating the
argument 0f the advocates of the tax, to-
Wit. That the accumulation of property
In The parish by building u railroad, will
produce lower rate OF taxation, etc.
Mr.. Shl,lliaker then proceeds To pronounce
| ttat argument '.fallacisus and delusive. :"
but we observe that nowhere in his COM
mnnication has he refnted that argument
amy siOrc than to say, .'that railroad
VIII bring many tramps, thieves. plug
ugiics. dramshOps. etc.. into the parish,
and then ventures the assertion, that in
his opinion the Police Jury will continue
to levy and find use for AL the tax per-
nntted IN the Constitution. There may
be sOlne argument in this, If Mr.. Shuna-
ker's elinions nre entitled to any weight,
bat We are not Inclined to accept Mr..
Shnmakers or any one else % opinion.
when the solid facts in tire case are di-
verse to those opinions. We are To Judge
the future by the past. and likewise the
condition Of this country after the build
ing Of Il railroad by the condition Of those
where railroads are already built, and we
see States growing rich and tramps do not
! crowd Out the people yet. Now To test
the strength of SIS opinion In such ul;,t-
tiers. and to see how that opinion Is borne
out by the facts in the ease, we ask ), to
point us 10 the State developed by rail-
re ads. or TO the parish IN this State,
where railroads are built, that pays us
hligii a rate Of Taxation rs we pay the
State, or rs high a rate IA we pay in the
parish. Until he does this. We opine
| that his ''opiBions" are rs .'fallaciot.s and
deiu>ivr," rs lie would have you believe
The arguments of the advocates of this
tax 10 l'e. We will so farther and say,
that 1t is beyond the power Of s. cr any
| Que else to Point Us to such state If
circumstances. Upon the contrary, take
iOok ut Mississippi. Georgia. Aiabama,
or amy If the oltler States devclOy,ed by
railroads. and the facts stare us IN the
face. they show ,Is a rite OF taxation from
2,s to mills. while here in La we pay
g, and take a look al any of the parishes
in this State outside of the oyerriowed
district, through which railroad runs.
and We say u ralc.of parish taxation va
rying from q to 3 mills aud here We nav
10. Verify SIS opinions must accord with
facts. il he expects sensible people to
then makes the assertion that, corn,
oats, flour, bacon, onions. etc., ean he
brought to us cheaper when the railroad
Is built than now. all of which the advo-
Gates claim. but then he proceeds again
venturing his ..opini0na that the railroad
will pat this saving into their pockets.
and the people would nat be benefited.
All we have to say in reply to this h, that
such commodities are CHEAPER on rail-
roads than here, amt We see no reason,
why an exreption should b. susad1 here.
The only other point. riiat needs to be
noticed ID this connection Is, that 5 says,
.The majority ought not tn vote away the
uoney Of the minority. and that persons
will become Of age, and pay taxes before
fbi railroad tax would all be paid, who
had m voice ta It's adoption Now the
absurtlily OF such nm argument as that,
can readily be seen when, we look back
over the history Vt this country, aud ask
ourselves the question, '.Eow many men
now living had any ys.ce In tic aG~ itien
Of the Constitution Of the United S.Atee:n
Aud again, how many men tax payera in
Wfnn parish, who had NO voice in the
adoption 0f the Constitution Of this State
in 1879: Shall We say that they shall not
obedient TO laws because they had no
voice in their adoption. Verify Nj. SIS
argument will carry tls there, If VIC fol-
iow his blind arguments.
We infer, .sat s, Is man Of too much
intelligence tn oppose the bnildfng of
railroads, and the only question which
separates MS Is, viii it pay to vote the taxi
We believe that's . temths Of the penple are
IN favor Of railroad. and also believe.
that their intelligence Will predominant
In the delibciation of this question. and
that they will not follow blindly the lead
of any man. The following inteiroga.o-
rles correctly answered. we believe would
settle this question. VIII II pay the pee
pie To have the advantages railroad
waali bring? Will 1t pay the people To
have a way of marketing their produce.
y hich they can not now dispose If, and
realize cash for same. that now gUes to
waste? viii it pay the poor man u, buy
s pounds of coffee for 81. where he now
onIy gets pounds: will il pay man
tu buy u barrel uf -four for &c where he
now pays IS. wih It pay tho people To
have cuterprises spring mp here that will
furnish csnplaytncnt "a hundreds OF poor
men NJ yootl wages, where they now cant
get ~ tsents per uay? In WOru VIII u
pay to have our idle and dormant re-
sources: developed, our Idle soil. now in
lis virgin state. to yield forth her fruit
for the sistenance Of man? The man who
would hlinslly shy NO. to these hserroga-
tories uughtto he sent To the Insane Asy-
lum, before this question i ever submit
I'd.
New, any man With reason will admit.
that these things would pay. but some.
say that the road will be built anyway.
s-s' : :. no use voting this tax. 70 NIL
whom W -".- ior't be too sure of II.
sst your eyes over ne onachita valley
=. s. Lat 500. COO given hy the
city of Natchex ..a for it. ca To any
c.,nntrv YOU please. or any place you
please and you will invariably find that
those people who are willing is give In
ducrnents are always the favored ONES.
Other PLACES are wanting this raad. anil
offering Inducements, we should think
we'll befoi,. we eome to this c0nclnsIon.
Verify the road does not have to come
through winn parish. and cur inas'tion
In fhts n,s ffer may Iecr, srS a1it Of n rnatI