The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1889-02-01
Especial Ger. STATE CHEoSICLEl


Especial Ger. STATE CHEoNICI.E.l
RALEIGH, n. G.. Jan 24.-There has not
been time since the close OF the war
when the tax payers of North Carolina
We're more SOrey pressed to exc out
living than at present. Trusts, syidicates,
combines and a high protective tariff on
one side, while debt and accumulated in
terest stare them in the face on the other.
The condition Of the agricultural and la
boring people of North Carolina is far
worse to-day than it was ten years ago.
They have curtailed expenses as far as
they can. The condition Of the slave in
1860 was far better than that o. many
farmers aud labOrers of to-day The cause
is not to be traced to one thing alone; the
causes are numerous, and are all remOva-
bic If proper methods are adopted in time.
For years they have looked % The legisla-
tive halls for at least some relief, but alas,
their condition receives no notice from the
politicians
Two years ago the people uttered a voice
of warning at the polls, and it came very
near losing our State to our PARTY. Last
November they rallied again, hoping that
a former chastisement would have the
effect of warning our lawmakers against
extravaganza, and the result is an over
whelmlng majority of our party IN both
houses. Larger and seemingly unueces-
sary appropriations are recommended by
the retiring Governor He appears 10 have
utterly forgotten or Is to'ally ignorant OF
the condition Of his people. The direct
axes for State purposes appear TO be AS
large as can we'll be borne, when We con
slider the low price Of labor and farm pro
ducts; but the increase j. still greater
when we notice the fact that the county
f~T TO ir111 he
STATE taX Then if We add the indirect
taxes the masses are called upon 10 pay,
it is simply enormous now.
We should not forget the class who pay
the tax TO support the various charitable,
PEI al and educational Institutions. The
money in Nortn Carolina pays compara-
lively little of he tax. By some means or
other it is eXen pied in one way or another.
The land the horse, the mule, the COW,
The poor sheep, goat, pig and poll have
the burdens 10 bear. Now to support l.,
800 convicts and 100 guards, overseers
and matrons, bosses and assistant bosses,
calls for 500 900 per aunum; LOCO in
sane, 500 deaf, dumb and blind, 4, 600 pau
pers call for still more than that. If any
sane man viii take the amount Of State
tax and add to it the amount of county
taxes he VII find it to be nearly four times
the state caX Let him then ascertain
what per cent Of the assessed value of the
entire property it is, and he will be sur
prsed s.e might be more surprised to
learn that most Of the land in North Car-
DINA to lay would not sell for cash at
auction tor what it IS assessed at. J great
deal of he land III Eorth Carolina pays
double lax. that is to say, it is cucumber
| ed by mortgages, IN viii case both land
| and IDortga yes pay a tax. This accounts
| in a great measure for the apparent IN
crease III property in North Carolina since
| 1868. when mortgages were comparatively
| few. Land will not sell to-day in Wake
| county for what it would in 1870. A great
] deal of real estate in North Carolina would
not sell now for more than two-thirds
what it sold for in 1S10-11 and '72. Nor
! is this state of affairs confined to North
! Carolina alone: the Western and North
] western States are. If anything, in a worse
condition than orr own.
The mortgages on the lands in Kansas
are said to reach S235 900 600, on an as
sessed value of $275, 800 600, which. at s
per cent interest reaches the nice little
surl of S1S, SOC, 900 per annnm, or 81 0O0,
I 600 more than the annual wheat crop of
the State is worth And in Illinois it is
/ stii! worse, the assessed value of that State
! is 1897 000, 900, covered with 81, 600, 000,
! 600 of mort cages. If we could only get
the amount Of real estate mortgages n
North Carolina we would be surprised at
how we live at all; considering the fact
hat Kansas has in circulation $40 "a per
capita anck Illinois $50 "a, while North
Carolina ekes out bare living on 50 93
per capita. The taxes alone in North
Carolina arc more Oh each lndlEIdual VINO
lists - 90 IL property than the per capita
money circulation amounts to (S3 93).
The very grave question which pres nts it
self To every Representative man i this:
Can the Democratic Legislature Of North
Carolina afford to jeOpardizr itself by in
creasiug the burdens of h~r people.
ID. Z. hEACHAM