The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1889-01-24

1Ouf years, because she Is SdllSlitu lI1dt
the attempt to enrich the few by the
oppression Of the many, under the
specious pretence of affording protec-
ton to American labor, will be fully
understood by the masses of the peo-
pie before the expiration of another
four years, and when the Democratic
party resumes the control of this gov
ernment it wishes to find the people
as little Impoverished as possible, for
it will come to stay until 1t has per-
formed its great work of extirpating
those alliances which have for their
object the accumulation of immense
private fortunes at the expense of the
suffering people.
1t is at least a matter of Congratu-
lation that the Republican party now
has it in its power to repeal the lniq-
utous internal revenue system which
1t originated. 1t is an excise tax, and
now that the war is over, should be
repealed without delay. There is no
reason in the assertion that the gov
ernment, in times of peace, has the
power of levying a direct tax upon
the product of farmer on one side Of
the road, because it happens to be to-
bacco or an orchard and not the
power to tax the corn, or wheat of the
same farmer on the other side of the
road.
The fact IS, any internal revenue
law in time of peace, is violation Of
the spirit of the Constitution Of the
United States which only intended
that such power should be exercised
as war measure when the country
was deprived of its resources from i'm
ports, and if the Republican party,
when it gets the full control of the
government of the United States, Pres
ldent, Senate and House of Kepresen-
tatives shall fail to redeem the pledges
of its leaders by repeating these laws,
it will not require the gift of prophecy
to foresee the rebuke it will receive at
the hands of its disappointed consti
tuenCy.
STATE TAXATION.
In regard to State affairs we have
great cause for thanktulness, on ac-
count of the good results which have
attended the wise and patriotic ad-
of my three distinguished
predecessors, Cows. Scales, Jarvis ana
Vance. From 1868 to the present
time the assessed property of the State
has increased from Se8,ooo,o 900 to
s2I7,ooo, 900 and since 1868, when
our State tax, under Republican rule,
was eighty cents on the hundred dol
lars worth of property, it has been re-
duced until now it is only twenty
cents on the hundred dollars worth of
property, and yet we have erected
more public buildings than at any
previous period of our history.
POPULATION.
Our population seems to be increas-
ing gradually, but surely. Taking the
liuillUSi VI HOtCo CdSt lol oCfSldl Sdll-
didates for Governor from 1868 to
1888, it will appear that the increase
has been during the twenty years 72
per cent, tor in 1868 the vote was
100000, whilst in 1888, it was 2S5, 900.
IMMIGRATION.
This increase, it ought to crafty us
at ascertaining, is due not to any ap-
preciable extent to immigration, but to
the natural increase of our population,
and when we consider the advantages
of sol, location and temperature pos
sessed by our State we may reasonably
hope that the day is not distant when
worthy, industrious emigrants will
find it to their interest to come to this
the most favored Of all the sisters of
the Union.
But in order to attract desirable en-
igrants, we must improve our State
and give to 1t such a government as
will induce the better class of those
who desire new ground to cast their
lots with us.
THE STATE GUARD.
Now to establish and perpetuate
good government we must have ade-
Quate means at our command to cause
the laws to be respected and obeyed,
and with this view it is in my cstima-
ton the duty OF the Legislature to rem
der more effective the State Guard.
This can be done.
1st. BY increasing the number of
the companies to thirty or even more.
and. By providing a permanent en-
campment. In this connection the
following letter to Hon. Alfred Row
land from acting Secretary of War
Macfeely is called to your attention:
WAR DEPARTMENT, }
WASHINGTON CITY, Sept. 10, 'S8.
Hon. ALFRED ROWLAND, HOUSE or
REPRESENTATIVES.
Sir SU:-AcknowledgIng receipt o.
your communication of the 18th ult.
enclosing an inquiry from Colonel "
c. Jones, Commanding Second Regi
ment, North Carolina State Guards
Wilmington, \. c., as to whether {
Sea Coast battery can be obtained
under The act of May 10, 1882, r:
Stats. page osl l have the honor tt
inform You that under the act cited, :
Coo r,oc. p,..ar,, ~,o ba ;c-,,aI n,