The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1890-05-22
A Forum of Public Opinion.
Continued from first Page. !
point tina: we find the following
in Article V, section Z Of :he
1t reads:

in Article V, section Z Of :he
Constitution. 1t reads:
"Every Act of the General Assem-
bly, levying a tax shall state the spe.
cidl object to which it is to be appli.
ed, and it shall be applied TO no 9th
az purpose"
This section is quoted to chow
how careful the Constitution
was, not to allow even spe Cha
taxes to be levied by any OTHER
lower save the General Assem-
bly,. Even when the J e0ple
vote 10 tax themselves az they
sometimes do to build railroads,
&c, then the General Assembly
must first pass the bill to allow
them to do so.
Mr.Editor, the Advance has fall
len into an error which may mis-
lead the people by making them
believe that a Railroad Commits
sion could tax the Railroads or
even have anything 10 do with
taxing them. So careful is the
Constitution on the taxing pow
er that it says: The Revenue
bill-(that is the bill to tax -
must originate in the House of
! Commons. The Senate canno
even originate a Revenue bill.
The only exception to the rule
that the Legislature alone can
tax is in the Case where the
Constitution allows tie County
Commissioners to levy tax for
Certain county expenses, and this
is only because the counties are
a part of the State Government.
In one sense of the word each
county is like q little Sta te, and
requires Il certain amount of
honey to run its county govern
ment, bu. even in the case OF
County Comm issioner they are
restricted by the Constitution.
The article taken from The
Advance says "the yestigating
committee" forced two railroads
to pay ia Xes. Let me call your
attention to the latter part of
the act of the Legislature ap-
pointing that committee. 1t
says:
"The committee shall report the
testimony taken by them and shall
report such legislation or Orther pro-
ceedings as in their opinion may be
requisite to compel said companies
to pay their lawful taxes; and shall
have power, and is hereby instructed
to sit after the adjournment Of this
session Of the General Assembly and
make report by bill or otherwise to
the next General Assembly,"
Thus you see the only pow er
conferred upon the committee
is to "report by bill Or otherwise
to the next General Assembly,"
Why Because no other power
could tax but the General AS
sembly. | believe that every
corr Grafton in the State ought
to pay taxes; but it is idle to
talk about q Railroad Commits
son having anything to do with
the matter. No power on earth
save the Legislature can contro,
this matter Of taxation. And
there are some railroads in the
State which even the Legisla-
tuTe cannot tax because their
charters exempt them from tax
alton. Among this number is
the Wilmington and Weldon.
Although they are exempt, yet
Cut of their own free will they
come forward and say they are
willing to pay taxes to the State
IL is wrong to say that they
We're forced to do So" when
it is all error so to state.
The Supreme Court of the
United States has decided that
the State cannot tax the Will
mington and Weldon road. Any
one who cares to read this
decision can find it in 18th
Wallace's United States Supreme
| Court Reports, page 56S.
But while they are perfectly
! rejected by this decision. yet
of their own free will and &C
cord they come ward and say
they are willing to be taxed. 1t
the question is asked why they
do this l can ouly answer in
their own language, when they
say"lf any uprising were IT, take
place and their property were
threatened, they would call up
n the State for protection, as i'm
many sections in this day of
strikes, &C., much valuable pro
perty is ofren laid waste. If
then they claim the States pre-
lection, it is bur right they
should share the burden along
with all other people who desire
protection" When people de-
sire to be generous it is VIZ ,ng
to impnte other motives to them.
There il one strange fact in con-
nection with this question of
railroad taxation to many peo-
pie, and it is this, that those
who oppose Railroad Commits
sion have been foremost in say
ing that all railroads ought to
pay taxes, and have even voted
for ills in the Legislature look
ing to the taxation of all corpo-
ratiOns not only Railroads bur