The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1894-07-31

constitutional history.
IF had never been uttered by divine
inspiration, yet we might know from
common experience that the love of
money is the root of all evil. The fin
ancial dealings of government as of a
man is the best test of character. In
order, therefore, to give the quickest
as well as the most accurate view OF
the character of our government, L
shall consider it's conduct upon a few
financial question that have arisen be.
tween it and the States. Let us keep
in mind all the while that they are the
only parties to that famous compact
known as the Constitution of the
United States 1t must be considered
in the hight of their surroundings at
that time and construed as strictly as
any other contract or treaty between
free and equal and independent SOW
ereignties. The objects to be gained
were as against foreign enemies, and
reader means of setting differences
among themselves.
Before Washington was dead and
while indeed he was yet President, a
serious question arose between the
Union and the States. Congress had
levied a crushing tax IN whiskey, 1t
fell heaviest where the whiskey was
then in greatest abundance in Pennsyl-
vania. The people were outraged.
Even North Carolina, and several other
States passed resolutions denouncing
the measure as Infamous" and ''un-
constitutional" The people of Penn
sylvania plead that the tax was neither
uniform nor properly apportioned, and
therefore unconstitutional. The Su.
preme Court decided against the States;
and Washington had to put down the
first rebellion" with Is, 900 troops.
About the same time a tax on car
riages levied by Congress was crushing
the life out of this industry. 1t was
heaviest On the people of n or two
Northern States. The friends of State
sovereignty took the view that being
a direct tax and not apportioned
among the States according to popula,
ton, it was clearly unconstitutional.
The Supreme Court again decided
against the States and upheld the tax,
though by so doing they had to tack
another amendment to the constitution
creating a third species of taxation.
They said the tax on carriages was not
direct" and that as they got the
power of taxing them by implication,
Congress could use it as it pleased. 1t
seemed fatally direct to those who paid
it. Two questions up and two falls
8 3ored against the States. Desperate
efforts were made to secure c0nstitu-
tiCnal amendments which would re
store to the States their stolen powers,
but in vain; sectional interests had al
ready arisen-never again were the
friends of constitutional liberty to Sc.
cure another amendment. The time
had passed. The selfish and centrali
zing tendencies of mammon had put in
their deadly work. The general gov
eminent had formed a partnership
with a corporation known as the Uni
ted States Bank; and the bank stock
was mainly owned by the people of the
North; the debts of the States had been
assured by the Union, and they were
mainly owned by the Northern States /;
thus the government formed a part
nership with these States against the
others.
The South was the greatest exporter
and naturally, of course, the greatest
importer, and therefore her people had
to pay the debts of the Northern States
assumed by the Union; because the
main source of revenue was the tariff.
The Southern statesman had secured a
clause in the Constitution which pro-
hibited a tax on exports; but they had
left the gap down and made this pro-
vision of none effect by allowing the
general government unlimited power
to tax imports
Of what avail to the South were free
exports, if the yankee in charge of the
general government could tax the
goods for which the exports were bar
tered, till he forced us to buy his goods
at his own price This is the game by
which they have cheated the South out
of it's prosperity.
When politicians tell you that it was
slavery and reconstruction which i'm
poverished the South, believe them not.
North Carolina kept pace with Massa-
chusetts in spite of slavery until fed
eral taxation created an unholy prefer
ence; and the days of reconstruction