Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-04-01

ens~n.sAn>~n--. '.s--.-~.--s------------
asa, Under law enacted for the purpose,
all lands which had been returned delin-
Quent from 1880 TO 1s7s. were advertised for
sale; 80 great was the CONSERVATION.
and the inability Of the owners TO pay
wac 30 evident that the Law was re-
pealed. and all taxes unpaid during that
period were RENTED. Since that time an
nuai sales have been attempted. Some
lands have. OF course. been redeemed
by their owners Others have been pur-
chased by SPECTATORS, but few OF these
have obtained titles. owing TO the imper-
fections Of the statutes or mistakes OF
officers making the sales. The bulk or
the land not redeemed has been bid IN
for the State. at the amount OF her lien.
which bears 10 per cent. interest from the
day Of sale.
Under the law now governing few, u
any. would-be spectators viii bid NJ the
annual offerings Of delinquent lands, be-
cause IL has been made still more dill
cult 10 obtain perfect tax title, ana.
therefore. such OF them az the owners
do not redeem will be bid In by the Conn
monwealth.
have not been able to procure lie sta
tistics from which To estimate the per
cent. OF lands on which rests the STATE
and county lien for unpaid taxes, or the
aggregate Of such liens. on inquiry at
the Auditors Office ] was told thd. the
information could be gotten from PAPERS
there. but that It would require the labor
OF many clerks many days TO tabulate IT,
and / was referred to the Clerks offices
OF the several counties. An examination
OF the records Of my own county. which l
presume Is an average case, leafs me 10
believe that at least one f0rtieth OF the
entire area Is subject 10 a tax lien; what
Is the aggregate Of these Hens | hesitate
even to estimate The day OF settlement
cannot be much longer deferred. the
State cannot allow taxes on these lands 10
accumulate indefinitely. The land owners
cannot much longer rest contented under
tho Hens thus increasing upon ther
lands. II the Legislature shall direct
these lands to be sold the land owners
will find that they must pay. as a whole
with interest and costs added, sum
they have hitherto been unable to pay In
equal annual instruments II may be
that before this is done the land owners
realizing the burden that Is upon them
in the form Of unproductiye and uncul-
tivated land will. through their repre-
sentatjvcs demand that under some
equitable arrangement their homes ana
a portion Of land attached be released
from the liens, and that the state WIN
put going through the form OF suhJectine
them TO the costs Of sales, resume the
right of eminent domain over the residue,
and dispose OF IT as best she can.
If this he done. then from her Lana
Office i'm the Capitol. and it's bran mes az
the county court-houses. these lands viii
be offered for sale. and the negro VIII
crafty 10 safety his desire to be a land
,A n N This il
moro probable) capitalists. seeing the OPP
portunity for profit. without regard to
inc interests or welfare of our people
will. through syndicates and corporations
formed for the purpose. purchase large
area of our territory and settle them WIN
naoplc gotten from the crowded hiveT of
Europe.
OTHER STATISTICS.
now give YOU statements taken frhm
the reports Of the Auditor and Superin-
tendent Of Public Instruction. not Tor
each section but for the tifty-three coVn-
ties as a whole.
statement l.-School tax asses'ed
against white persons. $lh,6l0: school tax
assessed against negroes, s7,o49. Total
slii.6j9.
Statement White school population
IN the fftv-three counties. GlRl; negro
school population in the iifty-three couh-
ties. 1888. Total 1929.
Statement 3-Whitc titheables IN me
in the fifty-three counties, E."5' hegr'
timetables in the ffty-three countess ~
7M Total 1854 a..
From these statements II appears tndt
negroes pay about lie or the pupHo
school tax, or about per cent. OF H. ai,t
tho white people pay the residue, WINE
,ha negroes have 20 per cent, or over
one half OF the pupils entitled to 60 10 those
schools and this when the adult mares
NJ each race are nearly equal In num-
Der. "
From the census OF 1890 IT appears That
tho negro population OF the hfty-three
counties was 369. 754. and the white popu-
Iation was 9SS.695. This does not IN
clude the population Of the cities IN those
Here Is an alien and inferior race in
the majority, which has been ehh""eI'
bv law we can neither alter or ameh''
with the same political rights which we
enjoy. and which Is being educateu ~ ~
.our expense and for our Destruction n
ma ioritv which is a constant menace To
rs lest under the leadership Of designing
men. those rights be exercised 10 our
iniurv. and a constant temptation 10 US
In times Of political excitement, 70 WIN
them 20 act with us, by methods anu
devices not sanctioned 10y that code or
morals which has come down 10 us as
nrecious heritage from our fathers OF
IN donrive them Of the full and fair eXer-
else of those rights by means equally r.
nugnant 20 that Code, which methods
and means, If practiced. are more ne
grading TO those using than 10 those upon
whom they are used. Patriotic cltiE.lS
this danger have been LOT
years, and now are seeking a remedy.
THE SAME DANGER.
AZ one time it was thought that TO
rro,,ire the pavnent Of the captation
tax as a prerequisite to voting was
the remedy. but IL was not. Then one
and another law has been enacted
Int All in vain. and now the same
danger confronts us as at first. be
lieve. and | am not singular IN thls
belief. that these are only nostruihs'
used to check. but not 10 eradicate
the deadly poison which has beeh IN
fused into the body polite. and that
nothing short of the use of an antidote
will restore to health and vigor. That
antidote | believe to be naturalization
Of this majority by overwhelming 1t
with people Of our own race, OF our
own selection. brought from other
States and other countries. VINO can
by social and familiar intercourse in
our homes, in our churches, on our
court-greens, and in our public assem-
blies be moulded to think and act
with us. and whose instincts will be
similar to If not as intense as our
own.
How to get such people here f. the
great question, which, as ! have said,
demands our earnest consideration
end attention. ! believe you struck
the keynote and announced the princi-
pie and policy, which will. If put in
practice, result in success, when at
the opening OF the new building of
the Chamber of Commerce on Deem
Der 2Sth, you said:
"Co-operation is the watchword of the
day and hour in which we live, or as a
brilliant young southerner has phrased II.
cooperation is the light and persstency
is the way, and / will add the only way
of accomplishing any great achievement
in any line of trade, commerce, or mate
rial prosperity OF any kind In the times
In which we live. The affairs OF men
nave grown to such proportions and by
means OF the facilities OF communication
the whole world Is brought In such close
contact that the single arm of the one or
two cannot cope successfully In the race.
Combinations and rivalries among and be-
tween trades and trade centres are liter
ally the order of the day and the city
a fact and meet these organizations by
o,,sv Ions. ND 10