The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-06-22
FOR LOCAL TAXATION.
CONTINUED from second page.)

He should learn that the State Is not
q soulless corporation, or a wicked, god-
less organization, but that 1T is the pest
scheme which the best people OF all ages
have been able to devise to protect lie
and liberty and to promote human happi-
mesa That after the schools and the
churches. the Sunday schools and the
/. family teaching have done all they can
to impress upon people the command
"Thou shall not steal," it is the state
Of North Carolina which says to man
IL YOU do steal l will punish you. All
achools and other institutions teach the
wickednes Of murder, but It IS North
Carolina which points to the galio"s DIS
punishment to the murderer Inc 'eaeher
and our religion say Thou shall not pear
false witness against thy nelgnDor, put
it is the State that Furnishes hpei.
The State is the executive OF the pup
lie conscience.
II is tbe State which provides schools
for nine-tenths of the children. Inc
church opens its doors on every Sabpath
day 10 prea CHI the gospel OF Jesus christ,
but il the State which says that no man
shall disturb religious worship, and that
there shall be a cessation from ordinary
labor on the Sabbath day. He should
learn that while the State cannot teach
any peculiar form Of doctrinal belief, yet
that the preamble to its constitution
reads: I'VE, the people of the State OF
North Carolina, grateful to Almighty
God, the Sovereign Ruler of NATIONS, Tor
the preservation Of the American Unlon,
and the existence OF our civil, poltica!
and religious liberties, and acknowledg-
ing our dependence upon Him for the
continuance of those blessings to us ana
our posterity, do, for the more certain
security thereof, and for the better gov
eminent of this State, Ordain and estab-
lish this constitution"
In article 8 of that constitution, we
also find this: Religion, morality and
knowledge being necessary TO good gov
eminent and the happiness of mankind,
school and the means Of education shah
forever be encourag ed.
Let him be taught that every official
performing any function of the state
must take an oath that he Will perform
his duty to the best Of his ability, so
help him God II witness is ITO TESTIFY
in a court of Justice, he must place his
hand upon the Holy Scripture and take
an oath that he will tell the truth, the
whole truth, and nothing but the truth,
so help him God. The fact is that no
man in North Carolina is allowed to I'M
dertake to perform any function OF the
State without calling upon God to writ
ness his obligation ITO perform the duty
Of his office faithfully.
Let him also learn that this a Christ
ian civilization and a Christian State.
That no State which adopts in good
faith our constitution and forms OF law
Nd hat lnr,cp
"A North Carolina spends one-third of its
entire revenue in caring for the afflicted,
the pauper and the orphan and for train
ing the blind to see, the deaf to hear and
the dumb to speak, it is doing a large
mart Of Christ's work among men, it
must be considered, in this important
sense Christian State.
But, on the other hand, let him learn
that the State can be no more than the
executive of the public conscience, and
that the public conscience is the result
OF individual !. aching in the home, the
school and TIE church. And let him
understand that he who would in any
way hinder the work OF either of these
great agencies for good is public
enemy, traitor to his State.
A child should learn In the public
SCHOOLS Eudt Juot tdAaICh 40 hoS AcoDNAS
and above all that when man eyades
q Just tax he is A ROBBER.
Let him understand that government
is an insurance society, guaranteeing
protection OF life and liberty and prop
erty rights.
As one mans life and liberty is sup
posed to be as dear to him as any other
mans life and liberty is to him, all men
lly Whom a
owns property that must be protected, he
must pay an additional tax for this pro-
lection. And if this property amounts
to $4,000 he ought to pay fifty times
as much tax as one whose property is
only $1,000. That is the plan of fire
insurance companies, but they call their
taxes premiums. / wish the State could
change the word taxes" to premiums.
The school should also teach that a
big tax receipt does not entitle the holder
to any special privileges over his neigh
Dor. 1t simply means that he has called
upon the general insurance society
which we call the State government, foI
more protection than his neighbors call
ed for and he has only paid for what he
was obliged to have.
The child will hear some day from @
man Of means who objects TO a schoo
tax, that he does not want ITO pay his
money to educate negroes, and will hear
this same man, when told that the negro
pays for about one-half OF what he gets
in his public schools by his poll tax
cay: but many negroes eyade theil
poll tax" Let the child learn early il
life that II q man should evade his pol
tax from the age Of 21 to so, twenty
nine years, the State would lose only
$58 by him, whereas man OF wealth
can cheat his State out Of more THAI
that in one year, by not fairly listing his
property for taxation.
Let him learn that meaner than high
way robber is the man who, by a techni
cality, evades paying his just tax to The
government which protects him and hi
property.
Let him be taught that 1DLENESS
whether among the rich or the poor