Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1900-03-30
he DENIES THE CHARGE.
Mr.. Mushbach Says He is Not a Goldbug,
But a Democrat.

mr.. MuSnDacn says ne Is MOL a uuiuDuG,
But a Democrat.
EDITOR The SPECTATOK'-YOu our pa
per of the 23rd inst, with an editorial
upon my communication of the 18th,
has been received, and as you do not
seem to care to meet or combat the
| gist of my argument in favor OF the
bill. but rather incline to gallop around
the outskirts of it instead Of landing
on or butting up against it, l at first
thought a reply unnecessary. but On
reflection concluded to notice the two
comments in it which are made to have
a personal application to me.
My propositions from the beginning
were and still are, viz:
LIST. That the valuation bill does not
increase the general burden of taxa
tion or load the people with another
tax law" as You put it at first, and
that it makes no addition to the sub
jects of taxation.
End. That for many years before its
passage, incomes, money on deposit,
| OI duh UDC llhO nav WIN ~
but that during all those years the
great bulk thereof has been systematic
cally and persistently hidden from
taxation and does not appear on the
books of the commissioner OF the reve-
nue..
3rd. That as a consequence of this
unjust omission of this invisible prop
erty, all visible property, real and per-
sonal, including the farmers horses,
cattle, sheep, hogs, farming imple-
ments, sold grain and hay, &c, (see
Table q Auditors Report 1898 81, has
been forced to carry and still carries an
undue proportion of the taxes.
4th. That there can be nc readjust-
ment of the tax rate nor fair distribu-
| ton of its burden, until this concealed
property is uncovered to the light OF
day and listed and forced to pay up,
and that a law to bring about this
equality, is an indispensable prere
quisite to such readjustment.
9th. That this obligation to pay taxes
| should be made to rest as equally on
the ST., 900. 90 invested in a G. q 0. R.R.
mortgage bond inclosed in a tin box,
as upon the 81, 900. 90 invested in a flock
| of sheep and enclosed by a rail fence,
i and not as now on the latter only; but
| that for some reason or other commits
| sioners of the evenu POSSIBLY hay
ing their chance of reelection con-
~stantly in mind) have failed or refused
to hunt for the bond as faithfully as
| they hunted for the sheep; and
9th. That time having demonstrated
such to be the fact, the appointment
| of officers who would not be subjected
to the temptation suggested, and whose
| chief duty would be to look for secret
ed property,-fOr no n ever lost votes
| by putting On the tax list that which
stood OF walked in the sunshlne,-Was
a wise and needed measure.
Now your answer to all this has come
in, and aside from a severe condemna-
tion of the salary feature of the bill.
some observations concerning what
may or may not happen in the dim fu-
ture, and @ statement that taxation
never grows less, (whereas I distinctly
remember when our State taxes were
reduced from so to 40 cents Oh the dol
lar a few years ago., you insinuate,
| delicately to be sure, that | have drop
ped into demagogy, and IN agold bug,
which assertions of course smash my
| al uluGAU duu Will it tuC NolotrtOL
bill into smithereensl | beg to be al
lowed to plead to this indictment, in
the first place, reversing the order OF
the counts, that whilst | cannot deny
that you may have understood that l
favor the geld standard, it is never
theless not a fact. l began voting toe
Democratic ticket as soon as | became
of age and have continued SO to dc up
to date, including Bryan, free silver
and the income tao plank of the
Chicago platform of July 18th, 1896, and
[ hope / may be pardOned for suggest
ing that there would be much more
Justice In the intimation that those
who now fight a bill designed to en-
force an income tax in Virginia, have
themselves slipped off that fine old
| Democratic plank and landed with II
dull thud amongst it's millionaire op-
ponents, than that l., a supporter of
the bill, have.
| Now for the second count: That |
| have undertaken to array class against
| class by my reference to the fact that
the opposition to the bill is confined
| almost wholly to capitalists, men Of
large means and independent incomes,
| &C., which, says The SPECTATOR, is
an argument that he would charac-
terize as demagogy had some II 9TH
err than me used it. This deliciously
polite way of saying and yet avoiding
saying that | have ademagogic way of
discussing this subject, is based upon
the editorial misconception how the
rich man got into the case. | did not
bring him into it. He himself pro-
jected himself into it. That he Is the
sole opponent of this bill is a fact that
obtrudes itself into this subject and
dominates it and casts it's shadow over
it as surely as do the Peaks Of Otter
the surrounding plain. Like Banquo's
ghost it will not down. 1t is a patent
'~undeniable fact; and 10y the way THE
SPECTATOR in its last editorial did not
attempt to denyit How could it when
a glance at the names of those in Rich
mond, Newport News, Norfolk and
Alexandria who are advancing against
the bill armed with habeas corpuses,
maudamuses, etc. are the recognized
wealthy men of those communities,
and he sees on the other hand 1.-The
pack horse of taxation. the farmer"
perfectly silent and non comhatanJ?
If to make d simple statement of a
something that has ceased to be Il
theory and has become a condition, is
to perpetrate demagoguery, then | am
guilty, bat not otherwise; and l shall
continue to protest my innocence IN
til somebody or other challenges and
disproves my assertion that only the
class are seeking TO
down this bill.
GEORGE a. MUsHBACH.
Alexandria, March 26, 1900.