The news & observer., 1901-02-21
STILL sLANDERlNG DEMOCRATS,


the Southern Railroad crowd, which it
calls by the name of "the conservative
element" the party will be ruined. The
Charlotte Observer, whose chief owner
and boss has an office under Mckinley,
that pays $4,000 year, quotes the Post s
editorial with approval and says
"The present Impeachment proceedings.
the proposed extraordinary, oppressive
and destructive methods OF taxation, the
proposition to deprive a corporation COM
missioner of his Office for no apparent
reason other than that he belongs to
an opposition party-these and other
things the people have under serious
consideration. and, speaking generally,
il is not too much to say that the hair
is being brushed the wrong way. We
sincerely hope that the evil spirits OF
agrarianism and radicalish, going hand in
hand and apparently dominant in Raleigh
now, will be balked and their designs der
feated before the Legislature ends its
session
There are no "evil spirits of agrarian-
ism and radicalism, going hand in hand
and apparently dominant in Raleigh
now r Nobody fayors any oppressive and
destructive methods of taxation the
record UP to date shows that the Legisla-
ture has defeated every suggestion of
taking either office or power from men
elected by the Republicans, and these
ISLANDERS could emanate from no source
except one inspired by a desire to in
jure the Democratic party. This Legisla-
ture is composed of men who represent
the best thought and best sentiment OF
North Carolina. They may make mis-
takes--all Legislatures debut the inn
putation that there exists 'the spirits OF
agrarianism and radicalism" are as false
as they are gratuitous. and are made to
discredit the party to which the majority
of the body, belongs
AS 10 Oppressive and destructive meth
ods of taxation" the mere mention OF
the names of the gentlemen who drafted
the revenue bill that is now under con-
sideration by the full Finance committee
will be complete answer. That sub-com-
mittee is composed of Senator'S Aycock
or Wayne, Long of Person. and London
of chatham: Representatives Gattis OF
Orange, Page of Moore, Willard of New
Hanover, and Duls of Mcchlenburg. Some
of these men are men of large wealth and
all are conservative men in the true sense
OF that much abused word. When they
entered upon their work they found a
deficit in the State Treasury, with b
pressing demand from the asylums and
schools for larger appropriations. Every
day and almost every night for month
these gentlemen have devoted themselves
to the preparation of bill that would
reach the untaxed property in the State
and equalize the burdens of taxation. 1t
has not been an easy task. They have
not devised any oppressive" scheme,
though some good men who did not un-
derstand the bin at first thought thai
there was provision that bore hardly
upon corporations. An examination showed
did not like the bill, but the few changes
suggested were made and they see that
ii is not oppressive" One gentleman,
who created the greatest row about the
bill, admitted to the chairman that his
chief objection was that it compelled him
TO pay tax on property that he had not
Ia
was frank enough TO say he was kicking
against system that wouldn't let him
dodge any more. Those gentlemen who
felt that the original draft of the bin
contained any inequtable provision have
been given a hearing and when they have
convinced the committee CT any injustice,
oi the committee and the General Assem-
bly, But there is spirit" Of de-
termination to put an end to loose meth
DDS by which many escape taxation al
most altogether, TO impose other just and
proper taxes, and to improve the entire
system of taxation 1t is spirit that
Is proposed ana euuOlSSu NY od1u iS6lo
lators as Senator J. A. Long, the richest
man in Person county Mr.. Robert \.
Page, one of the owners of the Aber-
deem and Asheboro Railroad, and other
wise men who are trying 10 draw reye-
nue. bill that will secure enough revenue
10 provide the growing needs of the
state. its schools and its institutions. Il
they do not do this. the insane must go
to jail, the children must grow UP ii
ignorance. and the noble Confederate vet
eran must suffer in his declining days
after having given his country the bes,
years of his life. To say that these gem
tlemen who have prepared the revenue
bill are "agrarians,' or can be influenced
or dominated by "evil spirits of agrarian-
ISM, is to say what everybody who knows
them or knows anything about them has
no foundation in fact.
If there IS o line in the revenue bill
shat contains ''extraordinary oppressive
or destructive methods of taxation, the
committee would no doubt be glad to have
II ,1oiptad ont in rpSpec1fIl Wav and