The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-03-24

I lima insisted on voting for jefferson for
a third term. His teaching still abides in
this good State.
LIBERAL APPROPRIATIONS.
The advocates of big appropriations and
| the advocates of no increase at all strug-
gled long and earnestly to find a common
ground upon which they could stand 1t
could not be reached except after a warm
contest, and it came only in the House
after the committees had been unable to
agree The result was that in the main
the appropriations are quite as
large as the condition of the State Treas
ury will warrant, if not come larger, but
there 10 no appropriation that will not
make for the betterment of the people-in
their education, progress and care of the
unfortunate. And so, even where some
Legislators thought the appropriation was
too high, they knew that il would be ex-
pended for the good of the people of the
State.
THE REVENUE BILL.
The revenue bill, of course, caused the
greatest discussion and developed the
widest difference of opinion. There has
never been a time in the history of the
world when the question of taxation did
not arouse deep interest and produce
conflicting opinions. Some historians hold
that all wars have hinged around matters
of taxation. While that is perhaps too
sweeping a statement it is true that you
can arouse more general interest about
taxation than almost anything else. The
needs of modern government call for more
and more money to run upon. Whether !
wisely or unwisely we have passed out of
the simple government of the fathers
when judge and constable were about
the only symbols of government the people
saw. The education. the health the con-
yenience, the progress of the people are
all concerns Of legislation, and with the
multiplied agencies of government there
comes the need of larger revenues. Taxes
and death are two things sure to come
which no man welcomes. And so when |
this Legislature, upon it's opening, was
confronted with a deficit in the State
Treasury and the demand and necessity
for increased appropriations was appar-
ent to all, the problem of raising sufficient
funds from taxation was the gravest any
Legislature of recent years has been call
ed upon to solve. 1t would have been
easy to order an issue of bonds and let
property owners escape taxation. But
it would have been an unwise
and ruinous policy, and the Leg
islature wisely did not seek the easy path
that would lead to a wrong policy and
injustice to posterity, but chose the har
der and juster road of seeking to reach
untaxed property. The bill, prepared by
the sub committee, had trough sledding,'
but with a few exceptions, it passed as
prepared by the committee. 1t contains
few new provisions and no new taxes that
have not been imposed in other States
and no 'inquisitorial' features. 1t does,
indeed, contain provisions which expert
ence has shown are necessary to secure
the listing of property for taxation at
its true value, but there is nothing in the
new law to which any man not desiring
to escape taxation can reasonably object.
The gist of that law appears elsewhere
in today's paper. 1t is not perfect law
but is easily the best revenue act
ever enacted in North Carolina The
| same may be said of the school law which,
next to the revenue law and machinery
acts. was the most difficult to draw The
teachers and educators of the State pre-
sented many suggestions some radically
conflicting, and in view of the difference
of opinion, it is remarkable that the
school law is so generally approved and
dGc6pldDIS. IH6 SlSl VI IidI law Is pun
lished elsewhere together with a list of
the county boards of education.
The redistricting of the State into con-
gressional judicial and senatorial dis
tricts, made necessary by the new census
and in the increase in the number of judi
cal districts, was difficult task as is
always the case. They were accomplish
ed with comparatively little friction. The
hardest problem was in making ten con-
gressiona1 districts. There was strong
element that favored making strong and
rock-ribbed Republican congressional dis
trict, running from Madison to Yadkin,
embracing such Republican counties as
Wilkes, Mitchell, Madison, Yadkin, Davie.
This would have made it easy to redstrict
the State with eight certain Democratic
districts. one generally Democratic and
one rock-ribbed Republican. If the com
mittee had made such division it would
have temporarily given greater satisfac-