Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1913-04-12

| praised in a nominal manner, and
the owners have but small amounts
to pay towards keeping up the state
government.
The Richmond News Leader con.
tains lengthy arraignment in the
shape of wholesale Indictment
against the present order of things
The following paragraphs are taken
from it.:
Commonwealth of Virginia, Out
RACED Counties and Cities tc-wlt;
In the great court of common jus,
tice of the said counties and cities
the taxpayers of the Commonwealth
of Virginia and for the body Of the
outraged counties and cities and now
attending the court of justice and
equity, upon their oaths present: :.
That the tax laws of commonwealth
of Virginia are a disgrace 10 civil
liked people, an insult to the honesty
of decent men, baTe-faced denial
of fundamental righteousness, con-
fiscation the most brazen and !nJus-
tice the most profound in this:
That honest men in the outraged
counties and cities OF the Common
wealth bear their own heavy bur-
dens of government, meet their as
sessments, pay their taxes, yet are
forced to pay for courts, schools, pen
sions and roads for counties which
fraudulently and consistently refuse
to deal Justly with their sister coun-
ties and cities:
That legitimate business must sui
fer because a grasping statute I'M
reasonably exacts an unfair proper
ton of honest profits;
That those who are mindful TO
their oaths and obedient to la" Suf1-
err for their probity while tire laws
of the Commonwealth put a premium
upon perjury and reward lie; i,
That citizens holding one class Of
property are forced to pay three
times the taxes often paid by own
ers of others classes of property OF
like value, thanks to ruthless law
which boldly demands full tribute. q
rectituGe buS allows local seif-in4
terest to protect dishonesty.
That the widow and the orphan,
wards of the state and possessing d
pittsnce in the hands of trustees, are
forced to pay more than one-th:rd CT
their living in taxes, while the favor
cd citizens of tay-dodging counties
nav less than five per cent. q their
earnings; -, c..
That a senseless statute, The fruit
Of grasping fraud, twice taxes the
mortgaged property and oyel2"rdens
the thrifty man who woulo borrow
TO save Or to better his estate;
That bankers who would loan 10
increase prosperity, must pa on eF-
erv dollar Of his capital, surplus and
the undivided profits, while the own
er Of real estate in The offending
counties protests if his assessment Is
more than twenty per cent. Oh me
value of his property.
That in no two counties a@i IN 10
two cities are the same PROVISIONS
cf the same law construed IN 'h&
same manner and to Ike end 0!
equality and justice;
That the arm of the STATE oiflcets
are not strengthened to enf2I2e the
law. while. local officers DEPENDENT
mon county influence and tie crca-
lures of their constituents &r2 en-
nowared to defeat the law, to reward
their friends and to punish Their
enemies. regardless alike Of law and
honor; ,
honest assessors are unrc1SonaDiJ
bnrdened in that 'hcrc IS none to
ruidc them. none 10 uphold them;
That the relentless enforcement q
minus, statutes threatens the. Sta
b;litv of the business world. plnchcs
the poor and may drive from the
Commonwealth those whose Wcai'h
smells prosperity to hundreds. :.
And that while our citizens tci;
in the cities and wrestle with The soil,
,nakinr the barren places blossom,
and building up III cold vas, Wn:!e
thew labor to seal Justice, While
thcy strive to make faircr Com
nonwealth for i.hose unborN, they
are barred from progress and th"aI.-
ed in their work because where gov
eminent first touches man ana Whsre
above all the state should be homes
we find robbery, fraud and ::5uSEc:.
against the peace and dignity o.
the commonwealth.