Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1933-09-22
Budget from the SWOLLEN COZ

AANo VI NAN~ 1
Their stamps into the dust the little
man who earns his living by the
sweat of his brow. If the masses
of this State are to continue to- sit
idly by and allow a few political
bosses" and representatives of the
big interests ra,ch their mighty
financial paws into their already
flattened pocket books, they are
a bigger bunch of towards than !
believe them to- be. One gentle
man Giving on the tax payers of
North Carolina) recently stated
that the sales tax was enacted by
reason of necessity. The truth OF
the matter is this-the sales tax
was written and intended as a bic
interest relieving tax and it is &C
tually just that. The person vino
sees it otherwise is drawing power
fully on his or her Imagination.
Are the people to sit down and let
the moneyed interest crush us or
are we going to fight?
j l am 1000 for genuine relief to
property owners of North Caro-
lima, but the way most of the
County Commissioners are authoriz-
ing appraisers to scratch the sur
face instead of cutting to the bone,
I am of the opinion that the prop
erty owner will see in 1884 about
the same old tax bill, plus a ; to
20fa sales tax, Notwithstanding the
15c ad valorem relief given by the
last Legislature. The County
Commissioners in several counties
: of the state are attempting to pro-
tect the bond holders instead of the
real estate owner.
The tax payers of this State
sh~s,ld DEMAND the repeal of
the General Sales Tax or surrender
their Government to the protect
ed interests. Wealth must be
taxed in proportion to its ability
to pay, or our Government will
surely fail in is duty to the peo-
pc.
Before | was in the Legislature
very long | learned that in case a
member should catch a vision and
!, sponsor the removal of the yoke of
taxation from the gaulded should
ers of those in distress that he i'm
mediately met opposition as great
in proportion as the dough boys
met at the Hindenberg line. If
the majority of the Legislature were
not SO much like a certain species
Of the finny tribe, known as the
Founder (who have both eyes en-
, the same side of its head) they
could have seen the neds of the
comrnoa psople as well as those of
, the Powerful Interests Of the State.
; You have recently seen and read
what the mighty tobacco interests
+ of this State are doing to our
i, farmers. These gigantic enter
prises are enjoying the highest pro-
lection in our entire system OF
taxation, but when a bill is intro
duced in the Legislature to tax
these interests (who are making
ONE HUNDRED MILLION
DOLLARS each year net protit)
they Immediately sent their great
political boss to Raleigh and
i, through him threaten to leave the
State in Ease a penny is removed
from their swollen purses. That is
an old cry raised in the interest OF
wealth every time a tax has ever
, been proposed that will Tax peo-
pie who ought to be taxed and all
r future legislators should turn a deaf
: ear to such "BUNKUM''. Sup
pose the farmer and laborer should
serve notice that unless the Gen
j, eral Sales Tax burden is not i'm
mediately removed from their al
ready bent backs, they will leave the
, State or stop the wheels Of indus
try until relief is given them. DO
, they not have the same right as
the rich? Where is a State in this
Union that would open her arms
of welcome and say to the big IN
terests of North Carolina, who are
now attempting to rob our farm
ers, come on over boys-we well
: come you" because you deserted
t your mother State during a hec-
tic period. Rightly you did not
desire to carry your part OF the
tax burden in North Carolina-we
welcome you tax free'-you rob-
hers of the horny sons of toll.