Year: 1860

Mr.. Pool and his Platform.


Fertile as the Opposition leaders of this State are
in tricks and devices to deceive and mislead the
people, we can remember no campaign in which
they have rcsorted 10 more tricks to more subter-
fuges, to more evasion and doube-dealing than they
have in this. In this respect they'are well repre-
sented by John Pool their candidate for Governor.
He has brought all the niceties all the tecbnica!
unfairness of the special pleading which he has
learned at the, bar to bear upon this contest In
one locality he declares that the ad ralorem which
he proposes will not increase the tax on slaves
while in another locality his organs declare that the
negro-is specially aimed at, and that ad ralorem
will increase the tax on slaves. In one locality he
declares that the principle that every citizen must
contribute to support the government in proportion
to the amount of his estate must be carried out to
the letter, thus producing the impression that he
would tax ere,y thing; while in another locality
and in this he is sustained by portion of his Or
gans-he affirms that his platform favors certain
exemption from taxation, and that the word dis
elimination" in his platform means exemption. In
the East he is for taxing all property, SO as to re-
concile the STAKEHOLDER to his view of al ralorem
while in the West, to judge him by the newspapers
that speak for him. he would add slaves only to the
list of taxable property. Knowing that internal
improvements are popular in portions of the State,
and especially in the West he boasts of the works
of internal improvement for which he has voted;
but when the matter is investigated it turns out
that he has voted only for empty charters!


The truth is Mr.. Pool meets no question fairly or
sqnarey The characteristic Of his stump efforts is
evasion artiul dodging special pleading and cquivo-
cation. What confidence can the people place in
such man? What must they think of cause
which can be sustained only in this way? The first
requisite of popularity is honesty. Honesty is
evinced by directness and candor of action and
speech The people can perceive almost intuitlvely
when public man is disposed to act fairly and
honestly. lfthey suspect him even he might as well
chang up his fiddle" They will have music from
one who plays different tunes on the same string


The resolution of the Know Nothing Convention
on the subject of al ralorem plainly declares that
EVERY SPECIES OF PROPERTY" should be "taxed ac-
cordng to its value with power to discriminate only
in favor of the native products of State and the
industrial pursuits of her citizens" Now what does
that mean? Clearly that 'erery species or all pro-
perty shall be taxed That is the broad proposition.
There is nothing said about specific taxes, or about
one per cent. for example, on one article and half
per cent on another AU the property in the State
IL to be Jumped and then tared at the same rate.
The race horse is to be taxed-thc plow horse is to
be taxed, but the former is to be taxed no higher
than the latter The billiard table is to be taxed
the threshing machine is to be taxed but the former
is to be taxed no higher than the latter If there
be force in words, or in the construction Of
language, and if the English tongue means what it
says, then that is Mr.: Pools position.


But says Mr. Pool, 81 would discriminate" Very
| well-let US see what that means. Discrimination
implies taxation. How can Mr.. Pool discriminate
between articles unless he taxes them? How can
he exempt by discriminating? The idea is absurd
Discrimination sin favor Of native products" and
industrial pursuits" means what? Why it means
tina. foreign products shall be taxed higher than
tive products, and that, all pursuits" or occups
tions being taxed the burden of taxation shall moi
be as heavy certain pursuits on others. That
is the correct construction Of the language and that
is what was meant when it was first used. The con-
struction since given to it by Mr.. Pool and his
friends is an aferthought and is not authorized by
truth or common sense.


But, says Mr.. Pool, 81 would exempt certain ar
tcles from taxation" That will not do, Mr.. Pool
You accepted the nomination on the platform, and
as an honest man, you must adhere to the platform
If it sinks with you, you must still stand upon it
| That platform declares that you shall exempt no
thing That is what it says, and that is what was
meant when it was adopted-aud We will prove it
How? Simply by the fact which appears as a por
ton Of the proceedings Of the Convention, that Mr.
Turner moved to exempt certain articles, and tn


Convention deliberately refused to do 80.


More on this subject hereafter.