Delaware Tribune

Letter from Sa Townsend.

To the Editor of the Commercial:

Not feeling inclined to buy out and run a Democratic paper on my own hook, and not being an anxious office-bug, that it would fake it to my interest to buy out and run a Democratic paper to praise my good qualities, and dun my bad ones, and having too proud and independent a spirit to truckle to hire Democrats who own and run Democratic papers to defend their mistakes, right or wrong, I turn to you, a Republican editor, a few lines for publication, hoping you are not as ill-galled as appears to be, under the influence of the Delaware Gazette, and will not refuse to publish this. The tyranny of some of these lily-livered Democratic editors, in our in par with some of Louis Napoleon's organs: it is hoped, however, before this year is out, a joint stock Democratic paper will be established in this county, on a Independent true Democratic basis, opposed to clique and clique-ster. The subject now to which I wish to call the attention of the public, is 'Tax, Taxation, and the Legislature.' Early in January our Legislature convened: on the 10th of March a bill was reported taxing railroad and canal companies; on the next day, 'the 11th inst.,' a bill was reported to provide revenue for the State, by direct tax: and should these bills pass we will be the heaviest taxed people of any State in the Union. Three swarms of tax gatherers to eat out our substance. First, county, and state (the old tax): next, United States tax: lastly, A direct tax, with a new batch of assessors and collectors. By the time all these officers, and these three distinct taxes are paid, there may be little left, and therefore it will be to the interest of those propose to keep out of our State, and to the interest of those in it, to sell and leave as soon as they can.

Being personally acquainted with a majority of the members of the Legislature, and having a high respect for a majority of them personally, I put a few plain questions to them: First, why did you pass, in either House, appropriation bills or grant the issuing of bonds to any company, thereby increasing the indebtedness of the State, and then propose on the 10th and 11th of March tax measures to help pay the proposed gratuitous issue of bonds. Second, why did you not earlier in the session, to the exclusion of nearly all other business, propose some measure or tax bill, and give the people time to consider it; or do you intend to force these proposed tax bills on the public, without giving time for public consideration. Third, was it not your duty to have tried by every honorable means to try to have our State released by the General Government from paying $1,200,000, or thereabouts, the amount of war debt incurred by Delaware solely for the general Government. Through the quarrels of other States, our little State was dragged in, and it is hard she should have to pay it, as it was proved she furnished a greater number of soldiers in proportion to population than any other State; and then in addition for her to be made to pay $1,200,000 that was solely incurred on general Government account, or for the general Government.

I would suggest even now, after you have wasted two months, before you take any further action on those tax bills, that you pass a joint resolution setting forth clearly and honestly, how and for what purpose this debt of $1,200,000 was incurred by this State, and appoint one Democrat and one Republican from each of the three counties, making in all a committee of six. These six men should be our best, practical, common-sense men, to go to Washington, and take your joint resolution and then ask both Houses of Congress to appoint a committee to meet them, and discuss the propriety and honesty of the general Government assuming and paying the debt incurred for her. I believe the Government would do it now, if not we would be no worse off than we are now.

This is not a party measure, and should not be so treated, for it concerns Delaware Republicans and Delaware Democrats alike.