Loudon free press. (Loudon, Tenn.) 1852-1855, 1853-09-30

my scroll already too long. X.
SForihc, ,Louddn. Free Press.J
sINEQUAEITY OF THE REVENUE.
| NJ. Editor Of Free Press
The inequality of the Revenue laws of Ten
nessee, is becoming source of public reproach,
throughout the whole country, and citizens Of
other States are speaking of it as being charac-
terstic of the sentiments of the people of Ten
nessee only. VIII not the next Legislature take
notice Of it and change it, SO as TO bring all
citizens upon an equality with it. or will it let it
remain as it is? No it is to be hoped that it
will correct it, so as to make it in keeping with
other improvements of the day.
Under the present revenue law there is one
class of citizens that are taxed twelve times as
they are class upon whose success our down
fall much is depending. There are many rail
roads in operation and in course of cOnstruc-
ton, throughout the almost entire State. Now
the question is, for what purpose are those Rail
roads intended; they are to export the products
&C., of our country and import the products &c,
others. and the success OF the Railroads to a
very great extent, is depending upon the sue
cess of the merchants. What class of citizens,
as class, are all patrons of railroads? 1t is
the merchants, by whom are nineteen tweenti-
eths of the products of this country consigned
by merchants. What class of our citizens are
busily ENGAGED in searching out the best mar
kets for the products of our farmers? The mer-
chants. Who is it that the farmer applies to
and sells his produce to, and thereby avoids the
risk and hazard Of shipping them himself it is
the merchant. In fact the merchants, as a class
are as useful to the community, as any other
class They import almost every important ar
ticle that we use,-they are an advantage to the
farmers, in as much as they import many agri
cultural implements, &C.; thereby giving the
farmers. advantages that they otherwise would
not have The merchants are the men through
whom almost all other olnooos supplied with
the necessary portions of the commerce Of the
world; and the commerce of the country is in
the hands of the merchants, and will rise with
their rise, or fall with their fall, and if the mer
chants of this country do not bring as much
money into the country as they take out of it,
it is and will be the fault of the farmers for not
producing enough for expectation. 1t is obvi-
Gus that the merchants as class are benefit
to the country, and not public nuisance, and
that they should be placed on an equality with
all other classes Of citizens. Let us examine
and see whether they are thus recognized by the
revenue law Of this State; think mott either
regards them as public nuisance or believes
that it is right TO make one class of citizens
pay twelve times as much tax as other classes
pay. Some will enquire how | make it appear
that they are taxed over twelve times as much
in proportion TO their effects as any other class
of citizens are-it is fact so plain that it
needs but few statements TO prove it. For in
stance, suppose that farmer and merchant of
equal means come into this State on the lth
5000 each, what difference does the revenue
law make between them. The merchant has
to appear before the County Court Clerk. and
there on oath state how many goods he has
brought into the State, and pay a tax of one
half of one per cent on his $4,000 worth, which
would amount to $l5 of State tax, and this
is not all the merchant has to do-he has TO
give bond and security, conditioned, that he |
the merchant) will be and appear on or before
that day, one year hence, and then state upon |
oath the amount of all his invoices, which !
would probably be about $4,000 more, that he !
would have TO pay State tax of one half of /
one per cent, which amount added to the 10 |
dollars already paid by him, would make his
State tax for the year amount to $45; and what /
would the farmers tax for the same length of |
Tine amount to; the farmer would have to give
in his taxable effects TO the revenue commits
'ioner, which was supposed to be $4,000, and
On that $4,000, he would be taxed Safe tax of
one tenth of one per cent, which would amountto
s3 against the merchants tax of $45.
Some person say that 1t is not the merchant
hat pays this Revenue-that it is the consum-
RS OF the goods. l would ask if this is the
correct principle to be adopted, to collect Rev
us see how it will work. Suppose a
merchant to have two customers, and one is
worth $4,000, but only buys $50 worth of
foods per annum; the other IS worth only $4,000
'ut buys $500 worth of goods a year, then
here would be still great inequality in that
ystem of taxation, for the man worth $4,000
would only pay one tenth part of the amount of
axes through the merchant, that the man worth
10000 would have to pay.
1t is to be hoped that the next Legislature
Till equalize the merchants, taxes with that of I
be taxes of other classes of citizens, and not
D tax merchants as though they were retailers ]
f Intoxicating liquors, &c. {
A TENNEssEAN. s
Sept. 2l, 1853.
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