Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1857-06-14

before the es1nfrv. and a seathing criticism upon
f conrse Of The Hon. John Bell in his derilectiOns
to the South Il Is Just such q letter every voter
in the State should read at This time. We trust
that our Democratic friends viii give it extensive
eirculationin ell sections Of the State.
FACTS AND F1GURBs-A FEW PLAIN WORDS
TO THE LABORING CLASSES
The Know Nothing party having been defeated
upou the issues which they have presented to the
people in every State in the onion except Maryland
have started new project called distribution, by
means Of which they hope to catch your votes. For
ourselves, we should dislike to trust party which
is held together not by principles as was the case
with the old Wing party and its opponent, the Dem
oerato, but By oahs and general system of organi
cation, which very many Of them are beginning to
see, and many in fact have already admitted, is
trary to that freedom Of opinion and liberty Of
tion which is the proud boast Of every American
citizen We do not propose however to discuss these
odious features Of the Know Nothing organization,
nor the many Objectionable doctrines which they
hold p reference to foreigners, Catholics, and the
slavery question. We propose rathert examine
sin ls feature Of this distribution policy just as tho
ii had eqanaed from party that was otherwise
especially 10 you because great wrong is attempt
ed to be perpetrated on you by that policy, and
great insult offered to you in addition to the injury
which would be imposed upon you. We will tell
you what that injury and insult are before we get
through.
DisrilujOH, '0Bat Is it,
A great deal has been said in this connection about
the public lands the proceeds Of the public lands,
and their misuse the immense amount and the beni-
fcient purposes to which they might be applied if
divided out among the different States, especially if
placed under the control of good men, such as the
Know Nothing. AN this is said with a view to be-
wilder you, and TO leave upon your minds only a
vague lea Of a good tine coming if you will only
have faith, and put the right men in power.
The sum and substance Of the policy Of distribu-
tiou Invested of all the clap-trap about the public
lands is simply this To take from the national trsa-
gy parte the rspsnUe hicE has heretofore been used
TO dsr0y The expenses Of he General, Government and
gigeuto The States If you do thisno odds what the
amount may oe much or little, or by what rule you
determine the amount, or from what source it may
be derived, The amount must Be supplied for the
Of he General Government from some other source
This is plain that there is no man so great fool
that he cannot comprehend it, do we know that
any one who has the hardihOod to deny it.
The apology for TAXATION
When such proposition is made, every one very
naturally asks Of what use can it be to collect money
at heavy expense for collection, at some risk Of
having part stolen after it is collected, at great
Inconvenience the tax payer in loss Of interest,"
and afterwards paying the money back into the
hands, or rather into the hands Of our State
Legislature to be used as they may direct for the
benefit of those who had paid thetax. Even though
the money should be appropriated in such manner
that each should be benefited in proportion to the
amount which he had paid, "a thing which would
be mpossible,) would it not be better to let each
retain the money in his own hands and apply it
as ne might think best
We are answered by the advocates of this strange
policy, that cur State rsusHue rs deripsd from arss laid
directly upon lands, Negroes and other property accord
iRg 10 is true pazus. The revenues Of the General
GOvemmeuLOn the other hand, are derived from the
tariff duties, or in common phrase The tax which is
imposed goods imported into the United States
from other countries. This tax, we are told, does
not bear oppressiyely upon the poor and upon the
industrious classes as direct tax. Inthe language
Of one Of the leading organs Of the Know Nothing
policy, this tax tariff no matter what it is
high or low, is paid by the consumers of goods upon
which The duty is laid.
"No man is necessarily bound to pay it-and
here are thousands Of men in Tennessee who never
Tay any thing, who do not know any thing about the
duties on foreign imports, and who care nothing
whatever about it. The plain, industrious and sub
saniial farmer, who produces with his own labor all
the uecesaes Of life, has no reason to care for the
tariff. Il is the consumers Of foreign silks, broad
cloths wines and other c0ucomilants of wealth and
leisure who pay the duties and who are able to pay
then."
Nequote The above from the PATRIOT, because it is
the language Of a friend and able advocate of the
Know Nothing party, and because it embodes in a
few plain words well put together, the whole argu-
ment in favor Of The policy Of raising moay By the
tariff, 10 be distributed among t5s States Some men
will naturally doubt The sincerity Of a party which
proposes to raise money by a tax upon those alone
who wear silks, and broad cloths for the benefit Of
the POOR and The plain, industrious farmer, while
others not doubling The sincerity of those who pro.
pose H. viii very naturally question the honesty Of
policy by which one class are 10 be taxed for the
benefit of another and would scorn to be the recip-
ieuls Of any such pretended bounty. We propose,
however, 10 rest nothing upon mere conjecture as to
the motives, but 10 examine and compare by an ex-
hi0tiyn Of facts which none can deny the relative
advantages TO the poor man of substituting an in
crease of The duties or tax which he pays on the
goods he may buy, in order to relieve him in part
from his share OF State taxes that is the direct tax
upon land, negroes and other property. Let us see
first what interest the poorest class Of men have in
the proposed change. Ii he have no land no ne
gr0es, no property of any kind on which our State
charges tax, he can Of course have no reason to
dread the State tax much talked about. no odd,
though indebtedness zen iss as great as 1, as
But how is it under the tariff system 5v means OF
sobei s money mast Be raised for distribution, if it
ever take place Can DE escape that upon the plea
that Ire poor that lie has in point Of fact nothing
which be can cali his owns No. She poorest man
Of us all requires not only food and shelter. but
like the rich man, the Almighty has created him les
Gtute OF The covering which he has given to the
beast, and he must be protected against the incle-
meucies Of The seasons. The decoucies Of life re-
quire that he aud his family, as well as the ricL
shall be clothed, Thus unfortunate with nothing
but the hard earnings Of his daily labor what heart
hard lhal IL viii say tohim goa shall not bug l-6er