Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1857-06-13
SATURDAY MORNING JUNE 10, 1854.
DIsrRIBUTToN AND FEDERALISM

60 There are thousands Of men in Tennessee who
never pay anything, who do not know anything
about the duties Of imports and who care nothing
whatever about It, The plain, industrious and sub
stantial famer who produces with his own labor all
the necessares Of life, has reason 70 care FOR the
Tariff In Is THE CONSUMERS OF FOREIGN SILKS
BRoAD-CLOTHs. WINES, AND OTHER CoNCOAuTANTs
or WEALTH AND LEISURE WHO PAY TIE DUTIES AND
WHO ARE ABLE To PAY THEM. '--AashUile Patriot
8. If the proceeds Of the public lands were given
to the States and devoted 10 works Of internal inn
prcvement and education, these tend to promote the
happiness and prosperity Of the people, and should
the present tariff fail to produce sufficient revenue
to defray the expenses Of the general government,
il would be more polite to increase the duties suf-
GENTLY to supply the deficit, than to continue the
public lands as a source Of revenue.
tariff is the most polite method ever devised
for raising revenue. 1t Is tax that falls naturally
upon those who are able to bear the burden. The
wealthy who INDUCES IN Injuries pays the tax,
while the thousands Of poor who toll for their bread
are entirely relieved. The poor hUsbandmRn who
digs and plows the earth for a living kna5 rot g
Of this tax. The machinery Of g0vernHen5 gpes on
supplied by indirect taxation and he never feels it.
40 exciseman ever invades his premises. His
wealthy neighbor who wears fine cloths and silks
and drinks foreign wines and brandies, pays the tax
-MurfressJoro Telegraph.
If this is not naked, clean old-fashioned Federal
ism we are free to confess we have never known
er says the Patriot, has no reason to care for the
tarif-it is the gentlemen Of wealth and leisure
who support the government and are alone interested
in this matter If this be true the old Federal doc
tine was certainly right that the government should
take care Of the rch and leave the rich to take care
of the poor. If it is the gentlemen 90 of wealth
and leisure" who pay the duties and support the
government we can we'll see why they should be
jealous Of the mechanic and the farmer in the de-
termination Of all political questions affecting
government which they alone support. But is this
idea true Is 1t so that our ''plan industrious and
substantial farmers are living under government
supported by the gentlemen Of &c wealth and leis
ure?' The very idea is PROFESSIONALS very
reverse Of all that is true. It is the labOrng classes
who support the government in every sense Of the
word and who take care of the gentlemen Of ''Weath
and leisure" One Woodworking blacksmith pays
more into the public treasury in the way Of duty
upon his iron than The richest Wall street Broker
pays upon his brOad-cloth The toiling farmer, with
his wife and halfdozen children, pays more rev
enue into the treasury by reason Of the duty upon
his cotton and woollen fabrics, shoes, hats, sugar
and other necessares Of life, than many Of the veal
thiest families spend in silks ami brOad-clOths. In
faet the burthens Of government were never equal
under any tariff system and cannot be made equal.
Many man worth only $4,000 necessarily pays into
the treasury double the amount in proportion to his
means, that is paved by the man of 100000;
and whenever the Patriot desires it, we will demon
strate it so plainly that child cannot fail to under
stand.
The Murfreesboro' Telegraph, the special organ Of
l. -
still stronger language. 1t argues, give the public
lands in part--in which the poor man has equal in
terest with the rioh-to private corporations, rail
road companies and increase the tariff duties suf-
fcent to supply the deficit that would be oecasOned
in the public treasury thereby; for, says the TeIe
gs0DH. "a tariff is the most polite method ever de-
vised for raising revenue. The wealthy man who
INDUCES in lUxuIies pays the tax, while the thou
sands Of poor who toll for their bread entirely
relieved The poor hUsbandman who digs and pows
the earth knows nothing Of this tax. The'machine-
ny of government goes on supplied by indirect tara
ton and he never feels it. No exciseman invades
his premises. His wealthy neighbor who wears fine
cloths irinks foreign wines and brandies pays
the tax
And this is the absurd logic used to abstract
money from the Federal Treasury in order to re
lieve railroad companies Of their Indebtedness, and
encourage the most prodigate system Of State Leg
islation. This is the answer given to the argu-
ment against distribution that II viii create ne
cessity for d higher tariff. Was there ever an alb
surdity so insulting to the common sense and dig
nifty Of the American massesg
While we are gratifed that the opposition are
showing their coven foot so plainly in this matter
we can but express our surprise at their reckless
ness in doing so. All that Is necessary for their
overthrow is that the people shall understand them
We are gratfed that these two papers are aiding
literally in the accomplishment that end.