Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1857-06-07
THE PATRIOTS APOLOGY FOR ADDITIONAL
TAXATION


THE PATRIOTS APOLOGY FOR ADDITIONAL
TAXATION.
The Patriot finding that the veil Of sophistpy, IN
der which the Distribution bill had been exhibited
to the public gaze, as SORT Of free gift which the
General Government proposes to bestow upon its in
digent offspring win no longer conceal the fact that
it necessarily entails taxation to an amount greater
even than that which is distributed seeks tOpaliate
the absurdiiy by the following peculiarly know
nothing sort Of logic:
81 The tariff no matter what it is or how high or
low is paid by the CONSUMERS Of goods upon which
the duty is laid. And no man is necessarily bound
to pay it.
Certainly not. No more is he bound to pay his
land tax or his poll tax. He can incontinently cut
his throat and thus dodge the tax collector alto
gether, though for doing he might fall into worse
hands. So, too, he may 60 uncovered, barefOOted,
and wear only the skins of such wild beasts as he
may take in the chase, or in traps made by his own
hands But if he wears shoes or a shirt, hat, coat
orpants or captures his prey in steel trap: in short
unless he savage he is bound to pay his share
of the tax, and he pay it just as he enjoys the
necessaries and comforts of life.
Blu. to give the opposition the full benefit Of the
apology which they offer for the additional taxation
which this scheme of robbing the public treasury
entails, we quote further from the Patriot:
s'There are thousands of men in Tennessee, who
never pay any thing, who do not know any thing
about the duties on imports, and who care nothing
whatever about it. The plain, industrious and sub
| stantial farmer who produces with his own labor
all the necessares Of life, has no reason to care fol-
| the tariff 1t is the consumers of foreign silks,
broadcOths, wines, and other cOncOmitants ofweath
and leisure who pay the duties and who are able tc
pay them"
There are thousands Of men in Tennessee" says
the Patriot "who do not know any thing about the
duties on imports" True as holy writ; and far
depends upon the Patriot and others who favor dis
tribution, they will remain in ignorance to their dy
ing day. owe thank thee Jew for teaching US tina
word"
But we pledge ourselves that those who are so ig
norant upon this subject shall not remain unen
lghtened long if they will do themselves the justice
to read the UNION AND AMERICAN.
We intend before we shall have done with it Il
expose this system ofstealing money from the peck
cts of the unsuspecting in order that they may b.
deluded with the idea Of escaping direct taxation
We purposely deuominate the system stealing, be
cause as the Patriot says there are thou
sands Of men in Tennessee who do not know an!
thing about the duties on imports" Iii this sup
posed ignorance of thousands of men in Tennes
see to which the know nothing party clings as
forlorn hope to save them from the crushing charg
of increasing the already dispropOrtiOned and unjus
burdens imposed upon southern agriculture. Havin
exorted from them as we construe it, the admission
that distribution is in fact little else than a cum
ningly devised excuse for raising money by sys
TEN Of taxation, which thousands of men in Ten
nesee do not know any thing about it shall be on
business and our pleasure to open their eyes to tn
damning fact. Once more, "We thank thee Jew 70
teaching US that word" And now to our task.
We quote again the language Of the Patriot ''th
tariff no matter whether it is high, low, is pal
by the consumers of goods upon which the duty
laid" Let US see now what those goods upo
which the duty is laid, and shall then know HOY
much Of truth there is in the assertion of the Pat
OF, that the plain, industrious farmer has no rea
son to care for the tariff and that it is the oonsu
mers of foreign silks, broadclOths wines and othe
coneomitants of wealth and leisure only who pa
the duties.
We copy from the report of the Secretary of tn
Treasury of the Finances for the fiscal year 1856
page l25