Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-07-28

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Just and right No man shou ID wish to
depart from the equitable principle OF
taxation which is fred by the Constitu-
ton, which the wisdom Of ages, the law
writers and the experience OF men has
Determined to be most just and conform
able to liberty. When Frenchman de-
manded of the frat Napoleon two prices
for lot in Paris, because he knew the
Emperor could not do without 1t, even a
despotic government did not seize the
property and compel only the fair COM
pensation for II. Napoleon declared 1t
should never be said that the property Of
any Frsnchnen could be taken without
his consent. We have no property hold
ers in our " free country" so-called, who
are so rich that we can afford to do them
| Injustice. We have none so poor that
their rights should not be protected, cost
what it may, and let who viii! suffer by
| Il If we crush down the rich by taxa
ton, exclusively directed to them, we
shall soon have no rich to tax. The
poor will suffer, and will leave country
where capital is driven out BY such prac'
tees. .0l.
As the true friend Of the five thousand
laboring men who, with ten thousand
other persons, read our paper daily IN
this city, we tell them to vote to equal
ize taxation, and put it fairly on oil who
have property, if they want the credit OF
the city good, and the merchants land
lords and capitalists to make money
enough to be able to give them employ
ment Tax any one class as heavily as
the last city government taxed the real
estate holders, and all other capitalists
and property holders will look for their
turn to speedily come next, and will set
out and fly from the city. The conse-
quence will be that there is no employ
ment to be had, where there are no en-
ployers. The process has begun already.
Men who have real estate are anxious to
sell at half price, id order that they may
get out of q city in which injustice in
taxation is popular, and will be carried
out, as they fear, without reference to
whether it is right or not, because 1t is
popular. Property has been so very much |
benefited by laying the Nicolson pave
ment in its front already that the owners |
are anxious to sell it in many instances
for half its valuation before the paving |
was contracted for. Is not this charm
ing2 The majority Of our real estate
holders are old citizens, who have suf-
fered greatly by the war, and are less
able to pay than other classes. But they
are selected, against their free protest, to
pay the heaviest debt incurred by the
city, to the exclusion of all others. And
the carpet.baggers, the ofice-holders, the
money lords, and the merchants, who
have the means to pay, 60 free. And,
like set of starving men, we are now
turning with somewhat Of ferocity on
each other, pulling and hauling aud
swearing that few should pay great
public debt to their great injury, if not
absolute pecuniary destruction, which all
combined could pay without serious in
convenience to any. One says A., b.
and C. has more benefit than the rest of
the alphabet, and therefore A., B. and
C. should pay all for the whole benefit
which all share. If that is to be the rule,
why not let those most benefited pay the
most and all pay their share Is my
property enhanced in value by the pave
ment being laid in front of your store 7"
asks our correspondent. Well, suppose
not-what then? Will he maintain that
taxes should be levied not in proportion
to the valuation of property, but in pro-
portion 10 the benefits received by those
selected to bear the burden2 There is
no possibility of arriving at such
criterion. And when you have, there is
no equality even among the oppressed
few, when the Overton House pays two
thousand dollars for paving its front,
and vacant lot at South street, which
would not sell for more than two thou
sand dollars, pays this same tax and the
same money. The sum and substance
of the argument of those who favor the
present iniquitous NicolsoR tax is that
of the man who would not pay dollar
to support schools to educate other folks
children. In one case they are willing
to enjoy the clearly streets, the fine
drives, and the increased pleasure
and health and in the other
benefits of good morals, good order,
and good society, which education
produces. But paying for it is
another matter, which they will have no
hand in, because some one or more hap
pens to be benefited some greater or less
fraction more than they are. The whole
argument and ground of argument they |
take is wrong and wholly wrong Equal
ity is equity. and nothing less is Justice. |
No man should desire anything but JUS
tice and fairness And that win be as
sured BY q return to first, long established
and fair principles oftsxstion. Without
that, and a return to the constitutional
requirements, we shall soon find real
estate in Memphis worth less than the
taxes charged upon it,