Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1868-12-07

J lUR1s w q hO5Lf Vi CNul5cg AVlh " AnS
source OF our trade and commerce, and
! the state of things surrounding it, and be
/ careful to throw nothing in the way of
/ the freest intercourse, and to slways keep
ourselves In condition TO be able to sell
/ to those who wish TO trade with us-aDd
/ who are our natural customers-upon, al
/ least, as good terms IS they can get from
/ other communities.
! If our revenue system Is not based upon
/ this idea, we must rely necessarily alone
upon the trade OF the State IS source of
revenue, which, we apprehend, no one
will dispute, would, in very short time,
greatly impair If not totally destroy our
commercial prosperity, and with It the
chief source of the States revenue. They
would further state, while there have
bsen at ali times great difficulties In ad-
justlng revenue bills, in regard to all
sources of taxation, there certainly never
was time when greater consideration
should be given the subject, so far as it
relates to our mercantile interest, than
now, for the reason that cur trade rela-
tions were broken down and largely de-
stToyed during the war, and to i con-
siderable extent taken away from our
merchants by powerful rivals, in loesi
ties and communities, who, instead of
losing, grew rich by the war, while Ten
oessee merchants grew poor. Your
memorisiists would state that they are
well aware that il is much essieT to fnd
fault than to point out TeOedies yet
thsy are persuaded that in the ijOm
Ia your bodies q remedy can and vii be
devised, at least TO the extent of pu ling
your constituents upon as favorable
footing, so fsT as your legislation is con-
cerned, as any other community. This
will be admitted by all as simple and
even handed justice. Your memorial
lists would state that the present law,
as they verify believe, as now executed
by clerks and others, whose duty il is to
collect taxes under it, is, in its operations,
as construed by them, unjust and oppres-
sive, and destructive of the prosperity Of
the State, and will ere long, if suffered
to continue, greatly lessen It's revenue.
Uader the 5th section the clerks claim
taxes OF all merchants at tie rate of one
per cent. on the amount of their pur-
chsses, according to invoice cost at the
place where purchased, thus taxing
the same goods IS often as they may
change hands, until they pass into the
ownership of the consumer, notTiLh-
standiog the provision in the Code, sec
ton 553, sub section 6, that no goods
shall be taxed but opce for the State, and
Of the Constitution, article 2 section 80
which says, 3" no article manufactured of
the produce of the State shall be taxed |
otherwise than to pay inspection fees,n
thus bringing the present law in direct |
conflict with provision or the COnstitu- /
ton, and also imposing such burthens I
upon the commercial interests OF the I
State as to tend to induce ali persons en- {
gagged in trade 70 60 out OF the State for /
supplies, as well as TO exercise powerful |
influence on all merchants south and I
adjacent TO us to pass as by aud go TO /
PLACES north and east of us, where the 1
tax complained Of can be avoided, thus /
losing to US the immense and profitable /
trade naturally tributary and belonging (
to us, and which would necessarily fall /
into our lap if we were in e condition, /
under cur legislation, to fairly compete /
with our more fortunate neighboriGg !
sister cities north and east OF Us. We do .
not seek to relieve ourselves from our 4
fail share of the public burthens Of the I
State, hut simply ask that we may be 50 1
dealt with as tnAt " as class may help /
to build up trade fer our State and /
cities, that will, In cur opinion, yield I
much larger revenue to the State than 4
she now has as well as to promote her /
general prosperity and wealth, and in 4
that way increase her revenue.
To all this may be replied that tie .
State ia crippled and ia debt, and must /
have the reVenus or her credit be de- 4
slroyed; all of which may be admitted .
But does it necessarily follO8 that there /
is no way TO raise the revenue needed 4
but that now provided in the statute =? I
We think not. We would suggest, as
one mode Of equalizjng the taxes, that I
oae per cent. be levied upon all the cap
itdL used in the buying AID selling of
merchandise, of whatever nature, in the
State or, better, that the Government
plan Of o1le-te'Ith Of oIae per cent. on all
sales throughout the State, and that they
be required to report TO the County Court
Clerk the amount OF their sales monthly,
as they do now to the Government; or,
il that shall not be deemed best, the one
half of one per cent be levied upon ali
purchases, as per invoice cost at the
place where purchased, provided that no
article shall be compelled to pay tax
more than once to the State. 1t is be-
lieved by your memorialisis that any one
of the above plans would be far more sat
isfaetory to the Taxpayer than the pres
ent; and that either Of the two last
mentioned modes would be much more
equitable than that now in use, and that
they would yield in reasonable time, if
not Immediately, larger revenue by in
duciDg capital and trade to the STATE, In
manufactures, and encour-
aging the industrial interests to much
greater activity, whereby her internal
sources of revenue would be greatly en-
larged and developed. We feel that the
State desires to deal IS literally with her
citizens assny State in the Union; yet
we are equally satisfied that no State has
3 revenue system that 50 COM
pletely shuts her people out from
the trade that legitimately belongs
to them SIS the State Of Tennessee, and
that what her people most need now is
the passSge OF such laws as will put them
upon a competing equality with rival
cities and merchants of other Ststes.
We are encouraged to make this appeal
to your honorable body by the generous
and friendly recommendations by the
Governor in s q recent article in his pa
per upon this subject. Your memorial
lists would, therefore, most respectfully
ask that the Legislature shall, at as esrly
q day es practicable, Ia some mode, es
may seem wise and just to your Honor.
able bodies, adjust these matters so as
that the mercantile interests of cur State
shall be placed upon fair, just and com
peting equality with other merchants Of
other States, that the commercial and
financial prosperity of the State may not
suffer. And your memorislists will ever
pray, etc,
James Whitw orth, Il #. Gardner,
A. q. Adams, John w. TeTrAss,
John w Wilson, 3. h. Hicks,
rhos. ID. Fite, J. I. Pendieton,
9. z. Hillmar, Jno. p. White,
n. 4. AcClaugherty, c. \. Ordway, \
For Nashville Merch ants.
WM. r. MOORE,
For Memphis Merchants
W. G. CRUICHFIELD,
For Chattanooga Mer hants,
COWAH, Mo@lUNG & CO.,
Fur Knoxville Merchants.