Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-03-11
MORE TAXATION.
TYPo

Radical Mode Of RnyIng uP Votes
The Impoverished People Of Ten"
nessee lO Foot the Bill.
From the Knoxville Press and Herald, Mar. 8.
The attention Of this community has
been recently called to the condition Of our
State finances by some interesting letters
from two estimable gentlemen holding Of
fee under our loyal State government, and
themselves loyal in the strictest sense of
the word.
1t will be remembered that the tax col
lector Of this county has said that it was
impossible to collect the taxes without "op-
pressing the people," which means levying
upon and selling their property.
Now, let the people see what steps the
Legislature is taking 10 relieve them of
this burden Of taxation.
In the State Senate on Wednesday, the
bill for the benefit Of the United States
soldiers, giving them bounties, respectively
500, $66S, S335, according to time of ser
vice, was taken up.
Now, in the first place, why should the
State OF Tennessee take it upon itself to
pay bounties TO United States soldiers?
The discharged soldiers in this State are
not suffering that we are aware of, any
more than any other class of our popula-
tion. They received their pay while in
the army, and the United States has
granted them an additional bounty.
The only reason fof this law is 50 gain
Radical votes. The discharged soldiers
are all voters, and the party thinks that
by giving them 500 each il can buy their
support.
Marx, now. how the Senate deliberates
upon this act, how carefully it counts the
cost. A motion was made to refer the
question to the Committees on Finance and
Ways and Means, with instructions to
make an estimate Of the cost of paying
these bounties, which was lost by tie
vote.
Mr.. Wisener had an idea of the cost OF
the project and offered an amendment
/ leyying tax of one per cent. annually on
the taxable property of the State to pay this
bounty, and a tax on privileges equal to
the amoant now collected by law. The
amendments were then adopted by ayes l6
nays 6.
Think of that, taxpayers One pei
cent. additional on all your taxable pro-
periy, and your privilege tax doubled
1 -hAAh i'A NhaA
To preserve the credit of the State
No.
To encourage education2 No.
To stimulate internal improvements
No.
Simply 10 buy up votes for the Radcs
party.
Not to buy up white votes either, but ne
groes.
Under the laws of this State, white mer
pay poll taxes. Negroes do not. Som,
negroes have been soldiers. Most of those
in the cities have. These negro soldiers al
come in for this bounty, and they aH pote.
Some Radicals are foolish enough Il
think that the negroes ought to pay taxes
but our Senate is wiser than they.
Mr. Nelson offered an amendmen
making colored soldiers pay poll tax whC
receive the benefits Of this act, which wal
lost.
Do the white soldiers of Tennessee. th,
men who fought for the preservation Of tn,
Union aud the maintenance Of the consti.
intion, but who are now beginning to feal
that they were deceived in the objects O
the war, and were misled into fighting fo
negro supremacy and to keep the UnioI
dissolved, do they like to be classed a
lower than the negroes, and only fitted {,
be taxed topay bounties TO negroes who ar
not taxed
Wesuppose they do, as we have not hear,
Of any opposition 10 the Radical ticket il
this county, but We cannot say that we ad
mire their taste.
Still We can stand it as long as any on
else. The bill passed the Senate by twely
70 ten. II may possibly be defeated on it
final passage, but we fear that like impeach
meni, the State militia and legal sdvertir
ing Law, the cause of loyalty demands IL
passage, and it will therefore pass
We do not wonder that our correspOn
dent, Dexter, is alarmed at the rapid ad
vance of the standard Of loyalty. IL wil
not be very long before the only respects
bic men in the community will be traitor
and Rebels, if the loyalists make thei
standard muck higher.