Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-04-21
danger hat The cry may be: .Down with
Congress"
J. Among an the dep1onstfatio,,s vh;eh

Congress" 1
s Among al the demonstrations which |
have been made in favor of a reduc-
ton of faxes there is none more
significant, or which is entitled to more
consideration than the one which was
made in Chicago recently. Almost the
entire business of that metropolis was rep
resented, including merchants, bankers,
manufacturers and produce factors. The
expression of sentiment contained in the
resolutions adopted was explicit and very
emphatic. They demand a reduction of
taxation to the extent of at least fifty
millions per annum; an equal reduction of
the future annual extinguishment of the
public debt, and speedy funding of the
whole at the lowest practicable rate of
interest. 1t is evident that the West is
terribly in earnest in the matter, and that
it will follow it up with characteristic
vigor.
At that meeting Hon. w. F. Col
baugh was called to preside, and upon
taking the chair, said .'fa
He fully agreed with the origina-
tors of this movement that the
time had come when material
reduction in the existing rates of national
taxation might safely be insisted on.
The question of taxation was becoming
one of absorbing interest to the public.
During the last few weeks he had had oc-
casion to investigate, to some extent, the
amount of taxes, national and State, gen
eral and local, that the people have been
obliged to pay; and the extraordinary
fact appeared that in the last four years
the United States have paid the wonderful
sum of 81, 900, 900, 900.
Notwithstanding the fact that this large
amount had been cheerfully paid by the
people, the national debt has been re-
duced in the same period but $500,
600, 600.
The existing rate of taxation has not
been materially reduced during the last
year, while the revenue to the general
government amounts to between $780,
600, 900 and $500, 10000. The official
documents of the country, the reports of
the Commissioner of Internal Revenue,
say that under the existing rate of taxa
ton there will be a surplus at the end of
the present fiscal year in the United States
treasury of over $l20, 900, 900.
The speaker continued, that although
he wished to see the national debt ex-
tinguished at as early day as possible, he
did not believe it was sound policy, in the
existing state of things, to retire the pub
lie debt at sacrifice to the people, so
rapidly as has been done during the last
three years. The reduction of the debt in
a ratio amounting to $50, 900, 900 per an
mum he thought as much as the country
could bear.
He urged that Congress should at once
take measures to reduce the existing taxa
ton upon the people to the extent OF
$50, 000,0 900. That would allow of re-
tirement of the debt at rate as rapidly
as that designated-$50, O00, 900 per an
mum. 1t would do more. 1t would en-
able Congress to reduce the present i'm
port tax on articles of prime necessity,
| and bring them at reasonable prices
within the reach of every consumer in
| the land; it would enable them to abolish
the miserable tax on the sale of merchan-
disc, which takes annually $500, 900 from
the people of Chicago; it would enable
them to abolish the annoying system of
stamp tax; it would enable them to abol-
ish the income tax of the land-a tax the
most unjust and unequal ever instituted
on earth.
The speaker very forclbly denounced
the last two methods of taxation, and
characterized them as the most Ubiquitous
measures that were ever foisted upon the
citizens of free republic.
In conclusion, he stated that the ques-
ton of taxes was one that the people, of
necessity, would have to give their attten
ton to ere long. Probably but few in the
audience knew that>the city of Chicago
paid in direct taxes to the general govern
ment, during the past year, $500, 600
larger sum than was paid by any other
Congressional district in the United States
except one. 1t was time that the people
should speak against this crying injustice,
and it is time that the voice and opinions
of Western men should be needed, for
Westward the star of empire takes its
way.n