Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1870-08-24
EAST TENNESSEE AND THE UNITED STATES
REVENUE.

Our cotemporary, the Press and Hcraid,
i'm yesterday mornings issue, in the course
of column and half editorial makes the
following remarkable statement:
AS the disbursements of the Government in
East Tennessee are few and its taxes enormous,
we are not prepared to say that there would be
any great crime in securing to them few scat
tering crumbs, while the tables of other public
servants are grooming beneath the weight OF the
hugcst lOavcs and fishes.
This of course, means that in the pay
ment of revenue and the distribution of
Government funds East Tennessee is UNI
fairly dealt with, that we pay out greater
amount of taxes, in proportion to what we
receive from the Government, than other
portions of the country.
We might question the propriety, good
taste and patriotism of such attempts to
excite discomfort in East Tennessee against
the Government she served $50 nobly, and
which has well and gratefully appreciated
her devotion. But it is only with the
truth of this charge that we propose to
deal. Newspapers are the medium through
which the public looks for a large share Of
its information on many of the most inn
portant subjects. An incorrect statement
made in print will be read by many who
have neither opportunity nor inclination
to investigate its truth, and will often be
accepted unquestioningly, and thus do Sc
rious injury.
We will give our contemporary the benefit
of the doubt, and presume that it was ig-
norance, and not "A deliberate intention to
misrepresent, that prompted the para
graph.
But what are the facts? For the fiscal
year ending June Goth, 1869, the receipts of
Internal Revenue from the three Congress
sional Districts situated wholly or partly in
East Tennessee We're exactly S213,5 01 80.
For the year ending June 30th, 1870, we
have not been able to obtain the exact of
fetal figures but learn that it will be some
what less, pr, bly, about S2l0,0O0.
Now for the amount we receive from
| Uncle Sam
For the year ending May 3lst, 1870, the
| amount disburscd in pensions alone for
| East Tennessee at the Knoxville Pension
! Agency was Sjl2,3j3.70, or more than
| dOtJic the amount of revenue received
| from us by the United States in either the
! fiscal year just closed or the one preceding.
Then, too, the pensions paid here are
| simply those for East Tennessee, while the
| three Congressional Districts above alluded
| to include not only all East Tennessee, but
several counties of the Middle Division of
our State, which makes the difference still
more apparent. Then, also, the juror and
witness fees and other expenses of the Fed
erai Courts held here during the past year
have amounted to the sum SO, 800, all of
which is paid out by the Government and
| received by our community. TO this may
| be added several thousand dollars received
annually in the shape of salaries and gen
eral disbursements of the Government of
| which East Tennessee receives the benefit.
Thus it appears that we receive annually
! in East Tennessee, from the United States
Government over $500, 600 more than the
| Government receives from Us during the
same period.
These are facts well worth the considera-
! ton of the people.