Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1870-03-01
MERCHANTS. HAVE A TALK.
Mo~rehead's Mission a Faiiure..-The Kansas
City Railroad.
Thanks to Messrs. Bate, HeIskell and
Stephens, Of the Constitutional
Convention.
Only Six Representatives Of Commerce in
The Convention.
The Privilege of Merchandising Cannot In
Future be Taxed.

President Nelson read yeSUer0iy AFTER
noon to the ChamberO of Commerce a letter
from Mr.. Morehead, recently dispatched
to England by the Southern Commercial
Convention, in which he stated hat he
had sought in vain TO induce the Liver
pool Board of Cotton Trade to classify and
quote separately cotton received from
Memphis, Memphis, it thus appears, n
as highly esteemed, and Is not deemed so
important a spot in Liverpool as in Mem
phis. In other words, Mr.. Morehead, as
the representative of this city, failed in
his mission.
W. l.. Trask, Esq, the late excellent
Secretary, who resigned his place, asked
the appointment of a committee TO adjust
his accounts.
Colonel Sam. T. Taylor, formerly the
Pictorial representative of Shelby, Upton
and Fayette counties in the Legislature,
when honest, sane men, like himself and
Fillmore, whose adherent he was, ruled
the Union, was unanimously elected a
member of the Chamber of Commerce.
THE KANSAS CITY RAILROAD.
Mr.. Cherry, when it was announced
that a fund had been gathered for the pur-
pose of sending an agent to organize the
company and gatherits 81 resources by which
Memphis and Kansas City may be con-
nected by railway to give us the trade of
the new Northwest, and exchange alliga-
tors and little niggers for buffsloes. When
this proposition was presented by MIR.
Cherry, the swap suggested omitted, he
moved that the disposition of the fund be
entrusted to President Nelson. Mr.. Nell
son hesitated, objected said he preferred
to have Messrs. Cherry and Harrington
associated with him, and, so earnestly did
he insist, that the two gentlemen were
added to the committee. Col. Eldridge
will at once begin the prosecution Of the
task, which. in its cOnsummation, will
evoke all the energy and earnest effort
which has hitherto distinguished this
in militOry and civil life. He
has really given paternity to this work
and first directed the attention of Western
Missouri to this city as the natural sea
port Of wide western domains recently
victimized by the XVIII Amendment.
ABoMBsHELL.
Mr.. Cherry startled very many persons
present by proposing to tender messrs.
Bate. HeiskilI and Stephens, who repre-
this city in the late Constitutional
Convention, the thanks of this
mercantile community for their wis
dom and action at Nashville. Mr..
Phillips proposed to include the repre-
sentative of Eayette county, and make
him the beneficiary of the resolution.
There was no objection to this, save hat
III OhaLAAbEL VI ~ - 49, -
sentative from Fsyette were named,
should omit the name of no member Of
the Convention whose intelligence and
sense of right caused him to cooperate
with gentlemen from this city.
Colonel Pickett was opposed to b reso-
luton. He had read the new COustitu-
ton, and could hud within it nothing TO
commend.
Mr.. Cherry suggested that it was rot his
or tho nrnpInpa of the her
OF Commerce to approve or condemn the
features OF the new Constitution,
and that his object was simply to approve
the action OF Our local representatives, as
commercial interests and communities
were affected by the personal action Of
these gentlemen. With this explanation
Colonel Pickett and Mr.. Mahan were
satisfied. and Mr.. Cherry's resolution was
unanimously adopted.
Messrs. SchOolheld and Harrington con-
Cured with Mr.. Cherry, and pronounced
eulogiums upon Mr.. Heiskell and his as
sociates.
lard
MI. Cherry, in the course Of his re-
stated that infinitely the most OBJ
i~ectionable feature of the new COnstitu-
ton was the clause virtually prohibiting
investments by counties in railways. For
road is endangered, and that to Kan
1d51 ALN III AtEH III NNDA A&AAN ~ INV "a
require the financial Intervention
Of this city, or remain for years unfinished.
A SPEECH.
On the suggestion of Charles Phillips,
Judge HeiskeIi was requested by Presi-
dent Nelson to expound the meaning and
operation Of the singular clause in the
new Constitution which exempts goods
fcom taxation, otherwise than as lands are
which are SOLD to citizens of ada
cent States. Judge Heiskell said that
there were but six representatives
of commercial communities in the
Convention. Under such circum-
stances it was found impossible to
Undue the Convention with feelings or
ideas that animated representatives of
cities. 1t was Grst proposed to
impose a double tax on meachants, and,
finally. alter infinite discussion, public
and private, it WIS agreed that goods sold
to citizens of other States should be re-
lieved of the burdens of which merchants
complained. Judge Heiskell did not
make the suggestion. but it occurs to US
that no legislature will tax own peo-
pie on goods they buy, and relieve from
the same burden at the same instant the
people of adjacent States. Tennesseeans
otherwise be induced to buy goods
in Arkansas Of merchants who had just
bought in Memphis. Tennessee is five
hundred miles long and one hundred aud
twenty-five miles wide. If Tennessee re-
tail merchants are taxed, while just across
the lines Alabama, Mississippi, and Ken
lucky tradesmen are untaxed on their
purchases, Tennessee retail trade will be
more, and our people will cross the
lines to supply their households. In truth,
the new Constitution is wiser than they
who made IL. Isn't that.so, Judge2 The
will V dare exercise the
power granted TO tax Unequally with
citizens retail or local tradesmen.
The reason assigned for the favor shown
wholesale dealers consists in the fact that
they must compete with wholesale dealers
of Louisville and other cities, while a re-
tail dealer might well be heavily taxed
because he charged up the tax in fixing 9
price on his goods. A class of people are
thus taxed which could not otherwise be
reached by the law or tax gatherer. The
merchant first pays the tax but charges 1t
to his customers with a profit and interest
added. He loses nothing-very true, but
he will lose trade which will be driven
across the border of the State, and, then,
the system is j ndefensible, because, while
IL EFFORTS a tax from those who can't Osh-
erwfse be reached, i also robs those who
meet every requirement OF the tax gath
erer. The constitutional provision cannot
be defended because il taxes a class who
Otherwise Dc lndu6 70 pay SluCt IL
falls even more heavily upon those that
pay everything ..Judge Heiskell properly
asserted that the new was infinitely pref
cradle TO the old Constitution enacted in
1884 and ornamented with a tail, to his
monstrous Radical kite, called a "Sched-
ule," the ghsstliest infAmy in legislation
ever devised. by the present operative
Constitution all blacks and a few whites
can votes by the proposed system of or
ganic law, all whites and all blacks are
voters. In the old Constitution merchants
have no protection; in the new, MGR
chants are safe enough and need fearnoth-
ing. Judge Heiskell did not believe that
n legislature would ever attempt TO dis
eliminate against either or any class of
merchants, and that in future years all
citizens would be equally and justly bur-
dened. When iu~terrogated by Mr.. Far
rington, Judge H. said that he did not
think that the privilege" of merchandise
ing could be hereafter taxed as such. He
thanked the assembled merchants for
kind audience, and the assembly