Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-11-02
TAxaTyoN s. on TIE 500.

TAXATION s. ON II 0
Since 1861, when the class Of fippsnt
politicians were thrown 70 tbs surface TO
take the places Of the wise and fsr-seeing
craftsmanship which presided over the
infancy OF the States and the Republic,
.he question Of taxation, the most vital
in its consequences to the people, hiss
been treated in as of-hsnd q style and
with about as much consideration as a
charter for q turnpike, certainly with not
half the debate or wrsngling thGt an IN
important railroad measure would pro-
woke. The city, 70 use q haokneyed and
vulgar phrase, "goes for its share, and
the county and the State come in to take
what has been left US after the Federal
government has forced Whist it needs
& support a horde Of idle, lszy
officials, whose soils work it is to.
aid in the f1rtherance Of the schemes
Of Grant for the perpetustion Of his
Official existence. The Federal congress
lsvies lite exscEious without any reference
70 those OF the State; the State without
reference to those Of the county, Or the
county to those Of the city. Each taxes
upon its OWL account, with special refer
eace to its own needs or possible necessi-
ties, without inqUiring, in many instances
without caring, what the other may nave
already required the people to pay, Each
too, has its own system Of taxation. The
federal taxes Cypress every industry, and
hamper every calling. Bankers and
brokers sre taxed, merchants, ssEmen and
riysrmen, railroads, railroad supply deal
eu, bost and ship builders, and mt
fscturers and mechanics OF all kinds.
Every article OF dress, and every descrip-
tion OF food pays toll 20 support ths con-
csntrssing federal system. The cradle and
the CONN, the Homestead and the grave,
the importAtiOns of the country and the
exports, alike pay their quota. And this
schedule Of federal exsctiOns Is almost re-
pested by the State, by the county and
the city. In Memphis our property
owners pay a direct tax OF sixty
cents on the one hundred dollars
70 the State, the same to the
county, snd two dollars on the
one hundred dollars TO the city, |
making thrss dollars and twenty cents.
But this is the least part OF the combined
eIsctiOns Of tbs tax triumvirste who
knock st our doors with sgue-liks regu-
lzrity, and quietly II thsy can, forcIbly
if they must, wrench from the victims OF
official rspscity the means Of supporting
the vast hoard of public officials, which
every yes- increases in greater ratio thar
ths population. III property holder thus
called upon to pay 8 20 Of q direct tax for
the support Of the State, county and city, /
happen to be 6 merchant, he has TO pay
additional to this, and additional to what
the Federal government has taken from
him, an al DGt0rem tax upon the capital
Invested Of sixty cents on the
one hundred dollars, and q license
tax OF the same, making another
u % 20 the State; then the county comes
IN snd duPlicstes this tax, and adds a spe-
cal tax fo< railroad pUrposes Of one
dollar and seven and q half cents on the
one hundred dollars, and the city takes
what is left by q tsx on merchandise stock,
making in all q tax OF fully eight dollars
the one hundred dollars that the citi-
zen has to Psy who happens to combine {
in his unlucky person the functions of
property owner and merchants; and this /
in addition to the frightful amounts he {
has to pay 70 the federal government Ia {
stamp duties on bills Of purchase or sale. I
checks, bills OF lading, on canned /
goods, tobacco, beer, ale, porter, wines, G
WHISTLES and brsndies, and indeed, every- I
thing be buys and sells, and every trans
action he effects. Feeling the weight Of
his intolersble tax, is It sny wonder that t
1ur merchants, who thus pay six fold Q
more han all other classes OF u pecple 6
ihould grumble and growl, and continue
o petition the legislature for redress Of
grievances that rsmp them in thsir vork. &
the expansion Of their energies 8
md absolutely have the effect Of a dis &
Elimination in favor Of the more favored II
merchants Of other states. But lt is not "
lone the merchants who complain. The 81
out Of whose earning All n
axes are eventually paid, these complain 81
sleeping OF waking, living or dead, n
hey are the subjects Of q system 3 thou In
and times more odioas than that which d.
G~1 NAA ASAoAas4oLs 20 revolution. a
be X OF the United States are only
Neeeded by those Of tsx-ridden and pau
srlzed England If we add the State. M
ie county and city taxes to the Federal, 30
viii De found that England is second, Il,
ID that ours is the most tax-cursed peo- q,
on the face Of the earth. We cannot ma
and it. 1t is psrslyzng cur energies, H
'ting out our substance, and making ps
Iupers Of Us for the sake Of q b~ondocracy 81
power II gradually being felt Is W.
authority makes encroschmsnts uDon Sc
z Liberties. We must fnd relief and is
ice It csnnOt be hsd from congress. we
ast seek It at the hands Of our State !
slAlature. Initiated IN the right spirit ria
ere, We may reasonably hope for the eoI
oWth Of spubhc opinion that viii force fro
rate Of taxation, nom the county ths
city, and finally from the federal nU
yernment. Relief we must have. and so
family. The legislature is car present 49,
Pc; encouraged BY favorable legisla- So
n We may with reason look S,C
Tier, and finally succeed in amore lust 900,
more equitable distribution Of tsxss the