Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-11-12
THE TAX QUESTION.
Reply 20 ssFarmer''-The Merchants'


bcPAy 70 EaEfneE Inc MerCnants
To the Editors Of the Union and American:
The question of taxation is always a diff
cult and sometimes a very delicate question
TO manage. In the present condition of
Tennessee it is peculiarly embarrassing. The
State needs money to move her necessary
machinery-she needs a large amount Of
it-and this money can be raised only by
taxing her population. There seems to be
two parties in our present Legislature-One
called "high tax" and the other the Glow
tax party. 1t is not my present purpose in
this article to take sides with either, but
rather to reply briefly and courteOusly to the
communication published in your paper yes
terday morning over the signature of Farm
er," who seems to think that the OBjectOf the
recent memorial addressed by the merchants
to the General Assembly of Tennessee is |
designed to lessen the merchants by i'll
creasing the farmers taxes. 1 can assure
Farmer" that nothing could be further
from their intentions. On the contrary,
quoting from the Constitution Of Tennes-
see the Sause which prohibits the Legisla-
ture from taxing one class Of property high
eT than another, they distinctly ayOw their
wish that unequal tGreS shall cease and that
the equitable rule of treating all honest
classes alike, shall be substituted in its
stead throughout the entire borders of the
State. Now no class of people in this land
get so much credit for honesty and fair
dealing as the farmers, and as | happen to
have descended from that highly respecta-
BILE class, am rather than otherwise, dis
posed to appropriate at least a portion of
the implied compliment. l take it that
Farmer is one of the Cleverest of that
clever and worthy class, and would feel
Justly indignant were any one to charge
him with even a remote purpose to either
wrong his fellows or submit, without bitter
protest, to wrong and outrage from them,
and in this popularity the resemblance be-
tween himself and the merchant is most
striking. In the merchants memorial,
above alluded to after showing by the stern
est sort of facts, that the merchants are
taxed more than fpe hJuldredpe cent. high
er than other classes, they beg the Legisla-
ture to remedy this outrage by placing them
simply on an equality with other people.
Now, can any fair and honest man like
Farmer" object to this? The merchants
have never asked the Legislature to take
the tax off them and place it on the farmers,
but,after showing how they were discrimina-
ted against, have simply begged to be placed
on the list and treated as other honest and re-
spectacle citizens, and they feel safe in
saying that even Farmer" when he under
stands this to be their meaning, will not
offer a single objection. Farmer" in his
communication, speaks of the 'SOphistry
and special pleadings" in the merchants
memorial. If he will do the merchants the
honor to read their memorial once again
carefully and impartially, am sure he will
withdraw those expressions. Instead of
''sOphistry and special pleadings,' the dOcu-
ment does not state a single proposition
that is not fortified by the hardest and
most obstinate fact. And why should it?
Do the merchants not know that any mis-
statement by them would be Immediately
riddled and exposed by intelligent and
watchful men like Farmer They are
too practical to undertake to effect pur-
pose through the flimsy medium Of
''sOphistry and special pleadings."
This is not the way they manage their
business. No, "Farmer" is mistaken. The
merchants desire to share fully in the just
taxes necessary to protect the credit and
honor of the State. None feel more tOrci-
bly, than they the necessity of maintaining
a good credit, and none will consent more
cheerfully to assist by contributing their
equal proportion, anu We 90 not DelltNe LIlaJ
the present Legislature will consent to i'm
pose any unequal burdens upon particular
class of their constituents. In the first
place, being fresh from the people and deep
ly imbued with the spirit of justice and fair
dealing, they seem animated with one de
sire, namely, to restore the State to that
sound and prosperous condition which
characterized her before the war, and |
think they are both too wise and too patri-
otto to undertake the accomplishment Of
this great work by singing out particular
class Of their constituents and compelling
them to do the entire work. 1t would not be
to the interest of any legislator, especially
if he ever expected future hOnOrs, to legis-
late in any such manner, and | take it that
our Legislature, like most others, contains
a large amount of human nature. . But l
am occupying too much of your space.
Please ventilate this tax question until the
people shall thoroughly understand that all
classes are equally Interested and should !
alike share IN the necessary burdens OIL
tarGfiOn. WM. r. MOORE. / |