Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1872-07-18
Our Taxes.
For the Fayetteville Observer.

a little of your space while we call
attention to an abuse that needs
correction? There is a lavish ex.
penditure of the poor peoples
money going on which we do not
understand. Editors are general.
ly supposed to know more than
other people; and we hope you will
either ventllste the matter or tell
us who is to be blamed, and they
will get a "raking." Federal taxa.
ton is not generally supposed to
be distressingly light sin &c the
war. Be it as it may, however,
we are not in condition to resist
it successfully, but by returning to
the customs that prevailed during
the late war-:hatis to live within
the limits of our own productions
But our wives and children don't
like to come down from eastern
prints and imported coffee and
sugar, &C., to home made clothing,
rye coffee, and sorgum molasses.
This is the only practical method
of resisting Federal taxation that
we know of, and yet we must do
this which none of them like TO,
or else we must grin and bear it.
The people, however, have a notion
that State taxation has a good deal
to do with the spending of the
peoples money. The State has
extended such generous aid to rail.
roads that never have or will be
built-has rewarded so many 10y
al citizens, and permitted so many
thieves to manipulate the school
funds and other stocks that a huge
State debt has been incurred.
Taxes have been raised and bonds
have been sold till they could
find no purchasers to maintain the
credit of the State. All the efforts
have failed to keep up our credit,
and as the bonds commenced ma
turing the General Assembly was
compelled to make provision for
their redemption both by the issu-
ance of new bonds and an increase
OF the tax, that we are now forced
to shell cut our hard earnings
quite freely andgrowl at somebody,
we know not who. There is no
escape from State taxation but to
60 to Texas or Arkansas, and this
we don't like to do any better than
our wives liked to wear "confeder-
ate swiss" The Comptroller tells
us that the liabilities of the State
only amount to aboutS35, 900, 900,
and the late census gives q popu-
lation OF about one million of in
habitants, that the prospect Of
maintaining our credit seems so
fattering that we can hardly re-
sist the temptation to start right
off to Texas and leave some of
those who stay to pay the thirty.
five dollars per capita Of those who
will go with US. al.i.
But this is not all. In their
simplicity the people think that
even our own County Court is
taking undue liberties with cur
purses, when it is remembered that
the State and United States gov.
ernments have both extracted
more than was generous. We
have not forgotten the Jail swindle,
for we had to foot the bill. The
highway and bridge tax after we
had paid for its construction is
still fresh in our memories. The
poor tax levied by its order has
but one fault, and that is it is too
poor. / have heard it suggested
that it should have been so levied
as to furnish us with the money
to pay all our taxes. Some are
hinting very loudly that the pri'
waite appropriations, the stone
bridge pike, the Fayetteville cor
poration and Elkton pike toll-gate
and sundry other doings and work.
ings Of that body are unauthorized
by either law or equity, and as
constituent has been expressed
that the grand jury has not pre-
sented it as q nuisance to be aba
ted. 1t is possible that we see
and feel so much of Federal taxa
ton in the high tariffs that we pay
upon all articles of consumption
that many do not realize the fact
thatwe may be grievously wronged
much higher home. Some of the
people are looking away yondel
at those railroads that were aided
by the State not to break ground
but to line the pockets of few
persons as the cause OF our heavy
taxes, who never think that the
amounts foolishly appropriated
higher home, but aggregate if they
do not constitute the heavier item
of our liberties. The State has
nicely given the management and