The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1872-02-22
"sOmcthing to Think AbOut,"
(roR TIIE ro.T.)

II being conceded on all hands that tn
times are hard, it becomes us as scnsbl
people to inquire, first, the cause Of thu
EVIL and, secondly, have we remedy
High taxes are not the cause. Texas i
looked upon by many Of our people n
n land Of promise, where the goot
things Of this lite are superintendent
and yet the people Of Texas nrc to-day
paying taxes nt the rate Of two dollar
and twenty-five cents on the hundred
dollar, worth Of property. Many Yves
tern states even pay II higher rate and
in New Orleans, where Rndicnlsm and
raSraIity rule aud reign, the coplc pay
taxes at the rate Of five per cent, A fail
urc Of crops is not the sole cause; fol
there are but three causes TO produce
poor crops, to-wi,: bad land, bad hnS,
bnndry, or bad seasons. Now we vii,
neither acknowledge that our lands arc
poor or that our hu>bandry is no,
good, and certainly lie who rulclh the
seasons doclh all things well, Another
grunbIcr says we have no markets
Why, my friend, did YOU ever consider
how favored tie Tennessee farmer i. IN
regard to his situation? The cotton
states are the great grain and stock
markets Of the Union. and Tennessee /.
at the very door of this great mart OF
agricultural products. Whilcl the Yves.
tern farmer has 10 ship his Grain, meat
and stock from six hundred to thou.
sand miles to reach mari ct, we turn
ours over TO the consun-r-our closest
nciglIbor. Nor is this all: there is
something in our climate that make.
our corn, our wheat, and our bacon
worth more than that produced in any
other climate. ANY Southern man will
tell You that Eas, Tennessee corn. wheat
ana bacon always sell more readily and
fora better price than Western coru.
wheat and bacon. Here Nature has
done great things ioruS. The All Benr-
ilccnt Father has bestowed upon II,
blessings tha, should make Us the most
independent. the happic.i and the most
prosperous people on earth. But the
times are hard.' True, my iricnd-truc
rs GoSpcl-and one great cause of the
evil is directly traccabc to the Injustice
that our railroads do IL in the matter of
irrI%htS. II our grca. lines Of railroads
Wohld transport the products of our
farms from the way stations at the same
rates that they transport the products
of the Western farmer. or. in other
words, If they would not discriminate
against our people and would charge at
tie same rates tor local and through
irci@ht, hard times would give place 10
peace and plcnt;. And il they would
obey the law OF the land they would do
This very thing: for one of the express
'"""'.Io"S upon WhIch they. received
Wv "''''i""' u, 0,o'e "lo-Wh'ch Is the
''"' u. '"c MN 'aN'S OF when W."
,""l,'".'- WIS '"H' 'hcl would never
"'N'' IN I"''c w ''e'2h's against our pco-
,'u' ~. '''' Illustrate: coal has become
necessity along our road. because il i,
cheaper than wood. The roads CHARGE
'M'"'H ''o"' ""''arH lf''@l'' ON car load
VI ,"'' ''""' 'on' 'reck 10 cleveland,
'"" WV! 'Hlr%c h''' twenty dollars on
It 81, Io"u oI 'oa' from The same place
w ''''',', "n'''' u "o" VIII receive
' wv '"'' !" N'Ian'h. 'hcF VIII maui il
'"''' '"' W." ."' cI-H''r' 90 'arS. Now
uP"' W Wv PI'"r'i''S OF l"-''cr or right
',''! 90 '''S rHliho, explain no more
'n"' ! ca" 'AP'a'l' upon what prnci-
l''N y, J"''''c '',cl transport gram or
m'c"' IRON i,""""h I" Dalton Tor less
,'''" Nv? ,"''-o Ior ''Nlh" II from
""'Ne creek or A'hchS. railroad
l'"%''a'r would 'cI! YOU IT was owing
=" 'nr ",ht''hcc between through and
,o'a' 'F',?h'N' or OWING to competing
,'"'H''"" II Wo"i" ne SAT- >ih''o'y to him.
""' '" !" "o"'" Dc ABOUT rs Snlislar.
"'. "N u i were 10 zen YOU that 1t is
""Ih@ 10 'hc 'arI mat "A railroad is cor
'''''oi' """ u corporation has no soul
'u' 10 Illustrate further: the freight on
y huNhcl OF corn rom ~. Louis TO At
Iahlh. SIX hundred and siXiy-siX miles.
Is tlir'y-two cents. The freight ON Il
n"~hcl OF corn rom Knoxville to At
'nil'a' '"o hundred ami ten miles. is
sixteen cents. Now a little calculation
VIII convince any Que that If u hulhcl
81 corn can be shipped from ST. Louis
10 Atlanta Tor lhir'l-two cents the same
rates OF freight for a buShcl OF corn
RON knoxville to Atlanta would be
'bont ten cents. But rs the freight j.
now charged the Tennessee farmers be- /
NJ lo'lr hundred and iii'ry-six miles
irarer market than the Missouri far
hrr Is positive disadvantage to him.
Now let Ms suppose that our roads