Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-05-21

Now, sir, ask careful consideration of
these facts. Look at these figures and see
the injustice they show. Was there ever
law compiled more unequslly taxing the
citizen? Why should the citizen Of Rhode
Island pay one third of one per cent. tax
upon the valuation of his property, and the
citizen of Virginia pay one and one half per
cent. upon the valuation ofhis property? Is
it because Rhode Island was more loyal than
Virginia? If so, l plead a pardon for the
grand old mother of States and
statesmen, and 1 appeal not to
those who cluster around Plymouth rock,
the Barney stone of New England, not to
those who burned witches at Salem and
stole negroes from Africa, but TO the gen.
tlemen from Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, the
great States of the Northwest, the magnif-
icent domain which Virginia, grand, noble,
generous old Virginia, presented to this
Government; to them, l say, l appeal to re-
move this inequality, 10 see that if the in
habitant of Virginia is taxed 81 81 upon
property valued at 1888, the inhabitant Of
Rhode Island, worth 1884, shall pay in pro-
portion, which would be SIS % instead of
So O9.
might turn TO the gentlemen on the
other side of the House, who profess such
love for the newly enfranchised citizens, such
devotion to the interests ofthose of "African
descent" to those gentlemen in whose nos
trils their peculiar odor seems asweet
smelling boquet of choice perfume; might
turn to these pretended humanitarians and
appeal to them in behalf of the FIVE hun
dred thousand negroes of Virginia thus I'M
Justly taxed, but | know their professions
never reach the pockets of the professors,
their only object being to catch votes, not to
promote justice or relieve distress.
Why is it that only half of one per cent.
is collected upon the property of Massachu-
sets, and two per cent. is collected upon
that of Illinois? Why, that the inhabitant
of Massachusetts, with an average wealth
of 1921, pays only $4.69 taxes, and the in
habitant of Illinois, of only an average
Of 500, pays So taxes? No question Of
Loyalty can arise here, for while the sons of
Massachusetts, remained at home safe from
the sound of gun, specializing in shoddy,
and valiantly sent German, Irish, and negro
substitutes to aid in ''crushing the rebel
ion'' they had raised, the sturdy sons of
Illinois were ever found foremost
in the battle they had endeavOred to
avert. Why should Connecticut pay but
1894 for each person worth 5000, while
California has to pay S6.43 for each person
of an average worth of only 1882 I? What
makes this difference? Are not the iniqui-
tous and discriminating tariff and the I'M
just banking laws enough to make these
eastern States grow rich at the expense Of
the West and South? And must they be
exempt from all species of taxes, too,
and be permitted to live and grow fat as
common plunderers of the other States? |
Mr.. Speaker, much more might be said
on this subject, but will now pass to the
consideration Of that provision in the bill !
which proposes a repeal of the tax on
whisky and tobacco, and while discussing !
it will deal in facts and figures to show |
the great injustice and inequality of the ope-
rations of the present law.
Take, for example, the States of Califor- |
MIA and Connecticut, nearly equal in popu- |
latiOn. the latter having an excess of nearly !
million dollars in wealth, and |
compare them. The report of the Commits |
sioner of Internal Revenue shows that the
total collections from tobacco in California |
were $1,072, IA or $1.90 to each inhabitant,
while in Connecticut they were only $780,
1S6 or thirty cents to each inhabitant, being
a percentage on property in the first of two
fifths of one per cent. and in the second of
one-twentieth of one per cent.
Again, take Massachusetts and Virginia;
the one "trooly loil'' State pays sos, 595, or
thirty cents TO each person, the other pays
S4,36S,9ll, or $3.50 to each person; and l
would here call your attention to the fact
that, while these are the figures given by