Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-09-06

a farmer wants 10 o 'rroW money be can DO
SO att reasonable rate Of interest. In fact
! the country is as much interested (but
more Indirectly in correct system of
taxation as the cities. BY reference to Mr..
Pennebaker's report in January last, 1873,
it will be seen that Of the twenty-o2e coun.
ties in West TIE nessee, Shelby county
(Which has the city Of Memphis in it) pays
over one-third of the tax of the twenty. o9e
counties. and one-seventh of the tax of the
whole State of Tennessee; so it will be seen
that she, even assshe is now, pays an inn
portant share of the tax OF this State.
think have shown beyond question all
that promised to show in the beginning OF
these remarks-that Il is not in harmony
with the interest Of any one in the State to
tax money, trade, manufactures, ETC., aud
of all others the owner Of fixed or immova-
BILE property should demand that the present
system should be changed; that they should
say don't adopt any system that has ten
demo. to drive the movable property from
me, but, on the contrary, adopt system
that will attract it, for we are worth nothing
without it, and the movable property mar
may go elsewhere and do quite
as well; and, whilst 1 have
shown that any tax upon it is incorrect in
principle, yet as l have before twice said, it
is not my hope to have any change made at
present so far rs the State tax is concerned
| and as before said 1t is to get the laws
changed 50 as TO allow the counties and
cities as far as their county ard city taxes
are concerned to re allowed to levy the tax
on VIVA ever species Of property they may
see proper. think have shown the alb
solute necessity Tor change as far as two
| OF our counties and cities are concerned and
perhaps more of them and one of them
Memphis, thai 1t is almost life and death
matter with her; and whilst think have
own that her surroundings are as good as
| any city, inland, in the United STATES, yet
1t is impossible for her to grow and become
large and prosperous city under the
present system and rate of taxation,
When taxes are very small the correct sys-
tenn can be violsted without perceptible
harm, yet harm will be done; but when
they get to be high and oppressive viola
ton Is ruinous. To illustrate: For in
stance suppose it was necessary in Nash
vile and Memphis, in order to pay current
expenses, interest on debts, ETC., to levy and
collect tax of 10 or Is per cent on all
kinds of property, real, personal and mixed,
and it was rigidly enforced? Does any
one suppose that there would be any NOV
able property there in twelve months to
collect the tax fromP No, sir; you would
hardly be able to fad q pocket-handker-
chief or a pound of coffee in either of
these cities. But all the real estate,
houses, ETC., would be there still, but with |
out tenants, but consequently on account of |
the high tax and want of occupants be worth |
nothing. Suppose again it was possible to |
adopt process to make the real estate !
worth something, could it be by running the |
occupants off and receiving no rent Whatever |
from it. No, it could only be by adopting |
a process which would ill all of your houses |
with tenants and receive rental from them |
and that could only be done by allowing |
their movable property to thrive and at |
tract sufficient Of it to you to occupy addi- |
tional ground to pay additional rental until |
your rental would be more than the tax |
This process at any rate and under all Cir |
cumstauces would be better than |
have these cities entirely deserted. |
have mentioned this subject in the last |
twelve months to many of the first minds |
Of the Site, aud at first they would oppose |
me and invariably they would say it is |
right and just for all kinds of properly to |
pay a tax alike. They all receive protec- |
lection from the laws alike, and Of course
they ought to pay alike. Now this would |
do very well and be good reasoning, if We |
had Chinese wall around our State, wall |
that man could not scale to go out or come |
in, and no railroad could 90 under, through |
or over, and then l would favor the tax of |
every thing, for then it would all be fixed /
property, it couldn't run away or come to
you; but till tHat kind Of an /
arrangement is made l shall oppose it. |
Justice is not violated by the sys-
TEN propose, for there is no oppression. |
injustice is done to the real estate owners |
under the present system, for it Injuries |
him. will not iujure any one, and consa-
quently will not violate justice. However,
it is due TO the system | am advocating, to /
say, that of the aforesaid first minds of the |
State have met, that never, with scarce
ly an exception, failed to convince them
they were wrong, and that my position was
correct. To undertake to enforce q very op-
pressive ak on money is ridiculous non
sense. It is impossible. The Maker of all |
things has forbidden it in giving to all |
'hings their peculiar nature. He has for
hidden an oppressive tax on money by |
giving 1t that easy mobility that 1t can
go in fortnight from Tennessee almost
to the utmost parts Of the world
And just so, to soma extent, with other
kinds Of movable propertv. 1t would be
about as wise for the Legislature to pass a
law enaciDg that, from and after this date,
the great bulk Of the water of the Mis-
sissippi river shall flow towards Cairo in-
stead of towards New Orleans, as to enact
that the great bulk of the m ney of Mem
phis shall pay 4a per cent. tax per annum.
1t is wise IN man to deal with things as they
are and will be. in spite of him, and not as
he may think they should be. Don't kick
against the pricks! A few statistics, and l
am through: and now we will see what
all this hub bub is about-whst this killing
off Of cities and blight ng the prosperity of
great States is about-this eating up of
seed corn in time of a famine and killing
the goose for the golden egg is for, y refer
ing to the Comp,rolle. g report for the years
1871 and 1872.
Total value Of taxable proper
ty in Shelby county, includ-
ing Memphis, for 1871. 1881, 701
OF this there was of person.
atty or movable property,
(Dot one-thirtieth). ....... 1,244976
For 1872, in round numbers, $4,000 600
ALI kinds of personal property, 100000
In Davidson county, including
Nashville, for 1871. ........ 26,OOO,0OO
ALI kinds of personal property, 100000
Davidson county in 1S72,.... 25,0OO,O00
Personally. .............. 100000
Grand total OF tennessee for
1872. mann. 272,OOO,OOO
Personally. ................. 2 100000
This tells the t,le, and what COM
mentsry. Not one-tenth of the taxable
property personally, and don't propose to
exempt all personally by any means. l
only propose to exempt such as can and
will run away, and there is great desl Of
personally that can't run away any more
than reslty-for instance, bridge stock, turn
pike stock, railroad and gas stock, etc, etc.
And again there is great deal that wont
run sway-for instance, fine furniture, car
riages, pianos, watches, silverWsre, dia-
monds aud other jewelry and host ofother
things too tedious to mention. To exempt
the items that would come under the rule l
propose, would not amount to one-fifteenth
or 0ne-twentieth the present taxable prop
erty, but in very few years we would in
crease so per cent.
Now, in conclusion, Governor, l will ask
you to call your Legislature together and
ask them give the relif ask, Or take
the necessary steps. They will do 1t. Do