Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-06-13
FEDEKAL AND STATE TAXATION.

EGDL1hAL AND STATE lAAAIAOS.
Abolish absolutely all State and
county taxation, and three-fourths of
the burdens affecting the people would
remain. Union and American.
This means that three-fourths of the
present burdens of taxation are levied
by the Federal Government. If Ten
nessee should pay customs duties in
proportion to population, and she does
not near do that, she would only pay
about five millions. She also pays about
$4,000 internal revenue tax. But
she pays a State tax of say two mil
lions, and ofcity and county and AL 9th
er kinds of taxes at least four millions.
This shows what absurd things papers
can give utterance TO. II our Federal
taxes were three times as much as our
State, county and municipal taxes, we
should have a national revenue of at
least seven hundred milhons.-Chdttd-
nocga Commercial.
We thank cur contemporary for the
opportunity of fortifying our views.
BY the last census, we find that the
United States and Territories have a
population, including Indians not taxed,
of33, SIS. 81. while TENNESSEE credited
with l,258, $50. A little figuring shows
that Tennessee has one thirtieth Of the
entire population. The report Of the
Secretary of the Treasury to Congress
last December, gives the customs re-
ceipts for the previous fiscal year at
SIS, 0S9,5 22, emitting the odd cents.
Divide this by 80, the proportion of
Tennessee's population to the whole,
and we have as her share S6,269, $50.
Thus the Commercial is out of the way
over million and quarter of dollars,
in matter of five million-an error of
% per cent, on his own proposed mode
of calculation.
The same official Treasury re-
port gives the amount of internal
revenue collected in this country
al SllS,729,3l4. Tennessee's share of
this is one-thirtieth, or S3,790,977.
This is quite different figure from the
Commercials 100000. 1t may all be
very true that the latter figure covers
all the tax on Tennessee whisky, to-
bacco, etc. We wonder that our con-
temporary did not argue further that
| Tennessee does not use half the whisky
and tobacco on which 1t pays taxes. If
these were the only articles used by
our people that are taxed by the gen.
eral government, the burden would be
light indeed. But as our tobacco,
raised and taxed here, may be consumed
elsewhere, so We daily consume ten
thousand articles that come to us with
the tax on them imposed elsewhere.
Why, the poor man cannot strike a
match to light his clay pipe, without
seeing on the box ample evidence of
tax he has paid, though the govern
ment collected it elsewhere.
These two items, customs and inter
nal revenue, give Tennessee's share,
according to population, of the Federal
burden, as SlO,O60,627. Nor Is this all
Tennessee has a common interest IL
the minor items Of revenue resulting
from sales of public lands, steamboat
fees, the profits Of a coinage We donor
get. etc. These items swell the net re
ceipts Of the United States Treasury
by the last official report, to total Of
1888, 73S, 2O+. Tennessee's one-thirtietl
part is S11,l24,606.
We insist on population being fail
test for this State. Tennessee is per
haps nearer the average of the Uniol
in all respects than any other Stat'
that could be named. We are not s.
impoverished as the South nor so ricl
as the North. Ne are not so luxuriou
as the East nor 50 primitive as tn
great West. Our poverty strickel
class Of negroes are not 50 numeroU
here in proportion as in many Southern
States on the one hand, or the whit
slaves Of Massachusetts, mill-owners Oh
= the other. Our people enjoy the aver
age comforts and cOnveniences of tn
: country and the age. Taking tow
and country together, it is fair to pre-
sumo that we buy as much taxed arti
: cles in proportion to population as tn
average Of States taken similarly, tow
and country together, from Maine t
Oregon, from Louisiana TO Manesota
2 The Commercial estimates the Stat
e tax at two millions, but we 90 no
! know where it gets its estimate of city
county and other local taxes a
at least four millions" Tn
last census gives our taxation a
follows: State, S1,056,26l; county
! Sl,302 ,836; town, city, etc, 81, 022, 49,
; total, 1881, 579. We have see
above that the Federal taxation, est
mated by population, Is eleven and
l quarter millions. The State tax il
, 1870 was only twenty cents on the dol
e lar, which explains the low amour
r given in the census. Next year TIA
Legislature found it necessary to rails
: therate to sixty cents, in order TO max
up for the twenty cent folly. Th
I census total for county. towns, etc, i
e S2,325, 31S. We doubt that it has ma
> terially increased since that date. Add
2 ing TO this the present State tax
= we have a total of about four and
u half millions of non-national taxes
against eleven ana quarter million
of national taxes.
8 Here we mightrest the case proven
f But the half is yet untold. The "bul
Y dens affecting the people" of which "
: spoke, do not arise solely frol
=, | H. ,vf,.an,.1ina1-v amouDr they ma