Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-07-05
Able Resume of the Political aud In.
~ duSfrial Situation.

Able Resume of the Political aud In.
-, dustrial Situation.
Reform and Economy in County, Town
aud State.
Prepared for Delivery Before the
Farmers Meeting ut Manchester,
JaIy A, 1874.
GENTLEMEN AND LADIES: While We
have much reason 10 felieiiate ourselves ON
the good results Of organization, which
have been accomplished within the last
few years, the Interesting and important
enquiry occurs: What may be expected
| from the genius of our people as 10 tie ftl-
| tme9 Will they hold on with patience and
tenacity of purpose TO accomplish i great
| object? As a class, we have la our yearly
work to deal with dnaUdlS aud perenRidLs-
the cereals yield q quick aud annual re-
turn for labor bestowed, while the elabor-
ately prepared meadow is for wears com
| pens2Iing the husbandman's toll in prepa-
ration and cleansing from nOxious weeds.
| This work Of reform is in the perennial
class Of agricultural daty. II is a work
for life, il will require line upon line and
preeept upon precept-a peTseyering Co
| operation. -..
We must do all in our power TO keep this
great ball of enthusiasm among the farm
e.s rolling onward and upward, and never
| for moment suffer it, like the tabled rock
| of SySiphus, 20 turn backward, undoing all
| the success Of the past, and trusting TO re-
| newed effort TO regain lost position and &C
compliSh q greater height of advancement.
| The reforms we seek can only ne effected
by and through the farmers of the land,
| and by them, ultimately, at the ballOt-bOx,
! acting not in our organized capacity as
| Oranges. but in our individual capacity as
ls.itizss1 fafrners-each one taking more live
| ~ interest in local, State and national af-
fans; and as we, the farmers, by reason of
our numbers, are, in the felicitous language
OF the politician, the "dear people," and
therefore our opinions and suggestions
should be entitled TO full weight.
MIDDLENES
Our influence should be used not 10 war
against any legitimate interest of the land.
Our mission Is not to war against middle
men and adopt the foolish suggestion of
some Grange speakers, who seem to desire
10 drive middlemen into the producing
ranks-(the very worst thing We could do.
since the proportion Of agricultural pro-
far too greatly, the farmers being % per
cent, of the entire population. 1 do not
think We can ever attain the most proper
GUS agriculture in the State until, by the
establishment Of manufactures and having
more middlemen TO consume our products,
we reduce the number engaged in farming
to 80 per cent. This dispOrpOrtion between
the farmers as the producing class and the
| consumers Of their products, has resulted in
| the reduction Of prices under the operation
of the great law in political economy.
that prices are regulated by supply and de-
mand.
GRANGE AGENCIES.
Farmers should act in concert, but they
have nobler and more profitable work to
accomplish in the present movement than
the establishment Of Grange agencies for
the sale OF their prOducts-Oftentime
abused by those who electiOneer for said
positions. Their concentrated efforts
should be directed 10 the elevation and adj
vdncement Of their claSS-Sociallv, intel
lectually and financially. They are al
ready in advance in point of 1nOrcIs and
freedom from the views of modern fashion,
able society.
COUNTY TAXATION HIGHER THAN STATE.
The evils to which 1 would call yo,u at
tcntion are such as call for legislative and
constitutional action in order to reform.
and urge the calling Of 4 constitutional
convention with a view tOOrgln;c changes.
such Is will tighten the expenses Of the
government, local and State. and give to US
constitutional protection against the imIO-
sitiOn OF taxes for the benefit Of private
corporations on the part OF counties and
municipal corporations. Strange as il may
appear, We have reached = period in our
history when it costs the people Of most, if
not of all the counties, more TO administer
the county governments and Affairs than 10 !
does to dcfray tlie expenses of the State. |
That IS, as = general thing, taxation for |
county purposes IS higher than that lie |
manGed by the State.
Take for example the county of David |
son. The total expenses Of administering |
its affairs for 1873 was So, G05.2S, while the
total amount collected from all sources was !
S5S,31S.2l, leaving deficit OF S-}T,221.O1,
which has TO be met by 4 special tax upon |
the people Of that county. Among other /
items TO help swell tie a-gre gate was So
212.2j allowance 10 paupers. Many of |
these paUpeis being able bodied negroes |
swearing they could not Get work, and were |
thereby supported at the expense Of the |
people; while the farmers want more labor,
and cannot induce these same paIpers 20 |
leave the city.
RAILROAD SUBSIDIES.
Great evils have also resulted from the |
peTuicioIS license sanctioned by the COasti- |
tion and former legislation, giving 10 cOun- |
ties the right Of voting subScript ons and |
issuing bonds in aid Of railroad corpora |
tiOns. The State las involved itself in /
debt and imposed heavy burdens on IFS peo- |
pie. grevious TO be borne, by bestOwing aid !
on these great private mOnopolies. When !
receiving and exercising the States sOver- |
eign right of eminent domain and sOlic- |
iting aid both from the State and counties |
through which they run. They presented |
themselves rs public corporations, but with |
their charters and deSned assistance Sc
cured. they now assert that they are private |
corporations, having vested rights urd |
their charters which no power IN the land, /
neither legislative or constitutional, can in I
teIfere with, alter, change, or modify with |
out their consent.
The stockholders Own the road and its /
profits Just rs YOU or | own our mules and |
plOws The stock in all or most of these |
great cOTpOyatiOns-monO as they do |
the transportation Ofpassengers audfreights
for the exclusive benefit of their owners, is
exempt from taXatiOn-in the face Of that |
provision of the Constitution which re- |
quires that call property shall be taxed &C
cording to its va ne" Not only is the |
stock in the hanGS Of the private stock
holders exempt from taxation, but the roads
with all their appurtenances-lOcOm
cars, depotS, machine shops, etC.-aIe
exqually exempt, while the hands, en-
ployees and managers are relieved from the
duty and obligations imposed on us Of sery-
ing upon HIries and working upon the dir |
roads Of the country. Il comes simply TO
this, that We have been and are vet being
taxed. heavily, both by State and counties.
to place in the hands of private parties
magnificent property interests and rights
that are exempt from the burdens Of taxa
ton.
HOW TO DEAL WITH RAILROADS.
/ would not have You conclude from the
preceding remarks that l am opposed TO
railroads, for ] recognize the railways of
the country rs an eiiectual means of deyel-
oping its agricultural resources. But what
| complain Of, and what the farmers should
take action upon is that a far degree of
reciprocity would suggest that as they have
a common interest and public aid, that
they should, in their turn, endeavOr to sub