Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-04-24
THE srIRrr OF rnE oounuNE.


bailot-box by the sheer numbers O
that other class who have nothing t,
be taxed, thoughtful men are dispose,
to ask themselves, with many misgiY
ings, where and how can e-xtravaganc,
be stopped? We are outnumbered a
the ballot-box by those who do notlool
beyond their present needs, and tn,
inauguration of any far-reaching sys
TEN OF economy cannot be attained
without their assent. 1t is really K
their interest, as much as ours. i
would lessen their rents and the mer
chants commission on the n-ecessarie:
OF life, if the tax on the house owner.
and merchants were lessened BY
economy IN government affairs. But
these arguments have little influence
against the ready promises of the
demagogue who advocates all manner
of Improvements" at the public ex.
pense to give work to all. How, then,
can extravaganza be stayed and econo.
my enthroned, under the rule of the
maJorityF 1t is now come years since
we studied this awkward problem, in
view of the abolition of slavery and the
enfranchisement of the freedmen. We
found but one possible solution, name
~, to increase the number Of property
holders, especial llholders ,andthus
increase the class who are permanently
interested in the general welfare, for
their own sakes and their children.
With this view, we advocated in these
columns the subdivision of the largo
tracts of land held under the old sys-
TEN Of slavery, and the encouragement
Of small farmers. We have urged,
time and again, the plain fact that it
is improbable for any man to hold
more land than he has the means Of
properly c~ultiyating. S~elf-interest die
tates this course as well as political
wisdom. The large l~and-holder who,
by reasonable offers, induces n hun
dred men to become small holders, has
not only enhanced the value of his
remaining estate, . but has given
the State, county or city one hundred
citizens personally interested in its
solid welfare, and has increased by so
much that element Of conservatism by
which alone our free institutions can
be preserved from dashing on the rocks
that have wrecked all previous repub-
hes. It is a patriotic work. The rumb-
lings of the Commune are already om-
mons IN the North. In New York n
man holds SIXTY millions of property.
while sixty thousand other humans are
to-day on the verge of starvation, not
knowing where their next meal will
come from. Such a condition of af-
fairs necessarily breeds a-grarianism.
Thanks to a richer soil and sparser
population, affairs have have not
come to such a pass here. But it
a not be questioned that We have
IN the South a large class, dangerously
inclined to agrarianism, and easily led
by demagogues. We need but cite in
proof the one example of South Caro-
lima. Signs are not lacking that the
same spirit exists to an alarming ex-
tent in Tennessee, and may, under the
lead of designing men, assumethe same
shape on the final collapse of the Re-
publican party.
Agrarianism has two stages: first,
1t makes all manner of demands on
government, compelling the levy of
enormous taxes and the mourning of
heavy debts. Secondly, when both
treasury and credit are exhausted, it
declares the burden too heavy and ad-
vocates Reputation Of the debt and a
deal. The first is war against
property in the permanent shape of
real estate, and the second against
property in the shape of
The one evil naturally
leads to the other, for all evils have a
power to propagate and multiply them
like noxious weeds. A multi
of small property-holders with
their multitude of votes, are the best
bulwark against the initial wrong, the
taxpayer with his one vote be-
ing but one atom in u political sys-
tenn, however great his interest at
stake.
The enormous debt contracted for
Home Roads and such, by the
Brownlow regime, was agrarianism in
It's first stage, warning against landed
property mainly. The present cry for
taxes, even TO the extent Of failing
70 provide for the State liabilities,
5avors OF the second stage, warning
capital. We can well under
stand bow some taxpayers have
been goaded to this extreme by the.
Dose and fraudulent appropriations of
funds under Radical rule. Nat
lrally enough the large taxpayers are
oudest in this ulcaiculatiDg clamor.
Small property owners are proverbial
,or their promptness in the payment of
axes. It is the holdersof large landed
who delay payment by all the
of the law, embarrassing the
State, and actually compelling an in
,rease of the rates which they denounce
Is already too high. So far has this
spirit gone that some Of our wealthiest
men seem ready to endorse a policy of
reputation. 1t is a dangerous
game for them to play. Capital takes
wings and flies from the land stained
With reputation, but landed property
thus escape. 1t is a
and the fell spirit of the Com