Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-08-19
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WHERE WE FIND OURSELVES.
This people are oppressed. We have
ourself done full share toward arous-
ing them to the fact. They are OPP
pressed by taxes, Federal, Safe and
county-by railroad combinations and
high ghts-by national banks charg-
ing double the interest rates before the
war-by importing manufactures even
to buying ten-cent Yankee ax-helve,
instead of dressing one themselves out
of sap-ing. a
OF the oppression that comes from
taxation, the main portion is Federal,
resulting from centralized legislation
and class monopolies. Tennessee counts
one-thirtieth Of the country's popula-
ton. We are not SO rich as the North,
nor so poor as the South. We are not
50 luxurious as the East, nor 50 print
tive in our wants and comforts as
the broad West. Near the CEN
ter of the Union, we are
an average of the whole forty
million, and pay about our average OF
the three hundred and thirty millions
collected by the Federal government
on home products and protected indus
tries. Our one thirtieth share is eleven
millions annually! OF this amount our
proportion to pay interest on the ma
tional debt is only four millions, and
on the ante-beHum schedule of Federal
expenses our share would be Two mil
lions, leaving FIVE millions annually
drawn from us to support Credit No
bilierism in its many Radical forms.
Here is more of our substance wasted
than would pay all our present State,
county. city and town taxes, with a
large margin for school purposes.
Evidently the great bulk of tax OPP
preston comes from national legisla-
ton, and therefore we should stand
firm for Congressman. Whatever may
be the issues in the State, we should
all unite in sending true representa-
tives to Washington, and not repeat
the miserable folly of 1872.
1t is also obvious that the State can
not afford half the relief really needed
by the people. 1t would be unjust to
ourselves to expect it all from the
State. Tennessee, if she wiped out |
every cent of taxation, could not eoun-
terbalance the wastage of our substance |
at Washington. She should not be
made the scapegoat for. national sins.
The State is not responsible for third |
of the oppression under which the peo-
pie groan. smay be Republican tao
tics to join in howl to blame the
State for everything, in order to en-
barrass the Democracy. But sensi-
BILE people will beware of such tactics.
At the same time all real reform be-
gins at home-shows itself most, where
we have most control. The State must
contribute her share of relief. Crimi-
nal costs and official fees must be
pruned down, and In various
ways it may be that cur
rent expenses can be reduced
nearly thirty per cent Until this
work is done, the Legislature can hard
" determine how much revenue should
be raised. The honest debtor will make
an honest effort by economy in the
household to avoid insolvency.
We have, since the war, with fences
down and the country relapsing into a
wilderness, endured the rate of sixty
cents, for years to support Brownlow's
mockery of government. Can We not
endure more than twenty cents now to
sustain the honor phghted by Legis-
lature freely chosen by ourselves?
How much relief is embodied in a
rate of twenty cents, the lowest offer
made by any demagogue? Let US see.
The negro, owning one hundred dollars
of cabin and barren hillside, fenced
IN with brush, would be relieved twenty
cents in so weeks-not two cents a
month.
The small farmer or mechanic with a
thousand dollar homestead would be
relieved two dollars year, or sixteen
cents month. If he takes one dram
less per month, he has the same amount
of relief
The man in easy circumstances,
owning $4,000 worth, who does not
work for a living, Will find his taxes $50
less at the end of the year. Like the
down-trodden Irish peasant, pig will |
pay it.
This is too cheap barter of honor.
Not till economy in county, town and
city, as well as State expenses, has
done its best, can we intelligently dis
cuss our ability to meet outstanding
obligations. This economy is pretty
certain to make the task much easier
than 1t seems at present. In all these
departments We favor the Topping off
of all expenses and perquisites that do I
not benefit the people. AT the same
time we must not cut so deep as to i'm
pair the efficiency of the necessary
machinery of government. The work
must be entered upon with intelligence
as well as earnestness.
7
ONE of the grayest issues ever pre-
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