Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-03-17
TAXATION.
Taxes I'm Tennessee as Compared with
Other States

Taxes I'm Tennessee as Compared wIfl
Other states.
From the Memphis Appeal, March IL.
We noticed not long since a lette,
written from Shelbyville, in this State
saying that number of substantial
farmers were about to leave Bedford
county to get away from ''high taxes
and highRriced lands" This letter has
been the subject of comment in several
| Journals, In manner calculated to do
injustice to our State and to createfalse
impressions. 1t was said these men
were going to California from Tennes-
see to 'tget away from high taxes and
high-priced lands" when, in fact, the
taxes are higher and the lands of the
same quality are higher in California
than IN Tennessee. If these men were
leaving Bedford county to escape taxa
ton theywere going to the wrong place.
The rate of taxation Is fifty cents on
the hundred dollars worth of property
for State purposes, whilst IN Tennessee
1t is only forty cents, or one fifth less.
To attempt TO create the impression
that the people In Tennessee are SO
burdened with taxation that they are
compelled to seek homes in distant
States is doing Tennessee gross injus-
tice, and Is well calculated to infict Sc
we're losses upon our people. If we are
so burdened that our people are leav-
ing to escape these burdens, how can
we expect any others to come into Ten
nessee? The facts are not that way, no
matter who says so. The remark con-
tradicts itself. How can lands continue
hlgh-priced In country so burdened
with taxation that the people are COM
PEELED to leave? The idea is preposter-
Gus and absurd. Even In Kentucky,
where they have no State debt, the
rate of taxation is higher than it
is in Tennessee, theirs being
forty-tive cents on the hundred |
dollars and ours only forty cents. Men. |
may leave Tennessee, but it is not be- |
cause they have high taxes, and espe-
clally when they go to States where the |
taxes are higher than In our State. |
Memphis is burdened with heavy debt |
and with high taxes. Shelby county |
has had for many years higher rate of |
taxation and higher priced lands than
any county IN West Tennessee. These
facts are well known, but yet men come
from counties and towns where lands
and taxes are low, to Memphis and
Shelby county where lands and taxes
are high, because they find it to their
interest to do so. We wish we could
reduce the rate of taxation In this CITY
and county, and will useour best efforts to
do so, consistently with the preservation
OF the city and county credit, but we
state facts impartially in order that the
truth may beknown. The fact that there
are high taxes IN city, a county,
Or State, does not of itself prevent
to that city, county or
State. New York has tax of ninety
lhree cents on a hundred dollars worth
If property, and yet she is growing
,apidly IN wealth and population. Cal
lorna has higher taxes than Fennes-
zee, and yet, according to a statement
published In a Nashville paper, men
re leaving Tennessee to go to CaEfor- !
ma. Missouri has higher taxes than
tennessee, and yet men leave Tennes- s
ee to go to Missouri. We have had '
errible disasters, which have affected t
ur city more than the amount of our {
axes, high as they have been. Let us
.,e free from epldemics; lei. our popula- 5
ION and business Increases they then !
all; let US enlarge the circle of our !,
rade and establish manufactures, as =
re can and will do in a few years, and 5
re VIII then work out our debt in fair
nd honest way, like a young giant S
reaks the thongs with which he is Il
Ound. We state this in no partisan n
plrlt, but to do justice to Tennessee and n
D prevent the evil effects of articles /;
.hich recently appeared In journals {,
here we would not have expected u
lem. To satisfy all who believe the .
DRY that sensible men would have | :,
ennesseeans 90 to California to get | i
way from high taxes, we will state | n
lat the receipts in California, "from O.
Lxes and other investments" is S3,- Il
a, 242 per annum; and the amount ex- n
ended in that State, in each year, is
2,O3l ,3S22; while In Tennessee the re- s.
slpts from taxes and other investments. y
sr annum, 81 ,92S, $40, and the amount l
,pended is S1,074,064. All that we ask =
r Tennessee is that the facts be made 6,
1Own IN regard to her taxes, and also a,
regard to the true value of her lands.
ands are lower in Tennessee, In pro- i
'rtion to what they produce and to b,
leir general advantage, than in any FL
tate IN the Union. We do not wish al
If State injured, even by the state b
ents OF persons who are ignorant of e.
lie true facts, and therefore we deem u
our duty to give the true state and "
ndition of affairs in Tennessee. CO