The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-10-30
TIE SENATORIAL CANVASS.


10 the ttttzeRS oJ mduFy ana VtSttu"t-
son Counties
The time is so near at hand for the
election which is to be held on Tuesday,
the Sd day of November, it will be i'm
possible for me to see all of the voters in
this Senatorial District. / deem it duty
that shall present for your considera-
ton, some of the views l entertain, and
will support if | shall be elected your
Senator, in your next General Assembly
Leaving out of discussion all questions
which are settled, and which no legisla-
ton will probably touch, shall men
ton some of the leading measures, the
consideration of which, will necessarily
come before that body; and also some
other measures, that are probably my own
current expenses of the State, the assess
ment of taxes, the amount and manner
of levying taxes, are all vital questions,
and must receive large share of atten-
ton from your General Assembly. The
constitution of the State of Tennessee
provides that all property, real, personal
or mixed, shall be taxed, but the Legisla-
ture may except such as are held by the
State, churches, schools, &C., and one
thousand dollars worth of property in the
hands of each tax payer, and that all
property shall be taxed according to its
value, and shall be uniform throughout
the State" mo one species of property
from which tax may be collected, shall
be taxed higher than any other proper
ty, of the same value" The Legislature
also has the power to tax merchants,
peddlers, and privileges, and upon in
comes derived from stocks and bonds,
not taxed dd UoLOreHl. You herein see
the whole field in which the assessments
are to be limited, and beyond which no
legislation can reach in raising revenue
for the State.
The rights of property in relation to
taxes are protected SO that there shall be
no determinations against any, but all
must be taxed, with certain specific
exceptions which are mentioned IN the
organic law, and may be released. 10
paw the interest on the public debt of the
State, the amount must be levied upon
the whole taxable value of the property of
the people subject to tax, and to that
per cent. which will cover its demands.
And also, any further sum of money not
realized on privileges, DC, as provided for
in the constitution, to pay the current ex-
penses of the State, which can only be
approximately estimated. The State of
tennessee having in good faith renewed
the obligations to pay interest on her
bonds is bound in honor to provide the
means whereby it can be done. 1t will
be the painful and memorable duty of
the next General Assembly to enact a
revenue law to meet the demands OF
of justice to all of the creditors Of the
State, at a time the least prOpitious to
the people, that we have experienced in
any time of peace. have no personal
interest to subserve in these views. | own
no bonds or stocks, The assessment laws
of this State will be revised and when it is
done [ hope the forms will be clearly
Ineligible to all of the tax payers of the
State, and less Objectionable than the
present law. | believe the taxes upon the
people may be greatly lessened by apply
ing as it were, the pruning knife, to very
many superhuoUs expenditures that have
grown upon the body polite, and which
ought to be abated. Our courts are
burthened by many petty cases of htiga-
tiou that cost the tax payers out OF all
proportion to the amounts involved to the
itigants, delays justice in important cases
and lessons the good repute, and destroys
the dignity of our courts. Witnesses who
ought to be in the fields are taken away
from home at times when they are greatly
needed IN their crops, becomes onerous
to general prosperity as well as the tax
! which sustains the courts. Inferior
courts ought to be instituted to dispose OF
nearly, if not quite half, of the cases
which crowd our court dockets. The
people of Tennessee are now greatly
oppressed by debt, at a time when the
| crops With few exceptions, have failed
| to pay the cost of production, and the
amount of currency in circulation Is
/ insufficient for the most ordinary wants
] of the people, and it is now the time tc
| abAte every buFthRn that can be removed
without crIppling the public service. OIL
| driving out of Office our most competen
men. / hope the views herein indicated
will lead the public mind to the conclu
sion that | intend to do the people gooC
service, if | shall be honored by thei
| suffraees, and elected their Senator in th'
next General Assembly.
will say further, that endorse thu
platform of principles adopted by tn
! Democratic and Conservative Convention
in Nashville on tie 18th August last
and in conclusion that l am G0t lndItter
ent as to the result of the election aDou
to take place, nor of the good opinion
| my fellow-citizens. If shall be electe'
/. will endeavor to represent the opinion
and wants of my constituents on all ques
tons and measures, so far as | may b
informed of them, if not in conflict wit
the organic law.
A. T. BOYD.