Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1874-10-16
TENN. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10, 1874.

acts or the general assembly, and In pursu
s anes tnsreoil were The Mineral Home bono
Johns N When he was governor. We bay'
found twenty one-ihousand dollar bonds,
issued during JOhnkon's administration
signed bs m, for which there was no author
lay OF law whateyer, and we have refused g
= c7ive or recpgnize them rs obligations oi
the state. Mr.. johnson satd IN his saturday
night - ech: "Iset ine say, thst nom the in
hesnTatlon Of our internal improyemenis-a
very largo proportion Of which are internal
Hwindles-yOu VIII hnd that, rs a member OF
foul legislature, never voted In favor OF it.
On the eontTRry, from the very first incepiicr
! Of the sys'em, i Tscelred my aisapp obsiiou
| end opposltion- The speaker then explained
et sctne length the disposition which was
I lH.ue OF The bonds issued by the state pIeyi-
Gus 70 tie war, IN aid OF railroads which were
! lhen being constructed, which disposition he
eislmed wss fraudulent, end resulted In sad
| ylins npon the ~ ate large proportion OF the
/ debt for which the state Is now responsib BILE.
he claimed that those bonds had been vltiat-
g oy Tue eounie pursued, and that the bold
efs thereoI had no legal clatn against the
slate, as they had purchased them at less
than par vslce, in direct violation OF the law
authorizing their Issuance" II this was So,
ls " not strange that nothing was said nom
/ lso5 70 1881, ither by Governor johnson or
Governor Harris, about this fraudulent dis
Position OF bOhdS7 Governor johnson ap-
pointt h u Payne, OF Alsury county, his
warm political and personal friend, 10 look
after the>e matters, aud see that no railroad
companies received bonds without being le-
Rauy entitled 10 them, and II anything
wrong Was done, Mr.. JohnsOns Rdministra-
tlon Is 10 blame. These bonds have been re-
cognized by every Legislature that has since
met and II there was anything fraudulent
why did not Mr.. johnson say so IN some OF
his messages TO the legislature7 n he ever
oppesed ths internal Improvement system, or
the issue OF bonds, let him produce the mes
sage in which 81 was done. In his message of
lo5j be says: "Our various works OF internal
Improvement are steadily and rapidly ad-
state"
He said In his shelbyvilIe speech that "a
large portion of the farming lands are being
sod Tor taxes, and soon the people would be
landiess because OF taxation. Taxes in Mem
phis upon lois were four per cent. last year.
The county and state tax was two per cent.
more, making total of six per cent" in
these statements he Is equally unfortunate
de omiis 70 state that the State tax Is one
which be mentions, and oIe-hfteenth OF the
city and county tax. He cannot affect the
county ana city tax; that has TO be settled by
the people there. reduction Of the State
tax and a repudiaiion of the state debt
would not relieve them 10 any percepti BILE
extent. reduction OF the Stale tax, as he
proposes, would be only one-tenth OF the
county tax, or one-thirtieth OF the city and
county tax. This would be selling the honor
OF she Statefor tribe. As matter OF fact, l
deny that large proportion of the farming
lands, even In shelby, are being sold for taxes.
venture the assertion thst he cannot find
ten men in that county who have lost their
land permanently by tax sale. he does
Shelby county gross I'M ustice. But IL they are
sold, either farmi ng lands or town lots, it is
lOE city ana county. not Tor state taxes. THESE
latter he cannot change. That is left
to the people. II is doing Tennessee
gross wrong 10 say that large proportion 4
OF her farming lands are being sold for
taxes when IL is not true, and when 1t is cal
culated, II not intended, to affect our indiyid-
ual as well as State credit. Tennessee is in
nothing like 20 bad condition as be repre- |
sentS, and even If she were 50, il would be be- |
cause of her city and county taxes, since her
rate Of state taxation is lower than in any |
southern state, and in nine-tent his OF the /
northern states. Governor johnson says that |
voted IN the constitutional convention In |
favor Of q property qualification. / did no |
such thing. The clause referred to was not |
intended for that purpose, and would not |
baNe that effect. But he is the last man that |
should say anything in regard 20 property |
after writing the following let |
Ter u Governor Sharkey, OF Mississi ppi. which /
is official, sud dated august 18th, 1866: "lf |
you could extend the elective franchise TO all /
persons of color who own real estate, valued 4
at not less than two hundred and fifty dollars
and pay xes thereon, you would completely |
disarm the adversary and set an example 9th
er STATES gi follow. hope ard trust your 1
VIII do this And now, fellow
II let alone ] am done with this /
II was not of my seeking. /
have only acted in self defense when assailed, /
and II any injury should result TO the Demo- /
cratic party although trust IL will not, the
fault must lie st the door Of my assailant |
Rapturcus bpplauEe.l