Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-11-24

| pray what would have been the conse-
quence 10 the tax-oppressed people Of the
county? and what would have been said
OF my craftsmanship and Of my course by
the body Of our people? Does not the bill
repeal the taxes on all DIsTILLERs, and
turn them free? Are not their wishes and
rights also involved? If the bill had been
defeated altogether for the sake of one ar
tlele--Leaf- Tobacco-what would the
country have thought of the action of its
member in Congress?
What a strange misapprehension with
some, that before the passage of this bill
TOBACCO was not taxed. L cannot account
for such ideas upon any other ground. than
that base Misrepresentation have been
made by some evil-minded persons in Or
der to deceive honest-hearted people, who
pay little, or no attention TO Congressional
matters.
Another strange Misrepresentation has
sprung up with some, as l hear, that
FARMERS are taxed on the sales Of their
LEAF-ToBAcCo. This Is all false. Hear
the regulations made by the Commissioner
under the Act: go
'sFarmers and planters, for selling tobacco Of
their production, or tobacco receir ed By them
"sai1e on their lands, are not required to pay
Especial taxes as dealers in Leaf Tobacco. Neith-
ser viii the farmer be required to pack or prize
"his tobacco, before Offering IL for sale, in hogs
s'heads or otherwise, but he may sell it loose, as
she has heretofore been in the habit Of selling''
And then the Regulations proceed, not to
tax FARMERS, but any person, who under
takes TO set up, as RETAIL DEALER of
leaf tobacco, without paying the license
fee-and only such persons. | greatly pre-
ferred this should not be so, and voted the
500 clause before mentioned. But still,
our own State laws impose taxes and fees
on almost every kind of retail business
that is attempted. There has never been a
FARMER disturbed and punished On the
subject, that l have ever heard of, and what
Is more, there never will be, even if the
present law continues in force. It cab not
be done.
| submit therefore, to every candid and
thinking man, if the war waged on me,
by few, sometimes from malice, and
sometimes from want of better knowledge,
has not been cruel, ubiquitous, 1mholy, and
entirely without truth or TeGseal 1t has
been simply Persecution.
1t may not be improper TO say, before
passing the question, that when 1 returned
to Washington, at the third and last session
of the AID Congress, L introduced, with
many Others, bills to repeal the Ledf-To-
6Gcco clause-and we did repeal in the
House, but could never get the SENATE 10
agree. l voted every time. to repeal, as l
had In the first instance resisted. And so
the provision stands to-day, and the present
HOUSE has repealed, but the SENATE has
refused to agree. If returned to Congress,
would steadily work again for a REPEAL.
And closing the tobacco question I come
to the only other objection urged against
me-a matter of graver import, than the
trifiing tobacco question. As it must appear
TO all, allude to the
salary Question.
Upon this subject, my head and heart say
to me, / have acted the man, and propose
to put myself fearlessly upon the intelli-
gence and integrity of the people, without
a question in my mind as to the fairness of
judgment, | shall meet from all who will
read and think. Let those who will STRIKE,
but beg them HEAR!
There never was temporary measure,
Qor it is only such,) so little understood,
and which has been so improperly judged
with passion and prejudice on the part of
too many good and honest people. This
measure passed by the Forty-second Con-
gIess, instead of being called "a measure to
increase the pay of members of Congress
sand other officers" is Justly entitled to be
headed, "a measure to EQUALIZE the pay
''of members Of Congress, secure the most
sable and efficient service, STOP STEALING
'.AND CORRUPTIoN,a and save to the PEOPLES
TREASURY over TWO MILLIONS OF Dol
LARS"
Now ask hearing. The first question
raise, is that
or Economy.
Now what was my pay as a member
from the Fifth District?
Salary. .................S5 GOO
stationery, etc.,. ..............-..-.. 2j0
mileage. .---.-....-...-.... S6S
Making in actual money. .s62Is
Now to this is to be added the FraHking
Privilege. What was it worth? / franked
over 10000 speeches and newspapers, cost
ing one cent postage OH each, over 1,5OO
Agricultural Reports, at twenty-four cents
postage each, and hundreds of volumes of
other books, reports, Globes, etc, etc, a.
greater postage rates, campaign documents,
etc, besides doing a vast correspondence.
l. BAAANhdcNu VIII Wv dANdlt IutdllS
over 5000 worth of documents and sent out.
All sent forward, TO diffuse information and
crafty those who had sent me. TOthissh should
be added Seeds. The nearest mail cost can
estimate on all these items sent to my con-
is about $1,000. Other members,
perhaps, had larger. Chairmen of Political
Committees piled up documents until, in
some instances, l expect, each frank of a
Chairman would consume $4,000 in post
age. if paid in money at regular rates.
think am not too extravagant in my
estimates. All this vast ranking cost, fol
the benefit Of my constituents it is true, in
my case, was borne by the Peoples Treas
Ty. Now suppose we add to the S6,2lS
The sum of 5000, for ranking privilege.
and we have the round sum of SS,21S, as
OF pay to the member. And
recollect how the Frdnknq PriciIeqe was
abused by some. Many members suffered
persons doing business, and their friends.
10 enjoy their frank. Let me take Just a
lew of the highest cost:
Hon. B. Chafee, of Colorado, had 81 ,Ss4 mile
Hon. W. H. Claggett, of Montana, had 1886
mileage.
Hon. J. NJ. Coghlan, of California, had 50, $50
mileage.
Hon. W. T. Jones, of Wyoming, had 1884
Hon: r. c. Mccormack, of Arizona, had sa,-
$50 mileage.
Hon. A. a. Sargent, of California, had s2,45I
mileage.
Hon. j. H. Slater, of Oregon, had s, 900 mile
age.
Hon. W. H. Hooper, of Utah, had 1920 mile
age.
Hon; j. NJ. GallegOs, of New Mexico, had ST.
80 mileage.
Hon. j. C. Conner, of Texas, had s1,792
mileage.
And so on with many other large miIeages.
Now make up Hon. J. Ii. Slater's mileage
and pay, and let us see what it is:
Salary 600
otatloherys etc..--.- -..-.-....-......-.... 80
mileage. .-...---........... $500
Making total in money of. $50
Now, if he sent as many documents. pa
pers, books and seeds, as l did to my con
then add for frank, and you have
(Sl1, 800 ELEVEN THOUSAND ONE HIM
DRIED AND FIFTY DOLLARS, as his paw,
and others not far behind. Now, take the
cheapest member we had, Except the
Washington city member, who cot no
nileage,) Hon. Mr.. MerTiek, of Maryland,
whose mileage was S42, and make up his
account thus:
1850.
otauOnery' go
y llcdsc......-..- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. ~
and We have, in money, s., 2y2; and if he
lsed the frank as induStriOusly as others, it |
vas either $1,000 or $1,000 more. If Won
'ay $1,000, then he got 1922, within a
small sum of the amount fixed by the new