The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1874-05-14
TENNEssEE.s WORST ENEMIES.

)f the non-tax-paying crOaKers, one
would naturally suppose that the tax
payers of Tennessee were beasts OF bur
den, ridden at the pleasure of bond /
holders. The talk of the demagogues
is false, dishonest and injurious. Peo- (
pie will not locate in a State when !
they are induced TO believe by false I,
hood that the taxes are higher in the
State they propose to adopt than in
the one from which they desire to re-
move. If States increased in popula-
ton In proportion to the rate of taxa
ton, Tennessee would soon be over
run with population, as her taxes are
lower than those of any other State.
The rate of taxation in Tennessee is
only forty cents on the hundred del
lars. This is lower than any State in
the Union with the exception of one
or two small Northern States. To
show how other States are taxed, We
quote what the Baltimore Sun says:
at is learned that the commissioners of
Baltimore county made their levy for
the present year on Tuesday, placing
the general tax-rate at the same fig
ures of 1S73-to-wit: three cents on
the one hundred dollars Of taxable
property. Everybody desires the re-
duction of taxes but only few pro-
pose to secure this at the price of re-
pudiation. High tax is burden to
any people, but low tax is the inyari-
able song of the demagogue. Taxes are
always odious, and the time will never
come when taxation will be considered
a blessing. The true policy of the
honest people of Tennessee is to dis
courage all hope of avoiding payday,
and to unite in a grand effort to pre-
serve the honor of the State. What
an inestimable jewel is public honorl
How it helps private credit; how it ia
cilitates the prosperity of a State; how
proud, and bright, and happy it makes
her people! There is no way to
preserve honor in this matter but to
pay honest debts, and however the
debtors conscience may be lulled into
repOse by assurances that there are
reasons why he may postpone his OBJ
legations, and finally may have rea-
sons for not paying them at all, he will
wake up at last to full conception of
his faithlessness and the injury which
attaches to it. The worst enemies to
the State of Tennessee are those dem
agogues who presist in a reduction of
the State taxes, and in asserting that
it is useless for the State to make any
further show of purpose to redeem her
pledges, to sustain her credit, to keep
up her good name in the estimation
of her sister States and of foreign
countries. Can any man believe that
capitalists, looking for investments,
may be persuaded to embark in bust
ness in Tennessee if she could repudi-
ate her debt, either by formally re-
nouncing her obligations, or declaring
that while she is willing to pay she is
not able to pay? Can any man be-
lieve that our lands, our mines, our
sites for factories, would any longer of
fer any attraction to men of means iii
search of eligible objects and oppor-
tunities for further enlargement Of
their means? Can any man believe
that our State could continue to COM
mand the confidence of any people as
she has always commanded it? 1t
will do to say Tennessee cannot pay.
She must pay for the sake of herself,
for the sake of her citi-
zens, for the sake Of all the
hopes she has of ever becoming as
prosperous as her great natural ad-
vantages promise she shall be. When
a few weeks since, Virginia hesitated
about increasing her taxes, already
higher than those of Tennessee, the
voice of the people indicated most un,
mistakably that they preferred add,
tional burdens to dishonor. The bare
possibility of not providing for the
State debt, placed Virginia under the
! ban of other countries. Immigrants
were advised not to locate in a State
so dishonorable as to higgle and chat
fer about protecting its credit. Those
in this State whowOuld have taxes re
duced to twenty cents, are the worst
enemies to Tennessee, for labor and
capital will laugh to scorn the invita-
tions of that State which desires then
presence only that they may bear al
its burdens and duties. Capital and
labor, even if they come temporarily
to such State, would soon seek some
more congenial sphere. But they
will never come near us, if repudia
ton is allowed, or if the policy of virtu
al Reputation, which is now lowering
in the eyes of the world and wasting
her strength, continue. Not only
will We see Europe take up the cry
of warning to emigrants, but oul
worst fees will be those of our OWL
political household. The States OF
our own confederacy which are il
want of immigration, and which feal
the varied attractions of such a rival
as Tennessee, will be the first and
fercest in the use ofthe weapons against
us which we would put in their hands
by Reputation, expressed or implied.
There is nothing clearer or more incon
trovertible than that any act ofrepudia.
ton, or anything looking toward it,
would be the financial death-knell Of
this commonwealth. Let us shun it as
We would death. -Memphis appeal, It'll.
The Methodist General Conference.
The Committee on boundaries recon-,
mend the formation of a German con
ference in Texas and Louisiana, to be
known as the German Mission Confer.
cnce of the NJ. E. Church. 1t was
moved to amend by striking out the
words, "of the Methodist Episco
pal Church and inserting in then
stead ''of Texas and Louisiana" The
amendment was adopted. The re
port was then adopted.
The committee also recommended
the formation of a new conference,
including Colorado and New Mexico,
n Al -