Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1875-04-08


ing up the farm, supported their tam
lily for the year, and paid heG tareS,
they have but a mere p%ittance left if
they are not actually in debt they
will tell you that while real estate
and other property has been gradu-
ally ~depreciating and their means of
obtaining money constantly ~lessening
that their taxes have been continu.
ously on the increase and have ac-
eumulated to the extent as to render
them positively unable to pay. W.
sometimes. talk about tenths and
tithes and the tyrannies Of the old
world | venture there is not a farmer
in Tennessee to-day who would not
be glad Of the opportunity to turn
over to the Tax Collector oneAdlf Of
his net profits as a compromise.
1t seems that our latter-day states
men have devoted alltheir ingenuity,
learning and energy in devising ner
methods o taxing the lands the labor,
the products and the liberties ofthe
toilmg workers of the State-the
planters, farmers and mechanics-un-
til the patience, and patriotism as
well, Of the whole people is about ex-
hausted' 1t is no wonder their for
bearance is worn out and gone,
and their loyalty to the State
is beginning to tremble. Patience
and patriotism can be strained by op.
preston till they break, and then,
tardy reform gives place to revolution,
and the majesty Of the outraged
masses resumes the sovereignty of the
State and the prerogatives of power,
and with an omnipotent hand breaks
the letters of oppression and restores
to the people their blood-bought heri'
tage Of freedom from tyranny. Sir,
our constituents, not yet recovered
from the depletion of the late disas,
trous struggle, though bending every
nerve and straining every energy to
pay a~nte.bellum debts, to regain lost
homes, or to retain and improve such
as the wal left them, and to gather
together the means of Icing and ed
ucating their children, find them
selves to-day, by the enormous exac
lions O the State and county, under
the most outrageous evenue system
ever instituted in a free country
robbed and plundered in the name o,
law-to such an extent as to be ut
terly impotent either TO pay theil
private debts or to educate theil
children and seeing nothing before
them here better than bankruptcy ant
poverty, hundreds of our very bes'
citizens are abandoning the State tC
seek new homes somewhere where
they may hope to enjoy a fair pro
portion, at least, of the products o
their labor, and other hundreds arr
preparing to follow, We sometimes
talk about immigration and tn,
climate, the soil, the scenery, and thu
grand combination of natural varieC
f resources within our borders, invit'
, abundant and valuable immigration
: and Offer almost irresistible motive
, to home.seekers in the Northern
| and Eastern States and in Europ
2 to make themselves citizens Of Ten
l nessee and weWdnt immigration W
l want the honest, intelligent labor
5 skilled and unskilled, from all enlight
Y ened lands, to enlarge our industries
and help to deyelope our boundles
e resources. But what intelligent in
migrant, when he learns that the law
of Tennessee tax him to nearly tn
full extent of his net earning, will b
Il Influenced by any consideration t
r come here and make himself a revt
y nue. SLdce, and to transmit a heritag
n Of hopeless poverty to his children
What capitalist will venture to inyes
his dollar here when he learns tha
d his cash is taxed to the extent
nearly half its highest lawful int
J. est? We have instituted an Ayr
It cultural and Immigrant Bureau
3, which Is ably manned, one of who's
II officers has sent forth the ablest repoI
upon the resources of Tennessee eve
yet compiled, and it is using its poy
&c er to induce immigration. But
what avail will be the most hcreculea
2, efforts your Bureau can exert viii
1T this incubus of taxation is absolut
&c ly driving away from your border
If more Of your nattce population tina
,e you can possibly replace with imm
S. grants? Sir, if he knows Of our take
the immigrant will not come here
re but if he ignorantly comes, when
n learns by feeling what u tayatic
ID means, our fertile soil, our genial G.
c. mate, our peerless scenery our sple
III did mineral resources, any and a
s, will not hold him here. The on
r way you can keep him will be to
lr him get hold of a controlling intere
of in one of our grand, untared. lord
ut railroad corporations or some 9th
e. equally free incorporated monopol
" The great motive powers that actua
d. the world are interest the hope
he reward, and the tear of punishmer
n This is true of large masses of pc
IS, pie, because it is true of individual
All history-our own observation al
It. experience. and the Bible itself ate
ne the truth of the proposition. To
lie no further back for illustration, t
st bloody cOnnnests Of Cortez al