Knoxville Whig and chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1875-1882, 1875-09-01

ltAl IN tue purchase Ol HlhCnlueTy, utteQ u
the production of a particular commodity.
would you not, ms prudent men be forced
to consider, for how long, the government
will continue to carry out its present policy
Hence | say, that in considering the i'm
portant question, of how we shall employ
the little capital we poses, i b. what
pursuits we shall direct uur eel
greatly constrained. For. . o.. ed,
or indeed desired, that l r.,r upon
the domains ofpolitics, anu .."n every .ide
of the subjects | am to discus, nrr environ,
ed by these, so called political but really
economic questions. Wit thi, eypluna-
| ton, | will proceed as best | may.
And first let us take n RAPID glance at our
condition, in order that we may better un-
derstand the ombarrhssmeLts that surround
us, and the extent of the work that is be-
fore us in the endeavor TO bring luck the
prosperous days of the old time, when all
were happy and all were cOntented.
We have in Tennessee, in round num-
! bers, ,2j0,0oO people of all ages, sexes and
colors, being about one-thrtieth part of
the whole population of the United States.
Estimating the sum required each year
! for the support of the Government of the
! United States, and raised by taxation, to be
! $500, 900, 000-and the average sum for the
past ten years has considerably exceeded
this estimate-and having regard to mum
]
| division Of that tax, the people of
! Tennessee would have to pay annually rs
| their contribution, the sum of $1,000, 600
ten millions of dollars. But although we
| have within our borders one-thirtieth part
of the population of the United States we
possess, according to the census returns of
| 1870, only one-sixtieth part of the wealth
of the country. Much of this revenue is
| raised by imposts upon articles of prime
/ n ~ 10
| whisky and tobacco, which the rich and
the poor alike consume, yet much of it is
| raised by duties upon merchandise that
bought and used by the rich alone, or main
| ly by the rich.
Having regard to wealth as furnishing
the measure of consumption, and conse-
quently Of taxation, the people of Tennes-
see pay only S. 1000 of the $500 goo, 900.
Having regard to numbers, we have seen
that we would pay $4,000, 600. Taking
| both numbers and wealth into view, we are
warranted in assuming that our part of the
tax is 81, 100000
A part of this tax is paid in gold, now at
| a premium of, say twelve (l2) per cent,
and all the goods and wares upon which
the taxes are assessed, come to the consumer
after, at least, two and generally greater
number of exchanges, on each of which a
profit must be paid, and for this premium
and these profits we may safely add thirty
three per cent, being s., $4,000, which,
added TO the 81, 500, 600, make in all $40,
| 100000. l am convinced that if | had the
time to 60 into particulars, and you the
patienc to bear with me, it could be shown
that the sum is much greater.
In addition to this we have State debt,
bearing interest, reported officially to be
about sd. 100000, and a bonded debt due
from cities and counties, which, according
to the census of 1870 is S7,S22, 900, the an
nual interest being Si69, $1,000, and fund
ed and bonded debt due from railroad COM
panies, che exact amount of which | have
not been able to ascertain, but which Ger.
tainly is not less than S20,OOO,OC0; part OF
these bonds bear per cent. interest, and
part of the interest is payable in gold
when the gold is reduced to currency, the
total of interest to be paid each year by the
| railroad companies is not less than 81 800
600.
OF the sum paid yearly to the Govern
ment of the United States, but little is paid
out in the State of Tennessee. The total
expenses ofthe Navy and Navy yards and Of
the War Department and Notifications; the
interest upon the public debt, the immeese
| sums paid to pensioners, all or nearly all is
expended outside of this State.
A part of the revenue, however, is paid
out here in maintaining the regular service
| of the Post Office Department part in the
administration of justice and TO pensioners
small sam TO revenue officers. such a:
whisky gaugers, &c, and something &c
holders Of United States bonds. The tota
amount, however, which comes back in
this way to the people of Tennessee will MOI
exceed 81, 100000.
Perhaps one-half of the bonds of cities
and counties, and one-twentieth of the
railroad bonds and bonds of the State, are
| held by our citizens, and the interest col
lected and expended here. Thus we have
| t. raise and send every year out of the
State after making the deductions required
| by the above estimates
On account of United States tax and
On account Of interest on tennessee WV
bon ,lSI,' u
bonds. 1925 60,
county I54 TO
Making total 1866
All of which, if we would not become more
deeply involved in debt, must be paid eact
year, from the surplus products of our la.
Dor, and is carried out of the State. Blu
stated in different form, we find that We
pay to United States taxes and profits six
dollars and eighty cents for each inhabitant
To interest on the State debt, nearly nine
ty-siX 1867 cents for each inhabitant. To
interest upon railroad bonds, nearly ninety
nine (99) cents for each inhabitant,
In these estimates, thesums yearly raised
by taxation, and required to support ou
State, county and city governments, anC
the public schools are not considered, be.
cause they are expended within the limit
Of the State no part of them is sen
abroad, and our enquiry to-day is limi
ted TO the questions, How may we becom
rich2 What shall be our pursuits? and
what method shall we adopt to make thes
burthens easy TO be bourne.
But in passing, / may say, that il
our duty TO lessen the expenses of on
home governments in every way that j
possible, for, although expended in on
midst, the sums expended by these gov
| ernments, are at last tax upon labor
and / hold it to be maxim in politica
/ Science, that an eXtravagant government
{ will make an extravagent aud thriftles
{ people-or rather that frugal, economical
people, will demand and will have an eco
nomical government. They act upon, an
react upon each other-the government
and the people.
In order that we may more accuratel
p perceive, and more intelligently compre
bend our actual condition, and measure tn
ability we possess in the present state of GU
industrial pursuits, 10 meet these annual
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