Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-02-19
UNION AND AMERICAN.
COL. 4. S. COLYAR.
To tie Union and American:

No. H
To tie Union and American:
NASHVILLE, Feb. 1S.-Turning back to
the point made in my first letter, L propose
to enquire into the ability Of the people Of
Tennessee, at this time, 10 meet the inter-
est on the public debt, in addition to pay
ing current expenses.
The State Treasurer informed me few
DAYS ago, that in his opinion the amount
TO be raised to pay current expenses and
interest would be from S2,SOO,OOO to 81
100000, and prefer TO take his estimates
rather than make figures say s., 100000;
and therefore to realize this amount tax
must be levied sufficient 10 cover delin-
queucies. which will not be less than $780,,
COIN all $, 600. By the COmptroil-
,ers report the privilege taxes for two years
were S6J2, 9I7.O4 This makes the privi-
lege tax for the year S32l, 1882. This,
1aken from the aggregate assessment, liz
GLIDING delinqGencies, leaves S2,5Io,54l.4o
TO be assessed on taxable property.
The total taxable property Of all kinds,
by the COmptrOller's report, IS S2o9,533,-
5G5. Suppose We add for railroads So
100000, making in all S324 ,533, 800. Now
suppose We draw on Te,renchment for
S37S.54i.4S, leaving to be raised S2.2OO,OOO,
and we tiud that on taxable property We
must be assessed 6S cents on the hundred
dollars.
This is upon the basis Of former assess
ments, including double tax on all the
real estate which has been sold and not
paid for, and list Of priClieges, including
the following, besides merchants, peddlers
and lawyers, tO-wit: the occupation Of the
architect. the civil engineer, the dental sur
Il fs-A ha
the man who drives wheeled
vehicle for profit. the hUckSter, the
cattle dealer, the horse dealer, tie
mule dealer, the lumber dealer, the man
who keeps a stOck-yayl, the man who
keeps a sale stable, the man who keeps
fruit stand, express companies, livery stable
keepers. the man who runs an omnibus,
express wagon, coal cart or transfer wagon,
She keeper Of q ferry, plumber and gas
filter Ii this long list Of legitimate and
necessary business pursuits is to be con-
tinued under the word privileges in the
Constitution, and which by lawyers has
ALWAYS been understood TO mean some
thing that was not wanted, but would be
tolerated for a fixed price, say, If this
Eist Is to be continued, does not justice re-
ruire chat farmers, doctors and preachers
fba only classes left Out-shall be en-
hr9cad But the point is, that this
is taving he business Of the country, and
81 far as bnr. lens on the people are con
ca-Da5 r1+av won d not be increased by adj
dino the AGGREGATE O. privilege taxes tosihe
tax on property. Indeed, al tle taxes ~
Guiding the taxes on railroads II coIlecyeu,
aud which will only be done al ne emu OF
litigation, at last come from the pTOCo'el
Out Of l.25SO00 people in Tennessee, Ne
only have 367,9ST following any occupa-
lion, business or pursuit 4 large portion OF
these are merchants, lawyers, doctors,
preachers. peddlers, and traders, who create
nothing and are compelled to draw on the
producers for their part Of the taxes. In
The productive pursuits we have IN Ten
nessee only 2gT04S people, many Of whom
are children ten years old and upwards.
That these 29T,0iS producers pay all the
taxes. is proposition which needs not TO
be argued.
Under our County Court system, the
levy of a tax for State purposes, IS equlya-
lent 10 a maudamus on the County Courts
10 levy the same, and then the cities AID in
.o0rDOrated towns take the same privilege.
NJ that 2gTO4S people contribute for the
s,InpOrt of the State and county govern
7ne6ts. 10 saw nothing Of city and town
taxes. about S4,400, 600; and this IS $780,
GOO more than our entire estimated clrcu-
fafion. In many Of the States taxes are
levied upon a fixed per cent Of the value OF
ur0perty: but with us it is levied on the
art5ra value. and hence the misapprehen-
sion with many people that our taxes are
Ii0ht compared with other States when
If is rem embered that there are only
six States in the Union that owe
as much debt as Tennessee, and that the
extensive machinery Of our State Govern
,nent Is q matter Of surprise to all strangers
md Indeed scarcely has a parallel, the
assertion of comparative low taxes becomes
al once absurd, especially when We reIneIl-
her that in all the States where the people
hear heavy burdens EXCEPT Tennessee, from
one-half TO ihree-fOUrths Of the people are
producers, whi,e with US less than
One-fourth are producers. But even
low taxes when there is no
money in the country become at once op-
z,rassive. These facts, takenin connection
with the fact, that by the report oi the
ComnfrOllsr of the currency made 10 the
present session of Congress, the circulation
for the Southern and Southwestern States
Il s2S1 .Der capitd, while the New England
States have DeT capita S3k4j, and IN Euro
mean countries the average is from % TO
35 dollars per capita, at once shows our ao-
solutedestirution. With the drain now upon
The people Of Tennessee 10 pay the
bSlances against Us in trade, including the
interest on railroad bonds, all Of which Is
collected from the people, and to pay the
West for corn while we make another crop
are we prepared to collect and remit 70
New York to pay interest on the bonded
State debt S1.5G0,O00? Can we stand It? IS
fbe question. If undertaking to pay the
interest on our public debt Is going TO eX-
6aust the people, and drive them from the
Staie and prevent immigration, and in the
end 50 dishearlen aud impoyensh the
people as to not only bring general distress
1rpon them. but endangeT the whole Geo.'
it becomes us as just and wise guardians
of the public veal and future interests 10
stop paving the interest, and ask
a compromise, Just as a private individual
would do when his means and family IoT-
bade his doing anything else. Tins cues
r'au has two sides ia the estimation Of all
-,eCz,is. except the b0ndhOlders, who seem
fafs-T5ine,ll 10 have a lien declared upon
.fre muscle Of o. neratiOns yet to come. On
The one side. de ho!1ers Of our securities
have righ5 u demand payment III sou
faith. il We are able b mako - Oh t -
other hand, if in addition 70 an Ai!loSs GU
tire failure Of crops, war and unWlse lesls-
Iation have stripped us Of property WIN