The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1876-06-29
Taxes.

"Thc revenue laws Of Tennessee. MS
.,leY o, present exist, are t%yrannical
and oppressive, The people look up
on tlgm in ibis light, and therefore
itIac are 0is3al0 fled with the laws ana
cdLrisb Il feeling Of bitterness towards
those who made the laws, Hud lbp8c
officers nj Nashville WHO are rctnorac-
less in their execution Many Of the
most substantial men in the country
we're unable 10 raise money 10 meet
their payments by The l,L Of jane, ~
the law required, At that time the
penalty Of twelve per cent. had TO be
charged up against them, and in add.
ton to this, ii the luXcs and penalty
we're not Immediately paid, their prop
erly was to be advertised and sold al
the end Of thirty days, thus putting
them to further and heavier cost, hui
initiation and trouble, The collectors
are not able to help the poor tax pay
crs in any way, The Instructions to
these officers are positive and urgent.
The State demands the money, aud it
must come, In accordance with the
requirements OF this oppressive law,
we sent down an advertisement this
week including SO tracts Of lnHI IN
Ilawkins county, which are to he sold
the lat Of july, simply because, owing
10 the hard times, the owners OF these
lands have been unable TO pay their
taxes. For what is all this great sac
rIGcc Of property to be made? For
what are the working people Of the
country ground down and oppressed Z
For what are the hard earnings Of our
citizens taken Wy thousands and hun
drcus Of thousands ycal after year Z
Simply that the compound interest on
! an unjust debt may be paid. And after
all, the interest is never met and never
paid
The time has aboat come for this
thing to he stopped. The working
people Of the State arc tired Of it. The
idea of u man working hard all the
year round-through the bitter storms
Of winter and in thJ blazing suns OF
summcr-OnIy for the privilege Of pay
ing taxes, and then to have his home
sold under execution, by order Of the
Stat, to pay an unjust and tyranical
charge against him, is II littlC too much
like oppression TO suit the people Of
Tennessee, and cur law makers had rs
well understand right now that these
same people do not intend to bear the
hateful burden any longer. They are
willing to pay all their honest debts.
They are willing to contribute an am
Pic amount to honestly carry on the
State Government in all its various
departments and to educate the people
Of ihc country. But further than this
they are not willing to 80.
" If business does not revive, and II.
money does not become more plentiful,
the next Legislature would DO we'l 10
reduce the taxes Of the State 60 II sum
That the people can meet. II the inter
est ON the public debt is not met, why
the interest will only he in the same
condition as it has been heretofore,
and n great load viii be IllL"d from the
shoulders Of the tax payers. There is
no sun3r in irwin" 10 force people to
pay money when they cannot pay il.
Sell nil these lands on the lst of .July.
and what Dhcn2 VIII The State drive
these pcopIc from their homes and
turn the women and children out in
the weather? The State dares not do
5uch a thing. Itwoull get up q rcYO-
"This thin2 or selling the peoples !
homes on the l5l Of July Will not he
in Hawkins county alone, bat from
Johnson to Shelby the cry on that
will he the anne Ten thousand farms
will be sold on that day for the taxes
luc for 1873. Ten thousand families
will be puL to trouble, great expense
and distress. Forty thousand men,
women and children will pass anXious,
.ilcrulcss nights. in fear of finally
the homes for which they have
worked so hard and sacrificed 50
CHOW, under such n state of things
as this, is it any wonder that the PEG
pie of the State are Gisconteuded aud
gloomy? Is it any wonder that they
complain at those who made the debt,
and those who, acting in the interest
OF the hondholders, are continually in
.creasing the burden? The people do
not wish to repudiatc any just debt, but
thny ne, nat w|iIlinr I, rnnriG., tbn;r|