Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1876-06-17

TAXATION As DETERMINED By
THE DEMOCRATIC CONYEN-
TON OF 1874.

American at last declaring lLselI On the
financial question now to be settled in
Tennessee, and taking the wrong side.
We subjoin the whole article together
with the paragraph from the Browns
Vile Democrat which elected it:
THE RATES OF TAXATION.
Now, we desire to ask the American
if, in advocating higher rate of taxa
ton than that adopted in 1875, it is not
violating the spirit and intention oft
platform ?-B Brownsville Democrat.
The American has never advocated
a higher rate of taxation than that at
present imposed by the State. On the
contrary, some time ago. in reply to
direct inquiry of the Avalanche, we
said that we adhered to the platform
of 1874 relative to the State debt and
the rate of taxation. We have at all
times and on all occasions favored the
maintenance of the credit of the State.
We have opposed the reputation of
dime of the principal or interest OF
our obligations. Inand with that view
we opposed any attempt TO increase the
rate of taxation by the last Leglsla-
ture. We believed then as we believe
now. that such an effort would do more
to promote and increase the spirit of
reputation, than all the speeches that
the repudiators can make and all the
documents which they can circulate.
We do not believe that there is TWEEN
tieth part of our population that would
favor reputation, but they are very
poor, want pinches in hundreds of
households whose distresses are not
suspected; the burden of taxation is
heavy and bears grievously upon them.
1t is true that the State portion of it
is comparatively light, but there is
county, and school, and railroad, and
municipal, and heaviest of all, though
indirect, Federal taxation. They make
crushing load with the present scare
ity of money and scarcity of labor, and
superabundance of Indebtedness. Our
creditors will simply have to wait.
Nonpayment is not reputation. 1t
may be that at the end of another two
years the pecuniary condition OF our
people will enable them to bear an in
crease of the rate of taxation. Ifthey
be not pressed to submit to an in
crease at the next session of the Leg
islature, they will struggle on manful-
" under the present load with the
hope that by searching and severe re-
trenchment, by a reduction of expen-
ses in every department, theywill, with
a return of prosperous times, be ena-
bled to gradually meet their delayed
obligations.
Some months ago we suggested the
pr0priety of an attempt at compromise
between the State and its creditors.
We believe no steps have ever been
taken looking to the accomplishment of
such a result. We are nevertheless
yet of the opinion that such an effort
wonld be the best for both debtor and
creditor. We believe that by confer
ence, consultation and full under
standing between the parties, an ad
justment can be made which will be
advantageous to both debtor and cred
itor. and which will be cordially sane
toned by the people. In this, hOwev-
er, it is only our province to suggest
-NaShUiIle american.
While we say that we read this ar
ticle with regret we cannot add that
we read it with surprise. The Ameri-
can has been SO long hesitating to de-
clare it's sentiments on question so
plain as the payment or non-payment
of the State liabilities, that we hardly
hoped for a satisfactory answer when
it did come-we hardly feared, howev-
er, one so entirely unsatisfactory as
$780, hoQomo
But the emergency now upon US
leaves us no time for INDUCING in re-
grets: we must at once take issue with
the American and tate sin the plainest
terms that both that journal and the
Brownsville Democrat mistate the ac-
ton of the Democratic convention of
1874. To have the whole question be-
fore our readers we here insert the
4th clause of the Platform adopted by
that convention, so much of it as re-
lates to the State finances:
Sec. 4. That we deplore the exist
ence of all Indebtedness Federal, State
county aud Municipal, and demand
that no more taxes shall be laid upon
the people than shall be found to be
essentially necessarily for the support
of the State Government on principles
of the most rigid economy, and for the
payment Of ats Just debts and Obtigd-
tiORS and for the preservation Of tts credit
and honor uRtdrniShed, and are there
fore opposed to an increase of taxa
ton.
On the face of the document it is
quite plain that the statement we have
given in italics was taken as the ground
upon which increase of taxation was
opposed, otherwise the clause would
contain a contradiction in terms. Ii
the existing revenue had not been con-
sidered sufficient to meet all the obi
cations of the State, the absurdity Of
the contradiction would be manifest;
it would virtually run as follows: the
Indebtedness of the State must be net
the existing taxation is not sufficient
for the purpose, therefore we must not
increase it. But the history of the
proceedings in convention prove still
more conclusively that the last clause,
the opposition to increased taxation,
was defended strictly on the grounds
We have spoken of, and that history
must be we'll known to the gentleman
who is considered to determine the
policy advocated by the american.
When the 4th Section of the plat
form was first presented to the COM
mittee on resolutions for adoption it
ended with the words we have itali-
cised, the additional sentence and are
therefore opposed to an increase on
taxation" having been added in com
mittee. Now when this addition was
proposed considerable opposition was
made to it by members of the COM
mittee who failed to see that the ex-
listing taxation could pay both State
expenses and interest on bonds, and
this opposition only yielded to the re-
iterated assurance of those who favor
ed it backed by the authority of the
,ry,,-,.,or 90 fba Tommopwcol4b 81