The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1876-06-14

The tax collectors of Hawkins county
occupied our room during Circuit Court
and we had good opportunity to SCI
the people and hear what they had tC
say on the subject of tax paying under
the present laws in our State, and to
note their feelings and temper on the
subject. That there is deep feeling of
discomfort and dissatisfaction among
them cannot be denied. The revenue
laws of Tennessee, as they at present ex-
list, are tyrannicaI- and oppressive The
people look upon them In this light, and
| therefore they are dissatisfied with the
| laws and cherish feeling of bitterness
| towards those who made the laws and
| those officers at Nashville who are re-
mOrseless in their execution. Many of
the most substantial men in the county
were unable to raise money to meet
their payments by the first of June as
the law required. At that time the pen
atty Of twelve per cent. had to be charged
up against them, and in addition to this.
If the taxes and penalty were ot5ifnL
mediately paid, their property was to be
advertised and sold at the end of 80 DAYS,
thus putting them to further and heavy
cost, humiliation and trouble The
collectors are not able to help the poor
tax payer in anyway instFuctio4isl
to these officers are positive and urgent.
The State demands the money, and it
must come. In accordance with the re-
quirements of this oppressive law, we
sent down an advertisement this week
TNRa1 md Ir1Or fFaa of Ion To-
county, which are TO be sold on the 1st
of July, simply because, owing to the
hard times, the owners of these lands
have been unable to pay their taxes.
For what is all this great sacrifice of
property to be made? For what are the
working people of the country ground
down and oppressed? For what are the
hard earnings of our citizens taken by
thousands and hundreds of thousands
year after year? Simply that the COM
pound interest on an unj Just debt may
be paid. And after all the interest is
never met and never paid.
The time has about come for this
thing to be stopped. The working peo-
pie Of the State are tired of it, The
idea of man working hard all the year
round = through the bitter storms Of !
winter and in the blazing suns of sum-
mer-only for the privilege of paying |
taxes, and then to have his home sold |
under execution, by order of the State, |
to pay an unjust and tyrannicaI charge |
against him, is little too much like CD |
preston to suit the people of Tennessee,
and our lawmakers had as well under |
stand 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 ample amount to honestly
carry on the State Government in all its |
various departments and to educate the
children of the country. But further
than this they are not willing to go.
IF business does not revive, and if
money does not become more plentiful
the next Legislature would do well to
reduce the taxes of the State to a sum
that the people can meet. If the interest
on the public debt is not met, why the
interest Will only be in the same condi-
ton it has been heretofore, and a great
load will be lifted from the shoulders
of the tax payers. There is no sense in
trying to force people to pay money
when they cannot pay it. Sell all these
lands on the first of July and what then?
VIII the State drive these people from
their homes and turn the women and
children out in the weather? The State |
1ares not do such a thing. It. would get
up a revolution.
This thing of selling the peoples
homes on the list of July will not be in
Hawkins county alone, but from John
son to Shelby the cry on that day will
be the same. Ten thousand farms
will be sold on that day for the taxes
due for 1875. Ten thousand families
will be put to trouble, great expense
md distress. Forty thousand men, wo-
men and children will pass anxious,
'leepless nights, in fear of finally losing
The homes for which they have worked
so hard and sacrificed so much
Now, under such a state of things as
this, is it any wonder that the people of
the State are disconnected and gloomy?
Is it any wonder that they complain at
those who made the debt, and those
who, acting in the interest of the bond
holders, are continually increasing the
BURDEN? The people do not wish to re-
pudiate any just debt, but they are not
willing to sacrifice their homes and to
bring their families to beggary, only
that few rich men may get richer
hat the bondhoIder may ride in a carri-
age and literally roll in wealth while
hey are in poverty and their children
growing up in ignorance and want.
We are not for reputation, but we
ire for making the ''bloated bondhold-
sr" wait for his money until the farmers
md other working people in Tennessee
ire able to pay him his debt, and then
We are in favor of paying him Just ex-
lctly what we owe him, and not one
cent more. If he bought thousand
dollar bond for four hundred dollars the
people of Tennessee do not, in good
owe him thousand. They
ought not to pay him interest on a
and to kick such fraudulent
claim az this overheard is not repudia-
ion. 1t is simply doing justice to our
selves and our children, and we ought
% kick all such claims overheard Then
he honest creditors could get their in
crest as it fell due, the people could
BAY their taxes and nobody would be I