Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1876-06-03
COUNTY DIALOGUES Nc. 1.
INrERLocuroRs.

INTERLocUToRs.
John Besswax, Merchant. George
Capias, Lawyer. Squire Grufhn,
County Magistrate.
Scene. GAINESVILLE Court House
after adjournment of county court.
Bceswax.-I tell you. Mr.. Capias, it
is too much for any people to stand.
We are taxed to death; why, all my
property put together wouldn't fetch
$1,000, and my taxes for the year
amount to over $40. Why it would pay
for the schooling Of one Of my boys.
Capias.-It is rather heavy, John,
but 1 don't see any remedy. What do
you propose TO do about il?
B-Why we must get house Of re-
representatives. in the interest of the peo-
pie and they must repeal all these
taxes and the people must no longer
be burdened for the profits Of lot of
purse-proud bondholders.
Cob, you are there, are you !?
It is the bondholders. Well, /
don't know many-perhaps they are
a little proud, some of them
but / know one family of them who
have not much purse to be proud Of.
You know Mrs. Dismal, the Doctors
widow. Well, her husbands executor
invested in these bonds for the benefit
of the widow and seven children, and
they are barefooted and almost bare
backed in consequence. They are the
only bondholders / know OF here
abOuts. That's the way you are going
to knock off your $44, of taxes is it ?
You are going to cheat the widow out
Of it, are you?
B.-I cheat nobody; she should not
have invested in such rotten stuff.
C.-She invested on the faith of the
State and that is the faith Of the peo-
pie, your faith and mine, and it is only
such dishonest talk as you have been
treating US to that makes them rotten.
If all people we're honest about them,
bonds would be good. But, however,
1 won't talk to you about honesty; let's
examine your scheme for getting out
Of these taxes. What's the first item ?
B.-Well, there's the city taxes, so.
C.-Well, there your cheating the
widow won't get you out of the trouble;
to throw off that you will have to dis
charge the police and city magistrates,
to stop work on the streets, to turn off
the gas, and in one word to give up all
the conveniences that make city prop
erty more valuable than county land.
How much do you think your $1,000
property would be worth then?
Bob well, yes. suppose we
must pay the city taxes; but then
there's that eussed city railroad tax
that's 80 more. I'm sure that might
go.
Cob yes, you would defraud some
other widows and orphans. l believe
Mrs. Dismal did not invest in them.
But fortunately that does not depend
upon your honesty or mine; GAINESVILLE
is not sovereign State and can't re-
pudiate, and if the interest should not
be paid we should be favored with a
mandamus from the district court to
raise tax for the purpose, and the city
property be levied upon, and the city
taxes garnisheed till twas done. No, no,
the investors in city railroad bonds are
better off than the widow Dismal-they
are getting their interest at present.
What is the next item?
B.-Well, then there's Sc for coun-
ty taxes, and 81 more for county rail-
road tax-S13,OO in all.
C.-The railroad part oft stands in
the same category as the city railroad
tax; you can't get rid of it, and so We II
discuss the county taxes. You want,
then, that the county court shall be
abolished, judge and jury and lawyers
and everything, and the thieves to
have their own way, and your pet law
suit with your neighbor Sharpset to
be dropped, and the roads to be let
out of repair so that not a pound of
tobacco or bacon or bushel of corn
or any other produce can be brought
to town or a bill of dry goods or hard
ware or furniture or groceries be sent
into the country
B.-Stop! stop! Now, 1 never said
anything about county taxes.
C.-Well, then, what is the next
item?
B.-Well, here's school tax 81.
C.-Well, that's cheap schooling,
think l saw your two little fell
lows Johnnie and Billy among Var
rel's scholars. think we had better
pass that over. What next2
B.-NOw we come to the State tax,
that's where the mischief lies; that we
can get rid of.
C.-Not bit of it, not by repudiat-
ing the State bonds, for not a cent of
it goes for them. To stop that you
would have to abolish the Supreme
court and both houses of legislature
and all the State offices and the turn
pixies
B.-Now stop, Mr.. Capias, you al
ways make fun of what Isay. / mean
what is paid for them cussed railroad
bonds.
Chat is exactly nothing per an-
mum at present, for We are not even
paying interest on them; but it is pro-
posed to add somewhere about 81 on
your 1000 to pay that interest. And
for the sake of that paltry 81 year
You would blast the credit Of the State
and with 1t that of every town and city
in it, and your credit and my credit,
and so cause the loss of hundreds and
thousands to us for every dollar we at
present pay in taxes-and, besides all,
brand the State, and yourself with the
shameful title of repudiator.
B.-NOw, you stop there, Mr.. Capt.
as liant no repudiator, don't want
10 repUdiate anything, but you know