Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-11-05
RIPLEY, TENN.
The Democracy of LaUderdaIe Ont in
Full FOrce-ROusing Speech by
Major Sykes, of Memphis.
The Question of Federal Taxes and Re.
publican ExRCtfOns SqUsrtIy, Fairly
and Candidiy Treated,
Special to the Appeal

| Special to the Appeal
RIPLEY, TENN, VIA BROWNSVILLE,
November "A large and enthusiastic
meeting Of the Democracy was held here
to-day. Major w. J. Sykes, of Mem
phls, was the speaker. Among other
things, after speaking Of State Issues, he
asked: Whence come your burdens?
From Federal taxation 6nd from R2di-
cal misgovernment. l have shown you
that your State debt was increased six.
teen million dollars il four years by the
Radical party, with but very little TO
show for it. Take from cur present debt
these sixteen million, snd it would leave
US with debt not exceeding nine mill
lion dollars, which we could easily man.
age with a reduced rate of taxation. In
the management Of national finances
they are sven weIse than in their
management OF State finances. They
have collected, since the war,
enough to have paid the expenses Of an
economical government, and to have
reduced the national debt TO lea5 tnan q
billion OF dollars, whereas it now ex-
ceeis two billions, They lay taxes,
enormous taxes, upOn your Clotblpg,
youC household and kitchen furnitug1,
your farming uteneils, upon blankets,
wooden goods, csrpets, iron, steel, cotton
goods, and, in fact, upon neatly every
article you purchase. Every merchant,
either dry goods, hardware or grocery,
is made q tax-gatherer, Upon the
blankets which protect you from ths
cold you pay ninety-five per cent, or
more than half the cost. Upon your
farming Implements and cooking uteB-
sils you pay fifty par cent, or one
fourth of their entire cost. Upon every
blanket purchased 0y the co!ored man
he pays from one to two dollars tax,
and upon every thing else in
nearly the same proportion. The
direct tax from the tariff amounts
to $l88, ,069, 522 per anDum. The indirect
tax paid 10 American manufacturers on
account Of the enhanced price OF their
manufactures amounts TO 81 1851. 672 067
Tue two added together make 81, ,049,-
76l, $50. o. this Tennessee pays az least
one.fOrtietb. This estimate Of the tax
paid to American manufacturers, OF
which the government receives nothing,
if taken from the speech OF Hon. WI,
liam r. Morrison, OF Illinois, made
Ia the house of representatives, May
%, 1875. Your county Of LauderdsIs
pays q direct tax to the government OF
$l50,000 besides her indirect tax to
American manufacturers, while your
State tax is only $l6,096 You
have heard men pretending to b.
DEMOCRATS exousing Federal taxation, If
not absolutely defending it, by saying
that it was upon luxuries, and that We
could do without them. II they call
iron, steel, sugar, woOlea goods, cotton
goods and blankets larLries, would
like to know what they would call
accessories. The dividing line between
"a Democrat and Republican is: The
Democrat is an opponent Of the enOT-
nous Federal taxation, and the Rspub.
licRn is its advocate or apologist. Judged
by this standard, which is the correct
one, you will see where the Independent
candidates stand in this contest. Let
me entTeat you, my Democratic
friends, let there be no divisions
among you. Whatever differences
may exist among Us upon State ques.
tions can easily be adjusted by Demo-
cratic legislature. The Republican party
has always been for increasing debt and
taxes; the Democratic, for decreasing
debt and reducing taxes as far as prac-
ticable. The Republicans made the debt
Of Tennessee Rs large as it is, AID the
legislature OF 1S69-70, of which the pres
ent Independent candidate for gov
ernor was the most prominent member,
caused the doubtful bonds to be paid,
and left the Democratic party with a
heavy load of debt, which it will require
the utmost wisdom and prudence to
manage. believe, however, it can be
done, and that plan csn be devised
which will liquidate our debt, and, at
the same time, greatly relieve tax-bur-
dened people. We cannot trust those
who involved US in these difficulties,
and we may always judge Of a mans
real feelings and sentiments by know
ing those of his supporters. LEuderdale
county has never fal'ered, and in this
hour of Democratic triumph her gallant
Democracy will be onward ana up
ward, and hew to the line. The De-
mocracy of Lsuderdale are solid for the
straight ticket. There was q grand
toTchlight procession at night.