The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1878-04-17
MONEY AND IMMIGRATION
Il PR4oTEeAL FARMER TELLS
HOW TO SECURE BOTH
ditor OF the bEorristown Gazette:


HOW TO SECURE BOTH.
To the Editor of the BEorristown Gazette:
According to the report from the Bu-
reau of Agriculture at Washington for
1876, there are in the whole state of
Tennessee 118, 141 farms, averaging in
size 166 acres.
This is equal to 892, 22S farms Of so
acres each. fra e
If land owners should all sell off into
so acre farms there wsuld be therefore
274, 087 farms sold. If sold at s. per
acre there would be brought into the
State over sos, 500, 600 in money, or
about $50 for every man, woman and
child in the State, for land alone.
1t is thus shown that Tennessee has,
within her borders, surplus property
enough, if she could sell it, to give her
people little more than twice as much
money per capita as any people on earth
now has.
In every rich country on earth the
lands are divided into small bodies, with
peshaps the single exception of England,
where the wealth has grown cut of min
ing and manufacturing enterprise.
In the States of the American Union
the real wealth is in proportion to the
growth in population-those States that
have encouraged immigration have
grown wealthy. Those that have net
done this have remained poor.
Tennessee has remained comparative.
ly poor among other States. History
points unerringly to her only relief from
poverty. Wisdom says, Adopt thai
means of relief" The question is, how
to get at itq How to induce immigra
ton
If the press, and public men OF Ten
nessee were to constantly try to impress
upon the world the idea that our climate
is extremely unhealthy, the world would
soon come to believe it, although as
matter of fact, it is not true. So if they
were to constantly publish that our soil
is barren and unproductive, it would be
believed abroad, though false. AS re
suit, no one would come to our State to
live.
And so il is when men constantly talk
about the oppressiveness of taxation in
TenneE see. 1t is easy to prove that our
people do not feel oppressed by taxation
else they would complain just a little OF
county court that assess 80 cents on
the $1OO
When men groan under the burden OF
40 or 80 cents State tax, and meekly
fubmit to 80 cents county tax, 1t proves
to any man that thinks for himself that
the groaning about the State tax is a
false groan.
To say that our people are over-taxed
by the State is as false and as damaging
as to say that our climate is unhealthy
or that our soil is barren and unproduct-
i've. 1t is believed abroad, neverthe-
less, just because it has been so often
said. 1t is this impression that is made
abroad that is keeping US poor.
If we can remove, by any means, this
false impression as to our burdens in the
way of taxation, there is every thing to
induce immigration. If immigrants
would come, they would increase our
wealth by the money and property they
would make. The aggregate value OF
taxable property would thus increase
and tax diminish.
Is there any other way to diminish
taxes materially? 1 say no. If the
State debt should be repudiated in toto,
still the current expenses are to be met.
This requires considerable taxation
Education is to be fOstered. This re-
quires taxation. Counties are to be run.
Experience shows that this requires
more taxation than all that would be re,
quired to pay the State debt. Expert
ence also proves that if the State taxa
ton diminishes, county taxation IN
creases. So that, in any event, we arc
never to be freed from taxation. But
with property in the State assessed at
$3.50, 600, 900, we pay given sum. II
the property in the State were made
worth twice as much by immigration, i.
is plain that half as high a vote would
raise the same money. By this means,
therefore, the rate of taxation may be
reduced. There is no other way to dc
it.
But suppose we repudiate the State
debt. The world believes-knows-i
is done either because of our poverty OF
our dishonesty. In either event the re-
suit is the same. immigration will not
flow into pSverty-stricken country
nor will it flow into country believed
to be dishonest. zx#