The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1878-07-18
Does the Matter OF High on
Low Tax Eject tue People!

AaONN aLA AAAhSNt ,cEA@s
There is a good deal of pith and
point in the following article from the
Franklin Rsuieg AID Journal. The
assertion that the men who munipu-
lated the funding act Of 1873 must
take a back seat, will be fully verified
before the campaign is over;
We reckon the people Of Tennessee
will be slow to accept the suggestions
or published opinions OF cx-Comp-
t~roller John G. Burch upon the sub
iect Of State finances as worthy Of
the very highest attention and con
sIdeIation. His recent published
letter, and his speech last Tuesday,
upon that subject, are artful TO say
the least. They contain a great many
statements upon general subjects
that are true, to be sure; but upon
the whole they arc impracticable ard
full of false theory and reasoning.
Col. Burch, ike most men who have
had training in the bond school,
fails to appreciate the fact that the
matter of high or low taxes does af-
feet the people. He talks as philo-
sophicllly about it as if it were Of no
concern to the people whether they
pay a ten cent OF a hundred cent tax.
lie assumes tho position, technically
true but experimentally and really
false, and contrary to common sense,
reasoning and experience, that the
poor pay no taxes, and hence II Is Of
little concern TO them whether taxes
are high or low. This bubble has
been so often bursted that it only
creates surprise that d man Of Col.
! Burch's intelligence should use il as
argument. He thinks the only pana.
cea for our troubles is to get put
through in the next Legislature Il
scheme for the establishment of a
State Bank to be run in tht interest
and for the benefit of the bondhold-
ers. He thinks the matter in dispute
between the bondholders and the
people Of Tennessee could be settled
through this instrumentality in the
course Of time. He admits many
difficulties that are in the wav of the
project, aud overlooks money more.
Upon the whole, we can but view the
letter and speech as a well written
and well delivered plea for the bond
holders-a drowning grasp at a
straw. High-stilted gentlemen had
as well come down to the real issue
in regard to the State debt question
at once. The people understand the
artful lodging Of Col. Burch, and
men of his ike, and will not be led
by their hoacyed schemes. They will
not be led hlindly into any path that
is blazed out for them by the men
who ~concocted aud carried through
the Infamous funding act Of 1873,
and who have always, before and
since that time, aligned themselves
with every measur aud every move
ment that tended to Cypress the pco-
plc'in order TO Justify the unholy,
illegal and unjust demands Of the
bondholders. Nor will the people al
low such men to escape responsibility,
censure and the severeSt Condemna-
ton for their conduct-no squirming
and scheming on their part can es-
cape the ineyitable and just political
infamy hat are the unerrlng fruits
of their perfdy. The people demand
now, that what ought to have been
done in regard to the State debt, So
called, in 1873, or earlier, and which
was not done, shall be done by the
next legislature, viz: That the so
called debt shall be thoroughly inves
tigated-that its origin, history, pro
gress and mismanagement shall be
brought to light-that the frauds
and lllegalities surrounding it shall
be laid bare-that the illegal and
fraudulent shall be separated from
the pure and good-that the vile and
doubtful shall be repudiated, and the
valid and pure shall be provided for
or compromised. And whether a
State Bank shall be established or
not, this ought 10 be done, and we
believe it will be done, if the true will
Of the people prevails. And in this
matter W. are free. frank. and bold
to say, that the people do not want
The leadership of such men as OK
Comptroller John G. Burch. They
must take back seats. Meme, meme,
teEeI aphorsia," has been written as
the public Judgment as to them, and
that Judgment can never be averted
or subyerted by any or all such clap
trap plans, theories and arguments as
those being resortod to by Comptrol-
Ter Burch and men of his ilk.