The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1879-08-08
Our system Of Taxation.
CFrOm a. H. Stephens Speech ]

n H. Otepheu
Our people of the United States are
burdened with the most unjust and un"
equal system of taxation of any coun-
try with which l am acquainted. The
poor pay the taxes. By the poor l
mean the people who have to work in
some department Of life for liveli-
hood, and do not live upon the interest
of their bonds. In this country the
laboring class, the men at the anvil,
at the piow, at the loom and at the
mill, the men engaged in agricultural
pursuits, even down to raising the corn,
pay the taxes Why they are not per-
mitted in this country without paying
high tax to use their own fruit or
corn to make little medicine for the
use of their families. Why, the poor
families in Ireland making their poteen
are not hunted down like our own peo
pie who makes little whisky for
family use. l simply want TO state
that we want reform in the system of
taxation. 1t is now question betweG&
the tax payers and the tax Consumers
l am for no class legislation, but / am
for equal taxation. As | told them in
the house, there are colored tenants
on my farm who pay this Government
more tax in the little medicine he con-
sumes, his whisky and the amount of
tobacco that he consumes in his pipe
at night when his work is done-I
say he pays more tax than many peo-
pie who are worth S500,000, living
abroad and drawing their interest
Out of the tobacco and whisky
nearly onethird Of the revenues of
this country are collected. Two
products only Virgioia has paid
enough tax since Go to have liquidated
and discharged the whole of her State
debt, which is upwards of S44,000,000.
This bears not exactly sectionally
more on Virginia, perhaps, but on all
the States where tobacco is grown and
where whisky is made.
The property of the United States
last year was estimated at SOS, 600, ,000,-
600. Well now, suppose a very mod
crate and just tax should be laid upon
it in some way. 1t can be done.
Where truth and justice and right
prevails, the way can easily be found
to equalize the taxes Of this country
and meet every public obligation and
every debt on less than one per cent
on the amount named Many people
now pay more than five per cent, aud
others not the sixteen thousandth
part of dime. Laughter and ap
Il I ~
the North and South should not be
alarmed becuse We say Congress has
the right to limit appropriation, aud
that therefore it is a new secession
movement. No, felIowcitizens, our
objects are higher, nobler. grandor.
They are broad as this whole couatry,
and there is no sectional feeling 10
them. Wherever labor is at work,
in the shop and in the corn field, north,
east, south and west, the cause 10
which we are which l am
engaged in aud am willing 10 die in-is
The cause of the laboring masses Of
people [AppIause,
Now, one other word about this
panic Mr. Sherman says it came on
in 1873. Very many of US remember
it very we'll. Laughter. What is the
effect of it? He speaks OF revival of
business" but have never heard
anything Of it from the masses Of the
people. Hundreds of them have visi-
ted me from all parts of the country
from the East and the West-and the
general account they give me is of gem
i !
the dying out of industries. 1t is very
much like the story told about my old
friends servants. It was down IN
Jasper county, [ think, along in 1917,
STERN of hail, or cyclone, came along
in the direction of Indian Springs. and
swept every thing before it. There
was nobody at home but my frieud-I
won't call his name-and his old ser
want. Everything was upset and blown
down-mules and horses turned on
their backs-his barns aud stables
blown to pieces and his house demoI>
ished. The hay was strewn around
six inches deep and every leaf gone
from the trees. My friend told the
old man to go out aud survey tine
results, and when out about mile on
either side, and when he came back he
said: "Ole marster, de only consoa.
ton l can give you is dat it seems to
be very ginral thingl" Laughter aud
applause. And, sad to say. in our coun
try, now, the illustration is but too ap~
plicable. And so | say you can not
find spot on this broad continent
that is not suffering from its losses
from that panic,