Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1879-08-28

Poor Men ard the State Delt
we see in one of or East
Tennessee exchanges an interes-
ting interview. between a citizen
OF East Tennessee and Maj. VIM.
III. Sykes Of Middle Tennessee.
in regard to the strange anomaly
presented In on' State Of men
who pay no taxes being so much
opposed to the payment of the
State debt. We invite the at
tention Of our readers and espcc-
tally Of men who labor for a Iiv-
ing to the suggestions contained
therein:
Q.-How does it happen that
50 many men in yoqr section Of
tie State, who pay no tax, OBJ
jject topaying the debt? ~
A.-fIbat l could never under
stand, except upon the ground
that they are misinfolned. Many
OF them believe the poll tax goes
to the bondholder, when, as you
know, it goes. to the common
schools. They are made to be-
llieve that, the taxes are paid 10y
them ont of their labor, when il
fact, they get rs much Tor theil
Elabor when taxes are high as
as when they are low. i III there
were no tax at all they would be
paid no, more than when taxes
were high. The taxes are paid
as every man Of sense. knows
out Of that portion Ct the prod
ucts Belonging to the owner Of
the land. If the iaborors gets
Itwo-thirds of what is. made, the
land owner has to pay the ta1
fout Of the other third, which hc
gets as, rent, When be rents his
land to the tenant, he meyer. puts
on the tax, because, if Ae lldid
tlI9 tenants wQuldJrept of ssoms
one cisco But, if heBllido the tas
on one acre of land assessed a
twenty dollars, would nonly b.
eight cents, if the tax wasoonli
forty cents on the hundred dol
liars. Oar State tax is. now only
/ ten cents on the hundred dollars
land yet the poor man is suffering
more than Ire ever did before, no
J Ifem taxation, but from theIef
J. feefs produced byhotw1repudia
| ting or non-paying policy Cred
Il tits ruined, confidence is destroy
u ed, publie andoprivates enterpri
:. SEES are stoPped,i laboI'eis ar
J thrown cut, of employment wa
ges are reduced and the pCo
!, honest working men2 who hay,
been persuaded to advocate prac
teal Republication are nursing tn,
serpent that. is singing them t
death. No man sympathize
; more deeply with those who ar
} really in want than I do. n,
one has felt the want of none,
, more than / have. I am oppose,
J to a policy which is not only ru
] ming the reputation Of the State
but is destroying its honest, hard
: working citizens who pay YER
t little taxes: . IN the States tha
5 pay their debts and meet thei
: Obligations, where taxes are foul
five and ia some instances tel
times as high as they are in Ten
nessee, labor is better rewarde,
and the working men more pros
, porous. 2 The denagogue VIII
, persuades the working man t,
: favor Republication, is giving hin
/, poison Which, although sweet t,
/: the taste, carries misery and dealt
, Swhere8er it goes. Our debt, in
: stead Of being reduced, is grow
: ing ON us at the rate Of nearI-
J four thousand dollars per day
Our Industries are. paralyzed
: capital and immigration are driv
t en- from our State; property /
] decreasing in value; money, eve
} that which is here, has almos
ceased to circulate, because Of
the action which we have talel
for some years in regard to on
! public debt. Taxes have bee
reduced to ten cents on the hun
bred dollars, and that brings II
relief. The country is IN wo1s
; condition, financially, than whcl
our taxes were four or six time
as much as they are now. Wills
other States that meet their obi
cations are Increasing in wealth
: we Who fail to meet ours, ar
gradually and steadily decreas
ing. If thislstate Of things con
\ tinues, and Tennessee remains Il
thelist ofdeFausibg StatesS tlier
lisno telling how much we vii
be reduced, and how deplorabl
our peeuniary condition may be
come. % ,-''i3 - ~ -iii'
Wicked for Clergymen.
"a believe it 20 be. all wrong and eve