Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-12-18
Ar O~UrRAesoUs Tax Law
Passed By che 10O.e LasiaIa,
tGre~NO Equity OF RedeEnps
ton Allowed.
BrOrnsyiIls D.mossaL -.

Under an act ofthe General Assem-.
bly,, passed April %, 1882, and by
special authority from the Comptroller
Of the State, General w. +: Poston IS
busily engaged in fling bills in chan
Gerry against the lands Of delinquent
taxpayers to enforce the lien OF the
State ior back taxes, General Poston
is a polite and courteous gentleman,
and Is disposed to confer all the favors
on the people that be can within the
limits OF his authority, and we can
have 40 complaint to make against
him. But the law under which he is
acting, is Ubiquitous aud oppressive,
and beara the unmistakable impress OF
the Legislature that enacted il
When land is sold under this act, no
equity Of redemption exists, and the
unfortunate citizen who may be deeply
involved and unable to extricate
himself without time, must stand by
aud see his home swept away forever
under the merclless operations of q
law enacted by a corrupt and irrespon-
sible Legislature, that acted in open
defiance Of the popular will and inso
lently overstepped the limits Of con
st%itutional authority in its determine
ZION 20 impose %grievous burdens upon
the people, and rob them Of the fruits
Of their honest toll. The tyranical
character of the iron law in question.
places it side by side with the 100
iniquity, These taxes are legally
due, aud the courts can give
no relief, and the only remedy
Is by appeal TO the next Legislature
We thinkit is a proper case for legis
lative relief. For most OF these take,
we're assessed when property Dor,
fictitious values, aud money was plen.
'iiul Since that time property, uudel
the bliehtlng policies Of the RepuAli-
can party, has greatly deprecated il
value, aud moneymatters have bccom,
distressingly stringent. 1t may b,
said that the people ought not to hav,
allowed these taxes to accumulate
and that if their homes are swep
away they alone are to blame, Tn,
unprecedented hard times that hayI
cursed this country for the las
seven or eight years are a suficien
answer to that argument. Peopl
could not pay their taxes without de
priving themselves of the ordinar
comforts Of lite. 1t is simply a cas-
of unavoidable misfortune, and i
does seem to us that the Legislator
ought to adopt some plan to mitipat
the Onerous burdens imposed upn
the poorer classes Of our people, b
che necessity Of paying these taxes i
full. In view Of the great deprecia
ton OF property and the increase
value OF money, it is just and equitabl
hat the scaling process which th
/, State has adopted in the settlement {
her own debts should be called int
: requisitioD, and also the time of pay
ment postponed. The enforcement {
D a tax which amounts to coniscatior
Q is subversiye of the legitimat
! ends OF government and in direct viz
lation OF the essential principles
9 liberty. The proceeding institute
9 under the act above referred to al
practically in the direction of conf
cation, and should be promptly al
j rested by legislative interference. A
v the internal machinery put in operi
ton by Hawkins aud his myrmidor
Q to harrass and Cypress the poop
should be shiyereG to atoms by il
Q truly representative Legislature whic
meets 10 January.