The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1890-04-17

On tobacco and its manufactures. 9,1Sl3S'
On 5O5},olA
On molasses l,3Io2
Total. ...sSbo, aZosuo
As the section which receives this vast
amount of protection does not contain over
quarter of our population, it is seen at once
how false is the assumption that the South
is ground down by oppressive taxation, with
ont participating in any of the benefits.
You forgot also, that at the conclusion of
the war, with magnanimity unprecedented
in human history, the victors not only did
not saddle the whole burden Of the war debt
upon the people who had wickedly plunged
the Nation into an unjustifable war, but
they generously arranged their system of
taxation so that the great bulk of the taxes
to meet the interest and principal of the
public debt was paid by the people of the
loyal States. For years after the war the
proportion of the National taxes paid by the
people who had lately been in rebellion was
as low as one-fourfeenth. While the men
Of the North who had given years Of their
lives to saving the Nation were paying
enormous taxes on every article which en-
tered into their daily lives-from the match
with which they lighted their fire in the
morning, to the soothing strip they admin
istered to the crying babe at midnight-the
ex-rebels escaped with very little taxation.
because the taxes were not laid on things
that they generally used.
But there is another phase of the matter
which We desire to present TO you. II has
nothing 70 do with sentiment 1t is strictly
apecuniary- business n-view. Admitting
for the sake of argument. that the payment
Of pensions entails heavy burden upon the
people Of the South, did it never occur TO
you that it was only the resolute valor
Of the pensioners and penson-claimants
which saved your section from financial bur-
den beside which the present pension expendi-
lures would be but feathers weight2 Did
it never occur to you what would have been
your financial condition If the veterans had
wearied-as God knows they had reason to
midway in the bloody fighting of the Will
derness and the Atlanta Campaign, and said,
We viii stop right here? This would
have been very bad for the whole country,
but it would have been very much worse for
your section than for any other. Ii is true you
would have gained your independence, but
heavier calamity could scarcely have be-
fallen You. In the first place, you would
have been burdened down with load Of
debt beyond all calculation. The printing
presses in Richmond and Columbia wer,
very busy from short time after Fort Sum
ter was fired upon until the very eve Of Lee'
! surrender and steam-pTesses win turn of al
immense number Of bonds and notes in tn
course Of four years active work, night ant
2 day. There were more Confederate bond
. and notes Payable Six Months After
Treaty Of Peace Between the Confederat
I States and the United States Sc
4 aioat than you could have paid o.
in century, tax as heavily as 70
q might. Then, too, each of the States had a
n immense debt incurred in support Of the re
belIion. Nothing could have saved you bu
n wholesale reputation, which would hay
a blasted the whole financial future of til
= Southern Confederacy, and destroyed th
business Of its citizens. BY fighting to th
B. end, and crushing the rebellion into notI
y in2ness the veterans swept away ali thI
j., vast incubus Of debt, which otherwise woul
have paralyzed you forever. They save
you from the disgrace of repudiating i
= The arbitrament of the sword decided thu
- the whole wretched business of rebellio,
Re with all the acts done in its name were i'll,
N gal and utterly void. In this way you wei
saved more than would pay your share ,
Ie the pensions to Union soldiers for some Ger
turtles.