Dresden enterprise and Sharon tribune. (Dresden, Tenn.) 1907-1997, 1916-07-07

members of the Congress Except him
self from Tennessee, are wrong; tina
all the members Of the Congress rep
resenting agricultural districts
throughout the United States are al
wrong, and HE alone is right,
While we are inclined to accord tt
Mr.. Garrett a right high measure o.
personal intelligence, we are not in
clined to agree with him, that his in
telEigence is greater than that of thu
Democratic party, state and national
greater than the combined intelligence
of all the other members of the Con
gress representing Tennessee; great
er than that of all the Congressmer
representing Southern states or agri
cultural districts throughout the
United States. Yet if we endorse Mr.
CARROTS position on this question, we
can only do so by reaching the con-
cIusion that he alone is right, and all
Che balance wrong.
The Postal Service is Federal in
stitution, and over which the states
have no control. If the Federal Gov
eminent is supplying the governmental
function of delivering the mails, and
In SO doing is using the public roads,
constructed and maintained by the
states and counties, it should at least
pay it's just proportionate part of the
costs of maintenance of these roads.
And while it is true the Southern
States, under the provisions of the
Shackelford Bill, would receive more
benefits than would the Eastern
States, it is because of the larger
number of miles of rural route
roads. And under the provision of
that bill, the appropriation is appor-
toned to the several states, one-half
on the basis of mileage of rural routes,
and one-haif on the basis of area of
population. Yet it should make no
difference whether the rural route is
in Southern State or an Eastern
State, if it is used by the Federal
Government in supplying the Rural
Route Mail Service. The Federal
Government should pay it's just appor-
tionate part of the cost of the con-
struction and maintenance.
know it has been argued with in
genius infect, that it makes little diff
ference whether the Federal Govern
rngnt appropriate any of its revenues
in aid OF Rural Education, Agriculture
and Coed Roads. The argument is
made by those opposing this character
of Federal Legislation, that all funds
appropriated by the Federal Govern
ment for whatever purpose, comes
from the revenues derived from some
form of taxation, either the direct tax,
or the indirect tax, the tariff. And
If the Federal Government appropri-
ates money in aid Of Rural Education,
Agriculture and Good Roads, that it
appropriates it from revenues collect
ed from the people through taxation.
1t is also argued, if the Federal Gov
eminent should appropriate money in
aid of Rural Schools, Agriculture, and
Good Roads, that it would increase
taxation. But / deny the soundness
of that argument. We know that the
agricultural districts, and the South
ern States have, for all these years,
paid the burden of taxation through
indirect tax, the tariff. We know that
the manufacturer does not pay the
tariff. The retail merchant does not
pay the tariff. 1t is paid by the con-
sumner in the purchase of every dol
lars worth of manufactured goods.
We also know that the chief interest
and industry of the South is agricul-
ture. We are not a manufacturing
SECTION, except in limited way, and
we are the consumers of manufactured
goods WHO PAY THE TARIFF, and
it therefore results that the burden Of
Federal taxation has for all these
years fallen on the Southern States,
and other agricultural sections. And
we have come to inquire HOW all the
revenue that is collected by the Fed
sral Government from Southern
States and agricultural districts is ex-
pended? And our investigation dis
closes that millions of dollars paid into
the Federal Treasury by Southern
States and agricultural districts, has
been appropriated to all forms of
institutions, except to
Che very Observation-Disclosures
which the Federal Government is de-
pending for SO great proportion Of
it's revenues; millions to the Reclaim
atinn projects of the arid West; vast
millions TO the great public buildings
in the large cities; vast millions to the
pension roll; millions to the
building Of the railroad system in
Alaska, and not a dollar expended in
aid If our public roads, used so ex-
tensively by the Federal Government!
1t is not that we want an Increase
in our tariff schedule; not that we
want an increase in the burden Of