Year: 1874

/ ti1C nCditAi, tttC COlI lfc IL


and developed the resources of ii
States How far behind the advance


civilization of the world would we


without our system of railroads now ian


how could we get along without them


The interest upon that debt amount


to 81 ,260, 900 per annum. The aggrt


gate wealth of the State amounts I


S500, ,000, 600, the annual value of pre-


ductlons areworth $l40 100000. SO gre;


is the wealth and so valuable the pre-


ductions the brain almost reels unde


the calculation of them. When W


consider this wealth is steadilyincreas


ing from year to year, it would seer


we oughtto be able to pay the interes
upon. that debt for the present, and t


liquidate the whole debt as il falls due


With careful husbandry Of our re


sources and with prudent economy Il
! the administration of the State govern


ment for few years, our troubles vii


be over. Now, l ask, shall we pay th


interest ON our debtand make provision


to meet our outstanding liabilities il


the future, or shall we, lacking faitl


in ourresQurces and in our ability to pa,


our debts, lacking faith in our nerv,


to face the mnsic, repudiate our debt


altogether? These are questions VI
| will have to answer at the bar Of pub


lie opinion. On the subject of tn,
taxes, permit me to say, the rate O


taxation ought at all times to re


fer to the payment of the public
debt. and the sacred Obligation
that is upon us to uphold the faith anC
credit of the State, and provide the
means for an economical admi1istra-
ton of the State Government. The
lowest possible tax that would supply
those demands should be adopted. II
would be right and'proper, gentlemen
to do so. Not one cent should be col
lected from the people oeyond-what is
absolutely necessary to protect the
credit of the State, and to run the
State Government, administered on
strictly economical principles. We
want no splendid government, and a
tax-ridden and impoverished people.
IAN honest yeomanry. the country's pride,


Piled"


The rate of taxes should bear direct
reference to the great question of up
holding the faith and credit of the
State, and to make that as easy to the
people as possible, / would reform
every abuse. ehastise every mal-prac-
lice that is prevalent, and apply the
knife to every ulcer that has grown on
the body polite; nor would / stop here
| would reduce the enormous expen-
scs of the courts, and the salary of
every officer in the State, from the
Governor down, and exact a rigid ae-
countability from every revenue officer
in the State. Men in Republican
Government should not seek Office for
the salary it bestows, but for the honor
of the position. Washington gave a
good example to his contrymen when
he was President. He charged for his
services his actual expenses only.
From closely observing the tendency
to extravaganza in our General Gov
ernment | am we'll satisfied, indeed
painfully convinced, high salaries are
'anti-republican and the prolific mother
of corruption in every department of
the Government. Avarice is a mon
ster, whose cormorant appetite is never
satisfied, but grows by what it feeds
ON. Whenever public men become
more greedy of money than of honest
fame, more ambitious to fill their
pockets than to ELL the measure of
their country's glory, the days of the
Republic are numbered. When the
sentinels who are put on ward and
watch in the temple of liberty sleep
upon their post, there is danger
How much more is 1t in
creased when they themselves plunder
it of its revenues and rob it of its pre-.
cious jewels. Nor are we without evil
dence that such is the prevalent dis
temper now in every department Of
the Governments at Washington. Taxes,
ina republican or despotic government,
should never be higher than what is
absolutely necessary to raise money
enough to pay the public debt, sustain
its credit, and carry on the Govern
ment economically, administered for
the benefit, and in the interest of the
people These are the only legitimate
objects of taxation. The citizen will
willingly submit to this for the bless
ings the State bestows upon him, in
the protection it gives him and his
posterity, of life, liberty and prosper
ty. The question then recurs, are we
willing to submit to such a tax as will
pay the interest upon the debt, sustain
and uphold our credit, and maintain a
State Government, ecOmically admin
istered ? or are we in favor Of the
staggering on, keeping the word of
promise to the ear, and breaking it to
the hope, till at last We cap the climax
by an open reputation of our debts,
thus sinking down in the embrace of
an infamy We have invited, and which
we cannot expel or repudiate2 The
present rate of taxes in Tennessee is
forty cents on the one hundred dollars
worth of property. There are only
three States in the Union which pay
less, and all the rest greatly more. To
pay the honest debts of the State, pre-
serve its credit and carry on a home
Government for the people, taxes must
be levied and collected, nor can we
refuse to bear our portion of the
burthen without incurring the penalty
of dishonor, curses, if not loud, but
deep, will cling to our skirts forever.
No nations life is long enough to out
live the shame of reputation. Good
name, in man or woman, dear my lord,
is theinestimable jewel of their souls"
Let US be cautious how we, of the
present generation, throw that jewel
away. The dire and dreadful eOnse-
quences to the State, that will flow
from reputation, will be the loss
of reputation all over the world
oh, it would be more than we could
bear for Tennessee, to become by
word for reproaeh, fixed figure for
scorn to point its slow uumoving fng-
er at. The world would pause to
read the words violated faith burnt
into the fair brow of our beloved Ten
nessee. 1t would turn away from her
as from one who has the curse OF lep-
rosy upon him. After Reputation
there is no lower deep to which a
State can descend, for she can nothing
to damnation add greater than that.
We of this generation received our
State from our ancestors without
blot upon her name, let us transmit it
as bright to our pOsterity. In the
darkest hours of civil strife that name
shone lustrous above the murky clouds
of war, and when l was far away from
home in your service, my eye cleaned
brighter whenever / turned it toward my
beloved State, and my heart bounded
with Joy when ever they named her (;
and, oh, with what fervor did | pray
4. 4 ln.:rLArr loL Ahnt Il rninht lir-n 20