Year: 1874

| the salaries of officers and intreduc
ing economy into the administration
of the government. but not by increas
ing the taxes.


The State debt is enormous. IL
me it is alarming. It is idle to talk
of increasing the taxes.


The people are heavily in debt, and
they can not and will not try to pay
more taxes than they are now paying
Every where the complaint of oppress-
I ed with taxation is heard. The amount
of lands advertised for sale for taxes
from Carter to Shelby, is convincing
proof that the people are burdened
beyond their ability to pay If it be
not fact that taxes are unnecessarily
high and oppressive, the people ought
to know it. And those who think so
should show their hand, answer with
argument articles written in favor of
reduction, give full articles, not COM
ments or garbled extracts, and evade
the main issue by calling opponents
by ugly names. | might call those
who favor funding, regulators, who
would repudiate the debt for the pres
ent and fasten it on other and future
generation. | could call those who
support that clause in the 11th section
of the bill, that discriminates in favor
of the interest on bonds and necessary
expenses, repudiators, but will not. /
leave it for the decision of an honest
people.


| know the funding bill is a law, and
all that has been executed under it is
final and can not be changed but
there are provisions in the bill that
look to the future, that are odious
and should be swept from the statute
book. l am opposed to repudia lion,
sbut will propose as compromise with
chose who support the funding bill,
/ that the Treasurer be instructed to set
apart-all the revenue to purchase State
bonds with coupons attached, except
sufficiency to defray State expenses
economically administered, and to re-
eeiye sealed proposals from bond hold
ers, to be opened the first day of JAN
uary and July in each year, or pur-
chase in the market at the lowest fig
ures.


The State shaving its own piper will
be called by some dishonoring the faith
and credit of the State. Tennessee
bonds are bought and sold nearly every
day by capitalists and brokers at a
heavy discount, which is all right and
honorable. But if the Treasurer
should purchase for the benefit of tax
payers, laboring men, widows, and or
phans, at a discount, it is all wrong.
Strange consistency!


Those who thus construe adopt the
principle that those who are poor and
oppressed should be taxed deepandkept
so; ;poor wretches, they ought to work for
nothing and pay high taxes. Will the
people not look those who speak and
write against their interests full In the
face, and and act, meet in primary as
sembles or conventions, select repre-
sentative men, honest and competent,
with financial ability, to fill all the Off
ces in their giftl


The unjust distinction between Of
fetal labor and productive labor must
be removed before the people will be
satisfied.


1t would be we'll for those who are
striving to direct public sentiment to
note the fact that the people are alive
to this matter. They demand a re-
moval OF those distinctions, and are
determined to have retrenchment and
reform.


In conclusion, | would say I was an
old line Wing, and can see no good
reason why members of the old Wing
and Democratic parties should not
unite on a conservative Democratic
platform. They always composed the
conservative element of the govern
ment. Each had factions or extrem-
lists tackled on to them to secure the
balance of power. The Whig party
had the aboiitionists of the North, and
the Democratic party had the fre-eat-
ers of the South, which kept up con-
slant strife between the two sections.
having the same object in yiew-the
dissolution of the Union.


The great conservative element,
which was composed of the Whig and
Democratic parties proper, remained
silent, permitting the government to
be rent asunder, which they could
have prevented at any time by united
efforts.


There were great fundamental prin-
ciples on which both parties were
agreed. There were some differences
which time and circumstances have
swept away. There is nothing now to
prevent their uniting to save the coun-
try from worse wreck than the for
mer. Will they not do it?


JAMES HAMILTON.