The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1871-06-22

that IN spite OF all their efforts many VI
them will be compelled to witness the sale
of their property for the benefit of the
tax-consumers, an idea may be formed
of the distress and ruin which will newt
ably follow the imposition of this addi-
tional burden. The truth is, the money
cannot be raised except by the wholesale
sacrifice of the property which is in the
hands of the present owners.
If currency were as plentiful as the
leaves in summer, the act is monstrosi-
ty, because founded on wrong principles.
1t contemplates the taxation of one COM
munity for the benefit Of another. 1t
taxes the people Of Lee county for in
stance, to build a railroad for the beni-
fit of the people of Warren. 1t wrings
the last farthing from the taxpayer of
DeSOto to construct a road through Har
rison, in which he is not remotely inter
ested
And this is not the worst feature of the
iniquity. The appropriation is an actual
gift to the corporations for whose benefit
the tax is laid The State does not Sc
cure control in the management of the
roads proportionate to the funds she in
vests for their construction, as justice,
and every consideration of reason and
sound policy requires. She has no stock
no authority-not a word to say in
their management in behalf of the peo-
pie who pay the tax. Their business is
done when they perform this part of the
work They are then to resign them
selves to the supreme authority of the
railway lords, having no more voice in
the homogeneous of the roads than the
inhabitants of the moon.
The measure in all its essentials and
the circumstances of its passage, is so alb
horent to justice and right principle that
it cannot be considered with patience
We will venture to say that in all the
legislation of the States of this Union, it
is without an example.
One-third of the citizens who repre-
sent the intelligence and property of the
State had not been permitted to vote in
the election of members of the Legisla
ture-a large majority of whom were
strangers to the people, being neither
taxpayers nor voters previous to their
election. The appropriation was made
without consulting tina people, and even
without giving the few bona fde repre-
sentatives in the Legislature an opportu-
nifty of being heard. 1t was engineered
by lobby-pimps who worked in the inter
est of the parties who are to be benefited, |
and who received their pay for the servi-
ces they rendered.
1t was supported in many cases by
adventures in the Legislature who had
procured the insertion of their names as
incorporators in some one or more of the
multitudinous charters that had been |
granted. Their object was to sell out
their privileges on the faith of this act
Should the curse of Mongrel legislation
be prolonged through another term of
two years, corrupt schemes of specula-
ton to which it will give rise, are meal
culable.
The official journal of the Mongrels
says, fippantly that the act will be exc
cuted by payment Gin cash"-''Or State
calling for the money" Unless
the taxes are raised three times higher
than the present intolerable rate, the
estate warrants" will be worth no more
than waste paper. They would simply
be the incentives of fraudulent claim
for the redemption of which there would
be no money in the treasury-nor in the
pockets of the people. The act is un-
for the Constitution ex-
pressly prohibits the pleding of the
"credit" of the State. Her people will
refuse to be taxed for the redemption of
spurious warrants" or other paper is
sued in violation of that instrument.
The 9TH section of the law declares:
Section 5. Be it further enacted, That the
OF the state snail make mPntS / :
Of the warrants drawn by the Auditor in
compliance with this Act, out of any moneys
in the Treasury not otherwise especially
Appropriated, and a sufficient sum of money
to meet the requirements of this Act is
hereby appropriated and set apart from the
accruing revenues of the State.
Now, where are these 'saccruing rev.
enues" to come from except from the
pockets of the swindled and bedeviled !
taxpayers whose property is now mort
gagged to the Plumber Ring for taxes at
the rate of from six to ten per cent. per
annum? Are they able to bear the /
burden, with the accumulated weight i
which the law viii throw upon them9 i
We well know that in opposing this
measure we are going counter to the !
views and wishes of quite number of /
Conservatives in localities where the
Railroad mania RACES in consequence of !
the feverish desire which prevails to
decayed fortunes and of the
absence of such facilities as the great {
highways of trade and travel afford. The
victims of yexatious and burdensome
legislation imposed>by the gangs of legal
zed plunderers, are naturally writhing
IN agony under the infection. Like the {
lick man tossing on bed ofpain, there is
'estlesmeas and constant hope Of relief !
from impossible agencies. But we win
remind the sufersrs that there i no relief