The Hickman courier., 1871-04-01
By W. R. m'DAsrrL.

s'There is no necessary evil in govern
ment, it consists only in its abuse. -
Jackson
1t was the opinion of Montesquieu, a
French philosopher, "Thatthe degree of
liberty could be measured by the rate of
taxation" There may be exceptions to
this rule. but when we remember the
liberty we enjoyed before the war, and
the taxes then, and what little liberty we
have to day ard our taxes now, we will
be inclined to think he was right. And
when we remember that government
can do nothing for people except at the
expense of the people, and that the
more they are governed the more it costs
TO govern them, and that government is
the best that does, '.the greatest good to
the greatest number" and charges them
the least for it. What is the use of pro-
tectiug man in his property and taking
81 his property TO pay far tie RFetecti9n2
Such government ends. where thief
begins. The people are plundered BY
the first lin TIE name of the Law" aud
by the second in violation of the law.
A tax may be very small in amount,
and yet be rebelled against. John
Hampden did not rebel against the few
shillings levied on him by Charles the
First, (ship money! but because it was
an act of tyranny to levy it. a tax may
be just and necessary, and yet unpopular;
because it is levied by those who have no
right to do it, and vigorously collected.
A Roman Consul levied tax on salt and
collected it inexorably, and though be
used the money to equip an army that
saved Rome, the people never forgaye
him. They nick named him sSaltum,
and he was elected consul no more.
The writer was led TO these reflections
by reading the correspondence of Dir.
Prather, and the reply he received from
behind a log" He endorses Mr. Pra.
ther, and if the Magistrates are required
to make brick without straw it is not our
fault We are willing to furnish straw
when we think they need it, and as the
people have to pay for it, / think the
people should judge the necessity for it,
and if this does not suit let them emf
grate (resigu) like the children of Israel
II State or County officers, who are re-
quired to give no bond for their official
acts, are the sole judges Of the necessity
for tax and can levy it without the
knowledge, and collect without the con.
sent of the people, there is no limit to
taxation. A County Court may erect
public buildings so expensive as to i'm
poverish the people of the county; just
as Louis the 18th impoverished France
to build his splendid palace, Versailles.
County Courts vera first erected by
Alfred, King of England, in the year
$50. Justices of the peace were created
1916 | wonder if the Kings of Eng
land thought they would hereafter usurp
one of the highest prerogatives of King,
and the most precious jewel in the crown.
That same prerogative belongs to the
people in republican government, and
if the people have no power to resist the
azrzessinnse of a justice of the peace,
truly ssextremes meet" and the lowest
officer in republican government has as
much power as an Emperor on his throne.
Taxation is the sovereignty of the soil,
that nations gain by conquest and lose by
subjegation; and when people suffer
this great right to depart ous of their
hands they become a subjugated people
And it does seem from the comlnuni,
cation of ID, that the justices of the
peace are tDe soVereigns OF ultou county.
The writer was justice of the peace
once himself and used to do Just as he
pleased but he never knew until now
that he had a right to do so. The only
objection he had TO the laws of Kentucky,
was that there was no appeal, from the
decision Of the Supreme Court to jus
tice of the peace That objection being
now removed, we certainly have the best
code of laws IN the world The decision
Of the Supreme Court in the "Girard
County" case, falls dead letter to the
ground and does not reach high enough
to touch County Court. Excelsior
(more elevated) should be the motto on
the county seal.