The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1871-03-09
or The Clarion.



Ihave shown that II the Governor WIN
veto every bill to legalize the assessments
of the several counties In which the law has
not been complied unless 1t contains provi-
sion for the reduction oftaxes and salaries,he
can effectually protect the people from the
enormous burden of taxation embraced in
the Revenue Law by placing within their
reach a remedy through the Courts. Now
word on the subject Of the salaries OF
Sheriffs and Assessors which is prominent
topic in the late message of the Governor.
These salaries are simply enormous. The
Governors minimum Is too high by great
deal.
The Assessors work can be done as cheap
~ as IL was done in 1860. The marimuFs
sum then allowed was $500 for one county.
The Assessors then were selected from the
old citizens and were competent and honest
men, and did their work faithfully and well.
Why can't the work be done as cheaply
now? Are We richer now than then, and
thus more able to pay these salaries? No,
but great deal poorer. Or Is ability to do
the work so scarce in the Radical party that
it cannot be secured, or what is also proba-
BILE, cannot be lured away from more invi-
ting fields of public plumber except by these
enormous salaries? / undertake to ASSERT
that every dollar over $500 paid for assess
ment In any one county, in a year, Is sim
ply a robbery OF the people.
| / understand also, that the Governor
wishes a reduction of the Sheriffs' commits
sions to three per cent. on all sums over
$3,000-in accordance with the old law.
This recommendation, though seemingly
fair, is manifestly unjust to the people. The
taxes are so enormously increased that the
per centum makes the salaries but little less
than princely. The difference between re-
ceiving 30 and 500, and 81 900 from a tax
payer, is but little. In either case it Is but
counting the money, checking a name and
filling up blank printed and furnished at the
expense Of the State, yet the fees in the cases
are respectively 25ct. So and $50. Who does
not see the enormity of allowing a charge
of $50 or even So for such trivial service !?
But it is said, that something must be al
lowed for the responsibility when large
sums are collected. Well, let us look to the
old law for that. When extraordinary sums
were collected, then there was a still lower
reduction. And never were any sums Ordi-
nary or extraordinary levied then equal TO the
ordinary leries noN. In 1852 law was passed
allowing taxes in certain counties to be
collected to build the Miss. G. Railroad and
the commissions allowed the Sherifs for col
Letting was simply one per cent See Session
Acts of 1852, p. l62 Sec. 5. And under the
levee law of 1858, the commissions for col
Letting the levee taxes were two per cent,
and this was confined to the swamp counties
where by special statutes the fees OF Sheriffs
were higher than any where else in the State.
These commissions secured competent and
good men for Sheriff. / never heard then
that the Office OF Sheriff was vacant any
where for want of a competent man to take
1t.
Let the old law then be re-enacted with an
amendment that when the collections
amount to over $4,000 (Which was more
, than an average of the taxes for a county
before the war; that should be reduced to
one per ce.t Let us see how this will pay
for three months service in collecting taxes.
Commissions on 80, OOO@5 per cent $3.50 90
" 7,00O@3 per cent. -2l0 90
50,000@l per cent....500 90
$500 90
But taking the school tax and county
|
: Butts not $500 pay enough for sitting in an
office and receiving money for three months
1t is over 81 per day including Sundays
a sum as large as was paid the Chancellors
and Circuit Judges before the war. But
this is not all. During the three months
the Sheriff's ordinary fees are still going on,
: and on an average, as l am advised, of not
less than $500 per month. And in addition
to this, there Ia the enormous profit arising
from buying up county and State warrants
at large discount through their agents and
relatives, practice, which though illegal, is,
l fear, but too common. But let it be re-
mem bered these fees are ample for receiginO
td1es UOluntdriEy paid By the Taxpayer. When
ever the collector goes after the taxes, or
levies, or advertises and sells, then he gets
extra fees that swells the aggregate amount
to an enormous sum.
Wehave been so much plundered of late,
: that we begin to regard it as a matter course.
The repetition of acts of outrage by the
. Government blunts the sense of right and
Justice until we at last cease to be astOnished
at any enormity however great. 1t is not
too much to say, that we are now suffering
patiently tax unparalleled in a civilized
country in even times of war, and that the
expense of collecting, assessing, keeping
and disbursing the revenue is Of itself a
greater sum then need be collected from The peO-
pie for dn honest and economical administration
Of the Government. Taxation now amounts
| to CONFISCATION and but for the hope
now so well grounded that the Vandals will
, be driven from power at an early day, the
State would be at once depopulated and its
territory left to return to primeval wilder
ness. TAXPAYER.