The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1872-03-01
The Eneq.nllsie. or Radical Tax.
alton


We arraign the Radical rulers not only
because they have imposed oppressive
taxes on the people in their impover-
ished condition, but because the taxes
thus imposed are unequal in their opera
ton. The following statement which
appears in the Kinds county Gazette sets
forth the grounds and the justice of this
arraignment in the mode in which the
law is made to operate in the county of
Kinds:
Our Chancery Clerk some days ago posted
at the court house door of the county, in
conformity with the statute, list of the de-
| linquent taxpayers of the county of Kinds,
Ton the personal list alone.) for the second
tax collected in 1871, with the amount due
from each.
The list covers one hundred and fifty
eight pages of foolscap paper, and the
aggregate delinquent tax, on the State list
only, is 5000 1s-aggregate on county
list, SASS 72-total delinquent. county and
State. $17,1s4 80. In the State tax is in
cluded the poll tax of THREE THOUSAND
NINE HUNDRED AND TWO VOTERS. There
| fore, there are 1902 voters in the county of
Kinds who paid no taxes for last year-not
even the tax levied upon their heads by the
Republican Legislature to say nothing of
the tax upon their personal property levied
! by the Board of Supervisors.
| There are in the county OF Kinds. as
shown by the registration returns OF last
year, about 800 voters, $4,000 whites and
/ A IN hi foF a. = p =
appears thea that considerably over one
half of the VOTERS OF Kinds county pay no
part whatever of the State or County taxes,
notwithstanding in that majority is seated
all power in the county at the polls.
"Our situation is then thus: OF the Co.
voters, 2,69S pay taxes 1902 pay no taxes
The 1902 have the political control of til
county, say who shall represent us in tn.
Lagislature-who shall levy the taxes-and
what policy shall be adopted in all county
| concerns. The seeds of destruction are thu,
| planted deep in our political system. a
form of government which presents such an
anomalous condition of things, unquestion-
ably contains within itself the germ for
self-destruction-t disease that will surely
destroy it. 1t cannot endure the test of
years.
From this statement it appears that a
majority of the persons who by their
votes are constituted the lawmakers
of the community, do not bear any of its
burdens of government. They are the
source from which laws that dispose of
life, liberty and property emanate, but
enjoy immunity from a proportional
share of the burdens which all persons
who are protected in their rights, should
publican government that no person
shall enjoy exclusive privileges or emolu-
ments. II is also a condition that taxa
ton and representation shall go together.
And the rule ought to be enforced that
every person who votes should pay his
taxes In order to enforce its observance,
it would be wise to reduce the poll tax to
one-half its present rate and rigidly en-
force its collection.
P. S. Apropos of the above observa-
tons and in further illustration of their
correctness, we have copied the fol-
lowing from the Yazoo County Demo-
crat
new ''kink' is exhibited on change,
being huge board 12X6 feet in front of the
courthouse door, with the names of 5000
1--WE believe that is the nunber) delinquent
tax payers posted thereon. whose taxes,
county and State. aggregate the handsome
sum of about $4,000 lacking 81 IS. This
noble army OF martyrs to poverty, we be-
lieve, belong chiefly to the previous con
dition class, regardless of color or race
This is the class that does most IN the cleo
ting, the filling of our important offices,
the producers of law makers, but alas, the
producers of not single cent of taqes.