The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1873-10-30
Legislative OhlGameRy-@The way
the Peoples Rights are
BarEered. Away.

SOIu ps11iLcc Ia taO S1otO HUN SoAo~AVn'
The measure was fraud in intent and
in the manner of its preparation. The
bill containing this wide-reaehing proyi-
sion was entitled g An Act 10 incorporate
" the Liberty and Woodville Railroad
/" Company" and was no doubt fraudu-
lently inserted without the knowledge of
half the members who voted for it, inno-
Gently supposing it to be an ordinary act
of railroad Incorporation. Examine it
and behold the serpent in all its hideous-
ness, coiled and hid under the mass of
verbiage and commonplace conditions of
the charter, as follows:
Sec. Is. Be it further enacted, That in
consideration of the railroad provided for
herein, and of the great benefit which the
State will receive in the development of its
agricultural resources by means of said
railroad as a work of internal improve
ment, and also of the increased value which
which will thereby be added to the proper
ty of the State, thus enabling the State to
greatly increase It's revenue without addi-
tional and burdenSome taxation upon the
people, the State hereby agrees with the
said company (and which agreement is iT-
repealable), that all taxes to which said
company shall be subject for the period of
ten years are hereby appropriated and set
apart, and shall be applied TO the payment
OF the debts and liabilities which the said
company may have incurred in the con-
struction of said road, or TOR money bor
rowed by said company upon lands, or
otherwise, to be used in constructing said
! road or pay debts incurred by said COM
! pany in constructing the same; and it shall
| be the duty of the Tax Collector in each
county, in each and every year, TO give
said pany a receipt in full for the
amount of said taxes upon receiving from
said company an affidavit, made by the
President or Cashier OF [thel company, that
| the amount of said taxes have actually and
| in good faith been paid and applied by said
company during the year In payment of the
debts incurred or money borrowed as atOre-
said, and which receipt so given shall be
| in full taxes, county, State and municipal
| to which said company shall be subject;
| Provided, That the benefits and privileges con-
! feTred By this section shall eItend to and in
/ clude all rGilG0dy companies heretofore iaeOr-
| pOrdted, or GctOSe Incorporation has been re-
i cOgntzed and approved by the Legislature OF the
| State.
Thus surreptitiously was inserted into
the body of commonplace act of Rail
road incorporation a clause exempting
| twenty millions, or one-sixth of the en-
tire property of the State, from taxation.
In 1854, in order to encourage the build
ing of roads in the State, before the sys-
tenn had become a gigantic monopoly, a
law was passed exempting roads from
taxation for twenty years. 1t would
have expired in 1874; and it was to per-
petuate this measure under circum-
stances wholly different from those ex-
listing when it was passed, that the fraud
above exhibited was perpetrated. The
State was no longer deprived of Rail-
road facilities. The enterprises of that
class were no longer struggling in their
infancy, or delayed by the doubts of cap
italists as to whether they would be pro-
ftable. They had not expanded into
giant proportions and all powerful mo-
nopolies, reaping a rich reward of
wealth while other Industries languIsneu
There was no occasion for aiding them
| by exemption from the burdens which
other interests are required to bear for
the support of the government which ex-
tends its protection over all. Capital, so
far from shrinking from enterprises of
the sort, seeks them with avidity and
nothing affords more abundant harvest
of profits. The Railroad lords are the
monarchs of the land. They levy what
ever in the shape of fares on the commu-
ty they may think proper; and have
come to look upon Legislatures as mar
ketable commodity. The very measure
we are considering was the fruit of an in
famous bargain, by which the right of
the people to have an equal division of
the burdens of taxation, was bartered
away.
A correspondent of the Vicksburg
Times, to whose vigilance the public are
indebted for bringing the fraud to light,
has made the following estimate showing
its effects:
have made the following estimate OF
their taxable values, which | consider lib
eral toward the roads:
Number miles in the State - 964
Estimating each mile to be with
$4,000, We have total value of $24, 100000
The taxable property OF the State,
according to assessment 1871 $50 900 900
State tax on this for 1873, 1919
mills ....................., I,s75,OOO
Showing that an amount of property
nearly equal to one-sixth of the entire prop
erty of this State has been exempted from
taxation, and the burden it should bear i'm
posed upon the people.
1t will be the duty of the Legislature
to repeal this measure of wholesale rob-
berry. What right have Railroads to ex-
emption from the burdens of taxation
which other classes bear? The men who
own them are nabobs-the very class
who above all are able to pay taxes
The Constitution declares that I" the
property of all corporations for pecu-
mary profit shall be subject to taxa
" ton the same as that of private indi-
GO viduals." Besides, the franchise of
Railroad can be taxed by special tax
on its business. The State of Pennsyl-
vania taxed the franchise of the Reading
Railroad by exacting per centage on its
gross earnings. On appeal the Supreme
Court of the United States affirmed the
right of the State to impose the tax in
that form and fix its value by levying
the rate on the gross proceeds of the
Road. But this Is a mere question of de- |
tails. We ars contending for the cor
rection of a wrong and the enforcement
of just principle.