The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1873-03-27
,s's,e Great QuessjOr---sAAae Grow
Ing Evil.

ing EVIL
We apprehend that The scriptural les
son about paying tythe Of mint and anise
and cam min and emitting the weigthier
matters of the law, Is overlooked by the
Legislature Temperance laws, local
bills court, no Sc questions, and all that,
are well enough in their way ; but the
deplorable condition Of the States finan-
ces should have pre-eminence in the de-
alterations Of that body 1t is lamenta-
bla that the financial condition Of the
State government is growing from bad to
worse.
The present is the most favorable OF all
/ other seasons, for enhancing the value OF
State Warrants. The taxes under
most arbitrary and vigorous law for their
collection, have just been wrung from the
naople. The levies have been exorbi-
tant and oppressive beyond example IN
the history Of our State. They are four
times In excess Of the rates which were
established before the war on property
| basis four times larger. and under the
operation Of which Auditors Warrants
/ were at par with gold and silver. And
vet State paper is now worth but seventy
/ five cents on the dollar
Whether it will go lower, remains to
be seen. We discover no prospect OF an
advance under the present management.
/ We have often before stated the remedy.
z 1t is to cut down expenditures and thu:
to discontinue the necessity for throwing
them in excessive quantities, as hereto
fore, on the market. the Reports of thu
departments show that there are hun
dreds Of leaks that ought instantly to b.
stopped. Some Of them are large. 9th
d ers are small but in the aggregate, the.
make up tremendous avalanche Of ex
penditure. which in addition to the funde'
debt, assumes the form Of those never
= ending issues known as Auditors Wan
4 rants.
) The only sure way to uproot the evl
d is to economist in all the branches of tn
!, public service. Any other expedien
gill prove a failure. OF this fact, W
have had ample demonstration. Witnes
y he oEIndebtedness abortion
n Witness the wretched failure of the func
If ing scheme devised and executed with
: flourish Of trumpets. Nothing but ecor
omv aud that Of the most rigid kind, wi
supply the necessities of the case. Ih
= Of taxes in currency. He ought TO r.
}, proach himself for defeating the ReforT
!. bills OF the last session, by which 1928
b. 300 would have been saved to the Stat
p Treasury. We have not thought well {
it his proposition to exact currency for take
because it savored of Reputation by til
. State of her own paper. Besides, 1t VIZ
IN a mere palliative, and did not strike I
le the root of the growing evil. But
10 would have the merit of correcting til
III cross abuse which laws have heretofol
been Intellectual in destroying, viz: spe
ulation in State paper by officials VIII
have managed to evade the penalt
'Ss affixed to the offence The collection
a taxes in currency would do away with tt
Il inducements of corrupt officials and MOI
ey dealers to depreciate Sta'e Warrant
Matters cannot be made worse, and v
- would not object to Il trial of the eXped
ent. But after all, the true remedy is
y curtailing expenditures and in econom
cal administration. So long as the pre-
! ent rule Of extravaganza and corruptio
:. exists, we may look for Il continued d.
preston Of the finances of the State