Rapides gazette. (Alexandria, La.) 1869-187?, 1873-08-02
MIR. CiintOn's Success and Future
q Policy.

y POllcy.
The success that has attended Mr.. Clin-
toms efforts to buy in State warrants on be-
half of the State at the market price
strengthens the belief that this will become
the established policy. 1t is o direct invi-
tation to original holders of warrants TO
come forward and receive from the state
as low rates for their claims as they would
accept from anybody. So far as the state
is concerned this is an act of bankruptcy,
and while the business is not conducted
with the ordinary forms prescribed for
bankruptcy proceedings, the result may De
made quite as satisfactory. 1t is no doubt
a great thing to be able to show a saving
of sixty thousand dollars by the outlay in
a iudicious manner of but little more than
eighty thousand dollars. If every eight
dollars paid into the treasury to the credit
of the general fund Gan be so administered
as to cancel fourteen dollars Indebtedness,
we shall soon find our State approaching q
condition of solvency.
OF the three considerable funds, however,
which the State has to provide for the gen.
eral fund is the least burdensome. The in
terest account is more than double the gen.
eral expense account, while the levee tax
is nearly as great as that for interest.
While bonds are nominally offered at forty
and fifty cents, it would be very wise n
nancial measure to make o sacrifice and
buy in some at the price, and thus check
to a slight extent the enormous drain for
interest, which amounts to $1,75O,0OO q
year. =,
The people have, so far this year, paid
their taxes with q commendable prompt
ness. And those who are in arrears can not
truthfully file plea of inability, for it is
within our personal knowledge that there
] are more comparative poor taxpayers who
have tax collectors receipts than there are
| who have not, and this, too, in proportion
to the numbers on the rolls. There are
plenty of men running about town with
the public money in their pockets, or inves-
ted in interest paying business. And they
boast of their ability to beat the radical
| government. They are practical and avOw-
| ed tax resisters; whom the multiplicity OF
other matters has heretofore shielded from
attention and pursuit. But now the EAU
ditorial war" is over, these gentry will have
their cases attended to under act No. AZ
We learn that proceedings are to be order
ed at once under this act, which one or two
of the pioneers in this tax resisting business
are in condition to testify, are of most
peremptory and positive character.
Those citizens who pay their taxes
promptly have right that their neighbors
rivals in business, perhaps, shall be requir-
ed to do likewise. The landlord who is
able to evade payment of his taxes yeaI
after year isalways able to rent his proper.
ty lower than he who pays can, and this
breaks down the market. So with mer-
chandise and manufactures; He who pays
all his obligations, public and private, like
an honest man, has no chance with the dis
honest defaulter or the clustering tax re-
sister, who is able to successfully bully oul
State officers out of the performance Of
their duties. Now, this thing has been 60
ing just long enough. Mr.. Clinton has
given them plenty of time to come up and
shown every disposition to save them from
costs. How far he has permitted his leniepcy
to mislead him is not necessarily pregnant
question at this time. 1t may arise in tho
future, however, when those who now pro
fit by it will be the very last to come for
ward and share the responsibility. Thu
needs of the State treasury, no less thar
justice to the honest citizens who have paid
their taxes, imperatively demand q little
activity and firmness in enforcing collection
from those who have refused to do SO.
We give delinquents warning that tn,
next Sensation" will be the work of look
ing after them. There will be some cost,
charged up, here and there, which is thu
more unfortunate, as the State gains moth
ing by losses to taxpayers on that account
But we suppose sheriffs and clerks ofcourtl
must live, and as they rarely collect fee
from Just men, who promptly discharg'
their duties to the State and their fellow
men, the dishonest and the laggards ART
necessary for their maintenance. The salt
of warrants will take place every month
The Treasurer will need money to settl,
with bidders. The Governor, Auditor Gin
ton, the tax collectors, warrant holders AMI
nearly everybody else are interested in hav
ing this experiment prove success. Ant
our delinquent taxpayers are about to b,
urged in the most positive and persuadabl
manner to put their shoulders to the wheel
We see no way of escape for them, ant
would not point it out five did.-[M 0
Republican.