The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1873-10-02


The next Legislature viii have duties
of more than ordinary magnitude to per-
form. 1t should institute thorough sys-
tenn of Reform The Augean stable
must be cleansed.
First will come the task Of reducing
expenditures. They must be cut down
to the lowest standard. The salaries of
all the public officers are too high. The
last Cor rather present. Legislature adj
mitted this fact when it made a futile
attempt to remedy the evil. A bill
passed with that view, but the business
was sadly bungled. Owing to blunders,
somewhere, intentional or otherwise, it
failed to become law. The consequence
is that the public officers are reveling in
princely salaries while the producers are
sorely pressed for subsistence and for
means wherewith to satisfy the clamors
Of the tax gatherers. New York, with
her immense revenues, does not pay as
high a salary to her Governor as Mis-
sissippi in her poverty. We do not
wish to be misunderstood 1t is clearly
the duty of the State to provide reason
able compensation for her officials; but
it is robbery to exact more from the peo-
pie for this purpose than is just.
The Legislature would set a good ex-
ample by applying the Reform policy to
its own case. The per diem of members is
too high; but the present rates Of living
would not as yet justify return to ante
bellum rates The two Houses should
be SO organized as to reduce the number
and pay of the employees thereof, and to
limit expenses to only such objects as are
necessary to legislation. Under the pre-
sent organizati IN, and with the discretion
and margin allowed the Senate and
House in the creation of liabilities for
employees, contingent expenses, extra
compensation, etc., and the absence Of
restrictions upon the officers of the Gen
eral Assembly, improvident and wastetul
expenditures Will occur, and may occur,
at any time to the great detriment of the
public service and the wrong of the tax
PAYERS of the State. In all public offices
there is vast stealage in stationery En-
velopes, ink, pens, paper, ETC., are bought
in great profusion and applied to private
uses These things look small; but in
the aggregate they make up large sum.
The system of specializing in State
warrants by officials, ought to be broken
up entirely by the enactment of more
rigid measures, and the infiction of
severer punishment than is now provided.
ton of the recommendation of Governor
Powers, to collect the revenue of the
State in currency. The mass of the peo-
pie pay their taxes in currency under ex-
listing laws; and they serve no
other purpose than to afford opportunity
of speculation by brokers and corrupt
office-holders.
Taxes should be equalized. Thou
sands of personal property and invisible
values escape taxation, while real estate
consisting of lands and buildings visible
to all, never escape. 1t is not right that
real estate. which is the foundation of all
wealth, should be saddled with an I'M
equal proportion of the public burdens
In this connection, we will add that the
present barbarous law providing for the
summary confscation of the property of
delinquent taxpayers, without the oppor-
tunity of redeeming it, ought to be re-
pealed, and the old system comforting
that privilege should be restored.
4 return should be speedily made to
the biennial system of assembling the
Legislature. The present system was
an expedient of penniless adventures
who expected to make their living by
constantly recurring and prolonged ses-
sions of that body.
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