Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1873-02-12
now q THE rnrr.
We Must Act or Perish.

1-tAEa-as -
The people or Lafayette count. 10 not
need 10 be told Of the feaffnily embarrassed
condition Of her flisncrs. The inai,ef has
been brought home to thc,a Ia the way o.
practical demonstration, and any VINO
can stfi chant tho old lullaby, 'dt 10 well
viii, ,s,s must DO set down a. . hopeless
fool. or an uuconscionahie knasc. For six
years Affairs have been going from bad to
worse 10 our county, and they have q last
reached = point where some remedy u
be speedily administered, or we are ruined.
six hundrcd acres OF land, the finest order
Of land, about sis miles nom Lexington, was
cold A few weeks sinec for less than an aver
age Of sie per acre. Tue owner Of the ssme
propcrty refused $S5 per acre for 1t i've
years ago. This is u sa,np'e that indicates
the condition OF the entire county. The
cause OF this distressing contrast isapparcnt.
The assessed wealth OF Lafayette county IL
about nine aud a-half millions OF dollars;
the debt in round numbers, n million and .
half, more than ID per ccrt. bf the entire
amount. To meet the interest OH this enor-
meus, dest together With tho ordinary state
and county revenue requires M annual
assessment OF more than three and one-half
per cent, which exceeds the entire earnings
OF the county over aud above the cost of the
most economical living for tile people. AZ
a consequence We see the collector turning
over to his successor half the tax list Of -
a. delinquent. In addition to these burdens
It must Tie borne in mind that the private
Indebtedness Of the county is estimated by
some a. high US 80 per cent. of the assessed
value oil the property. which makes us owe
nearly fifty cents for every dollar VIC possess.
For several year, past the. people have been
staggering under the oppressive load OF tax
alton. trying TO endure 1t, In the hope that
something would trsnspirc to relieve them.
They have borrowed money, aud mortgaged
their property, and made every shin that
honesty could devise; to meet their annually
recurring obligations, every cfoft sinking
them deeper III the rnire Of debt. Is 1t 10
be wondered ut that hundreds arc beginning
to give W and are turning their faces away
from our debtridden county? Yet IL Is =
spectacle heart-rending to contemplate, to
see men driven tom the homes secured by
their industry and economy by no iauit o!
their own, but by = debt contracted without
their consent amt against their earnest pro-
test. Shall this be allowed? This is the
question which now confronts Us. Every
right-,ninded man will say sucG a result must
he ~preyertsd ii possible. Blu h0w:. One
~euy,ous iua,y.dual insists OIL the rich q land
holders selling If their surplus lands, IN
face OF the fact tia I there isno sale for them;
another visionary individual recommends
the establishment Of n. 'nlfactories, while &
third says biindly, repua.1te. We DO mol
design at present TO propose ary method b!
which to pay our debts. or to get rid Of them
Our opinion is that tue county, If jib>rali.
dealt with by its creditors, can in time Pa,
every dollar OF its Indebtedness; as to whelh
err any part of il can he legally avoided, Is &
question that must be settled upon lcSa'
principles. Our object nov is to suggest to
the people that they meet in their re-
spectrc townships aai appoint IL leg atrs
to u coaVeuIiOn to IL icti in Lexington OIL
q day shat may be agreed upon. This con-
vention, composed of the best men Of tho
county, can counsel together as to the step:
necessary to be taSrn i'll order to afford re
| uct ~ TX RGOpICs NV huSSus " .
| rying out any scheme Tor this purpose which
may be agreed upo,i. This plan is recon-
mendcd by some OF the best business men II
our midst, and affords the only ieasibl.
means of securing a concert of action oil thu
part of the people. We notice that in st
, Louis aud other large cities the citizens ar
, holding meetings and appointing standini
onp,p,iffaoy v.i,oSa EttSinesS will inc IN wufrl
r over the administration of public affairs an,
see that the public interests do not suffer z
the hands Of corrupt officers. We need sucl
|, \ committee In this county, composed OF 10
less than twenty mcn- who possess the conf
dence ofthe people, and who will give then
wa1ning when their rIyhts are nirInged
:. Corrupt officials would be exceedingly cau
tious in attempting to carry out tkeir seIis
:, schemes if they knew that watchful eye
. were upon them.
Will the people act in this matter? W
cannot but believe they will. There hav
:, tbeen too much s%upineness asa Indifference
:. already manifested, and too alany Of OIL
!, difficulties are tracezile to this source
- There should. however, be nothing partisa
. in this movement. Republicans as well 8
Democrats are Interested III getting reli'
from the presen, troubles. aud In havin
our affairs in the future honestly admin
tered. Let all good men, then, in IL
various townships. Republicans and Dem
Gratis, who desire the prosperity Of Il
., county come together at an early day al
select from the wisest OF their eumber
!, represent them in convention at Lexingto