The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1873-03-20
Financial Failure Of tie CT s-pefs
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been complete iabUie. II vR7ihe Hito
power with unlimited control. 1t pos
sessed all the branches Of the State gov
eminent. The Governor elect (Alcorn. |
was not only of that party, but he had |
the authority to Nil every office IN the
State. outside the Legislature, with men
of his choice. The Legislature which
came into power with him was over
whelmingly Radical. The Conservatives
had no control The majority rode
rough-shod over them, and disposed of
public measures TO suit themselves The
resources Of the State were completely at
their service. They devised whatever
measures of taxation they thought prop
er. AT that time, the floating debt OF
the State was merely nominal-about
5000, OOO
The first expedient of the newcomers
was to raise the taxes to figure unpree-
dentedly high but expenses were raised
beyond proportion to the increase
enormous though it was,) and state
warrants were at ii heavy discount. Inc
first remedy, next to increase Of taxes
devised bv the authorities, was the Ger
tifcate Indebtedness project. 1t was
brought forth with loud promises Of re-
lief to the State credit. The people were
told that it would be a certain cure TOR
the evils that were rapidly fostering on
the body polite. The then Governor
(Alcorn,) slept out Of the usual way OF
executive officers to vituperate the pub
lie men and journals that had questioned
the infallibility of the measure. lie pro-
claimed it a wise thing-traced its origin
with minuteness-was too modest 10
claim its paternity, and thought II suthci-
ent honor to have adopted it--said the
railway companies had come periodically
to It's support-and that it was des-
tined to work wonders for the common
wealth. (See Message, January, 1871,
Journal Appendix.) The creations of
this law were thing Of beauty. The
photographs were gotten up with artistic
skill. cat a trihing cost OF $4,000 to the
poor taxpayers, and they were launched
with uncommon pomp and ceremony.
But. alas, the benefit that was promised
never came. The railroads got tired of
their patriotic service, and turned their
backs upon the bantling which they had
wet-nursed. The people lost faith in the
promises-to-pay, on which the innocent
faces of its authors heamed, "childllke
and bland and soon this great Pana6ea
whatever compensation II may have
brought to its authors,) turned, ike
Dead-Sea fruit, to ashes on their lips.
Alcorn money, or Musgrove photographs
as it is variously caIled--is thought OF
with sickening disgust, as a. wretched
sham and failure. 1t has been stand
inc burden on the shoulders of the peo-
pie, who have been continuously taxed
in consequence of it.
The expedient having failed, the au-
thorities betook themselves with renewed
alacrity to the well tried expedient of
increased taxation. They ought to have
remembered that the true way to elevate
State paper to par standard, was to cut
down expenditures and administer the
State government economically, in its
various branches. 1t is due to the Leg
islature now in session, to say that this
infallible method was tried at the last
moment of its first session; but their
good intentions were defeated by the
acting Governor. Attic same time that
taxation was doubled, law, intensely
barbarous in its provisions, was put into
operation to secure its execution. 1t gave
no indulgence to its unfortunate victims,
and our exchanges are teeming with adj
vertisements for the sale OF their proper
ty.
| And what is the sum of all these ex-
pedients of bogus paper issues, and ex-
brilliant taxation? The nominal debt Of
the State, on account of current expend-
itures in carrying on its government, has
grown to be S., 900, 900, and is certainly
increasing. State warrants are at the
heavy discount Of twenty-five cents on
the dollar. SO much for Carpet-Bag
rule and it's utter failure, except in the
imposition of intolerable burdens.