The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1874-12-10
AxO EREEs TROUBLE TOss THE
TAX-PAVERS.
The ola rsepudiased Ronas.

The public viii remember that in the
canvass last year, we published a letter
written by b. F. Butler, addressed to
the Governor of ihe State, making in
quiries concerning The amount and status
of the alleged debt of Mississippi.
When the letter was brought TO light
and It's authenticity established, the
Radical leaders treated it as light af-
fair and even some Of the conservative
newspapers and public men of our party
pooh-poOhed it. The artful author him.
self wrote letter to his son-in-law, ex-
planning that he was simply collecting
statistics from the various States for use
as a member of Congress, and that moth
ing more serious was designed.
We who had accepted it as proof
that Butler was deep in the well-known
/ .scheme of the holders of the repudiated
bonds, did not regard the explanation as
satisfactory, because we could not for the
life of US see what use the facts of that
pretended claim of forty years standing,
for which the people of Mississippi had
repeatedly denied their responsibility,
could be put BY Representative in Con-
gress from the State of Massachusetts.
The belief was riveted on our mind that
it was in his capacity as agent and attor-
ney for the bond-holders, with a large
prospective contingent, that B. F. Butler
had instituted his inquiry The extreme
caution with which his son-in-law, Gen.
Ames approached the subieet-his mani
fest reluctance to commit himself one
way or the other in the canvass, on the
subject Of the plot to fasten the debt on
the present generation-were proof con.
elusive to our mind of the existence of
the scheme which had been betrayed by
the publication of the letter.
The Taxpayers of Mississippi must not
take the fattering JUNCTION to their souls,
that the snake has been scotched, much
less killed. A correspondent who has had
peculiar opportunities for possessing him.
self of the secret plans of the schemers,
and is yigilant of the interests of the
State, write us under recent date:
Have you seen the statement in the
&C New York Herald that arrangements
" have been effected with the Governors
q of the Southern States, including Mis-
g sissippi, looking to the payment frepu-
g dated bonds? Unless we are vigilant
" the payment of these bonds will be
g saidled upon Us, and if so, we are IN
g truth ruined As sure as you live
g = : x = : : is in this thing, etc.
The statement in the Herald is as fol-
lows
The American Bond Funding and
Banking Association is backed by the
first capitalists of Europe--Lord North
brook, chief of the house of Barring
Rothschild, Gilliat, of London; Hope, of
Amsterdam, and Salomons, of London
and New York. 1t has already made
arrangements with the Governors of Ar
kansas, MISSISSIP Alabama, South
Carolina, North Carolina and Virginis.
to accept its proposition to fund certain
specified portions of their public debt in
bonds payable in London IN gold coin,
and those Governors have undertaken to
recommend the measure to their respec-
tive Legislatures. The Governor Of
Georgia has rejected the proposition and
that State will be let severely alone. In
| the opinion Of many the Legislature of
North Carolina will not accept the terms
proposed, because they will bind her to
pay, and put it in the power Of the bond
! holders, to collect their interest and
debt. The legislation provided to secure
the payment OF the new bonds has been
prepared by counsel eminent at the
! American and English Bar and is APP
proved by Frederick Knapp, Of Berlin,
who Is the German authority on Ameri-
can law, and Mr.. Benjanin, of London.
/ 1t is based ON the decision of the Su-
preme Court Of the United States in the
cases against the Western cities aud
counties-Van Hoffman VS.. Quincy,
| Gepcke VS.. Dubuque and those adjudi-
cations which hold that a court has
| power TO enforce the collection of a tax
when the Legislature has provided the
necessary machinery. The legislation by
this association does provide necessary
machinery to secure the collection of
tax, whether a Legislature is willing or
not, and makes it a contract, 50 as to be
irrepealabe.
Here the whole plot is unfolded 1t re-
mains for the people of Mississippi to
arouse themselves to the perils of the
crisis and defeat it. Their case Is "a pc
culiar one. They always denied upon
the highest grounds Of morality and con-
stitutional law, their obligation to pay
the debt which these machinators are
blaming to fasten upon them. To i'm
pose it on the present generation, would
be an injustice so monstrous that the
people would be justified in resisting it
at every hazard, however perilous, and |
at every cost however dear. 1t will be |
remembered that Senator Alcorn in his
splendid canvass last year for the recla-
nation Of the State from the vampires, |
warned her people against this very
scheme, and told them that while he was in
the Office of Governor, every possible in
ducement was offered him to commit the
State to the payment of the bonds. |
Pressed to the wall, his competitor mildly |
disclaimed his connection with the
scheme but here, in the very first year
of his term, while the people had ceased
to be concerned about it, in the magni-
tude of their -misiortunes in having to
meet the current demands of the tax
gatherers, they are again startled by the