The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1874-11-05
The Reduction of Taxes.-What
Republican Journals Say.

hC CpuOiAS~AI PaPCA1' "A'iAS
ing to depreeate these movements, and TO
regard them as signs of coming terror,
have not, We regret to say, in the interest
of the peace and prosperity of the State,
met the proposition in a generous spirit to
remove the cause of these complaints In
stead of this, they appear to have harden
ell their hearts, and to lay up wrath
against the day of wrath-for, as sure as
Gods laws are Interchangeable, will retri-
butive justice overtake the oppressors of
the people.
The Pilot replies to our statement that
the value of property is much less and
taxes great deal higher than before the
war--by saying:
The Clarion certainly would not have
lis readers infer that we must have pro-
portionate reduction in the expenses of
the State government because the wealth
OF the State has diminished, when it
says 'let us re-adjust it, etc.
Certainly not But we would have our
readers infer that inasmuch as the people
are poorer than before the war and their
ability to meet the demands Of the tax
payers correspondingly reduced, the gov
eminent ought to be administered at
least as economically. This is all we
claim. A reduction of expenses to
the ante-bellum standard, when there
was no complaint that the pub
lie officers were not we'll paid, and
the services of the best talent in the
State were commanded in all the depart
ments Of the government. In the same
connection, the State gazette affirms that
the Governors salary which is double the
compensation allowed before the war
with the exception of two terms, and
nearly double what was allowed at any
time, should not be reduced. This, we
construe to apply to the army of office
holders who are gorging themselves upon
the substance of the toiling masses, while
the process of confiscating their property
is going on.
The Summit Times, from which we
had expected different response, de-
fines its position after the fashion of the
man who was in favor of the Maine liquor
law, but opposed to its execution. THE
Republican party of Mississippi is decid-
eddy in favor of reform and retrenchment
bd''-quoth the Times, and thus it de-
M olioboc ;tS ovvr, aSCortioy
'"Ihe idea that the salaries of the pub
lie servants should be reduced to an APP
Proclamation to the ante-belum standard
is fallacy. 1t is not the part Of the wise
and prudent craftsmanship to make the
pay of public servants low, for low sala-
ries secure low priced men,"
How frivolousl Were McNutt and
Quitman, Foote and Brown, (and they
were an average of the gubernatorial in
cumbents before the war;, to be rated as
Glow priced men" in comparison with the
present Governor or his successor? Were
Freeman and Glenn and Wharton to be
rated as a" low-priced men compared |
with the present Attorney-General whose
pay and perquisites are probably four
times as much as theirs And 50 we |
might 90 from the lowest to the highest
until we had swept the whole field of
ofice-holders, and in every case the
same facts would appear.
The Times does not think the number
of Chancellors ought to be reduced But
in this, it is overwhelmed by the repeated
pledges of its own party; and so evident
is it that such a measure should be adopt
ed. its namesake at Vicksburg presents
that identical measure as a prominent
plank in the platform which it keeps at
the head of its columns.
The Times says farther:
''In referring to the ante-bellum times
and drawing a comparison between the ex-
penses of the present State government
and that of 1850, why did not the Clar-
on go on and state that the State in
1860, and previous, while under Demo
cratic rule, had no public school sys-
tem," etc., etc.
The Times ought to have known that I
n our statement of the increase of expen-
,es and taxation, no reference was made
Tor intended to the Public School Fund, ;
which is made up Of licenses, fines, sales
md redemption of lands forfeited to the !
State, ETC. What we meant to say was
hat the burden of taratiOn is practically {
wenty times heavier than before the
war; and that the increase is found in the {
addition of the cost of all the various de-
,artments of the State government, as {
veil as of the county governmental {
Example the Executive Department (con- /
ingents included), cost $4,000 per an '
lum before the war; now it costs $50 {
100. The Legislative Dedartment cost l
,er annum before the war, $50, 900; now =
IS costs $3.50. 900 annually. The Pub i
ic Printing, $4,000 to $4,000 per an |
100. The judiciary, $780, 900 before /
he war; now it costs $500, 900, etc., etc. a
The Ricochet treats the subject very L
much in the style of the Times; except +
a the matter of the Chancellors-and :
hat evil, together with the County Su- o
'ervisors burden, it proposes to remedy v
a this practical way; L
'.Tbeir business should be thrown into II
he circuit and a county eourt-the latter
of the magistrates of the coun-
Y, and thus we would kill tao birds with
ne stone, by getting rid also of super f
isors. Nor can we see any necessity for n
cunty superintendents of public instruc- |;