The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1875-01-07

/ fering is but just begun.
Presented IN these several views of the
sad condition OF the people of Mississippi,
,ur present appeal amounts TO this, shall
! the few Qficials, the mere servants OF the
! people, be permitted TO fatten and grow
/ richer, whilst the people grow poorer and
starye? Shall these public servants be
privileged to enjoy an extravagant waste
of the money Of the people to the de-
struction of the property Of the State, or
/ will the Legislature interpose immedi-
atelv, and by 4 vigorous system of wise
reform enforce rigid economy of expendl-
/ fure in al departments OF the govern
ment. legislative, executive and judicial,
and in counties, cities, towns and dis
| tricts? Let all superfuities be abolish
ed. Let every supernumey be dis
charged Let every dollar as far as pos
~ible be saved to the suffering people.
/ For tie present, and until the State has
become rich and prosperous let all sala-
]. ries and public expenditures be graded
not according to the merits and capacl-
| ties of officials, but be reduced and
/ graded to the lowest possible scale com
patible with the efficiency Of most
| rigid economy of administration suited to
the extreme poverty of the people.
| Thruughou; the whole State the cutlery
| against this oppression of excessive taxa
ion and still greater waste of expendl-
ture becomes louder and deeper every
| day, and it comes increasing in volume
| aud significant emphasis of tone and ex-
preston from citizens of all classes and
conditions All fear the approaching
ruin, and all suffer from this common OPP
presss;on-the difference being only in
degree.
With regard TO possibilities for re-
trenchrnent and reform, we quote and
commend to the careful consideration of
all the official opinion Of Gov Ames, as
follows: There are opportunities for
curtaiIment in every branch Of the gov
eminent message on Finance, Session
IA, page 3
We ask the earnest attention of your
honorable body to the following par
ticuIars in which by proper legislation
very large sums may be saved.
THE PUBLIC PRINTING, by the gross
ness Of its excuses, amounts to public
robbery. We submit that such is the
practical result, whatever may be the
motive on which the extraordinary sys-
TEN Is tolerated Let examples be cited
in evidence.
For the five years next preceding the
first Of January, 1861, the average cost
Of printing for the State did not exceed
IS, 900 per annum.
For the FIVE years commencing with
he fiscal wear 1870, the average cost Of
the printing Tor the State has exceeded
| 573, 600 each year, being an average ex-
| cess each year on the former of S65, 900.
| This enormous increase in the cost OF
| public printing cannot be attributed to
increased expense OF performing the pub
| lie work, nor to the large increase in the
number Of our citizens, for the like con
ditions exist in Mississippi and Georgia;
and vet the recent report of the Comp
troller, General Of Georgia shows that the
average cost of the pu'lie printing IN
| that State, for the years 1872 and 1873
ii / not exceed so, 900. Marx the con
| trast according to the above average.
The cost Of the public printing for inn
poverished Mississippi for those two years
was over eight times greater than the cost
of the same work done IN the same year
for the State OF Georgia
The journals of the Two houses of our
Legislature contain n vast amount OF
matter utterly worthless to the public and
their enormous bulk with supplements
added might well cause the enquiry, way
were they gotten up III that bulky form
if not to swell the profits Of the public
printer. We cite for the contrast two
examples, and any one may verify the
figures in our State Library. In the
year 1886 the journals of the two houses
contained together l., 1913 pages. In the
year 1873 the iouTnsls contain together
+, 1913 pages that Is more than five times
the number or pages contained in those
two journals for the year 1886. Those
journals contain in full every little report
that certain bill do pass or do not pass,
and thus they are swelied with mass
of useless matter. Doubtless the enor-
nous difference in the cost for public
printing in Mississippi and Georgia arises
from the fact tn I our journals are thus
bloated with useless matter, and also that
official reports are printed and charged
for more than once, and in part because
of exorbitant rates allowed to our State
Printer
The remedy for these gross abuses and
waste OF expenditure Is plain. Let the
journals be greatly reduced in bulk so as
to contain no matter not useful to the
public in a legislative journal Require
the official reports TO be so reduc- d in
bulk n to contain only essential matters,
and those to be stated in brietest intelli-
gible terms. Diminish both numbers and
quantities. Let no document DE printed
aud paid for more than once, and reduce
to moderate rates the prices for public
printing. Apply like rules of economy
and justice 10 the people to the public
printing Of counties, cities and towns
In this connection it is proper to call
special attention to the District Printing
Bill, which was publicly advocated upon
the plea, most extraordinary in a free
government, that it is both just and |
proper to tax the general public To sus
tain party newspapers. In the case OF
public sales, and in many others, the |
chief value OF newspaper publication |
consists in the fact that it gives notice to |
the people of the pasticuiar county in
which the sale, etc, is TO be made. 1t |
seems a mere mockery, under preterse
Of fairness, to advertise the property of /
the citizen for sale under execution or for |
taxes in distant part of the judicial dis
uict, dhd III point remote from Inc
county in which the sale is to be made,
The same Is true of many other notices
required TO be published. In very many
cases Of publications required to be made
under the law, the seeming notice can be
of no possible use and vet the poor citi-
zen Is taxed with the costs of such use
less publication
The number Of circuit judges and
i far greater than the needs
OF The public service require.
before the present constitution went
into effect, there were but ten circuit