The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1875-10-06


! average this large sum each year, oyel
| and above the amount collected ON those
monstrous tax levies Whatmay be the
excess for the year 1874 is not revealed.
! All that we know is, that many Of the
very large appropriations for the year
were sometime since exhausted.
The ike extraordinary results have
] followed the operations of the Boards OF
Supervisors, at least in many of the
counties. Whether these facts prove q
lack of economy in administration, or
are to be regarded as sad proofs of the
rapid exhaustion of the means of the
people, and their consequent inability to
pay, they are painful to contemplate.
This excessive rate of expenditure
would constrain even prosperous people
to cry aloud for retrenehment and reform.
1t is corrupting in effect, and altogether
evil in its results. But if none of these
things existed we should be constrained
by still other facts, to make this appeal
to your honorable body. The present
year has been most disastrous to all en-
gagged in agriculture, and consequently
to all other pursuits. If all the crops
raised in the State this year were sold at
sales thereof would not, as many estimate,
pay the cost of production and the taxes.
In many counties the result was still
more disastrous, the crops being an al
most total failure. 1t is a sad truth that
IN some parts of the State many of our
people are beginning to suffer for want Of
food, and very many are restricted in
their poverty to very few of the neces-
saries of life. These Affections fall
heaviest at present on the very large class
of our poor citizens but all classes suf-
fer more or less from this common calam-
ity, and the year of their probation of
want and suffering is but just begun.
Presentd in these several views of the
sad condition of the people of Mississip-
Pi, our present appeal amounts to
this, shall the few officials, the mere
servants of the people, be permitted to
fatten and grow richer, whilst the people
grow poorer and starve? Shall these
public servants be privileged to enjoy an
extravagant waste of the money of the
people to the destruction of the property
of the State, or will the Legislature in
terpose Immediately, and by vigorous
system of wise reform enforce rigid econ
omy of expenditure in all departments of
the government, Legislative, executive
and judicial, and in counties, cities, towns
and districts? Let all superhuities be
abolished. Let every supernumery be
discharged. Let every dollar as far as
possible be saved to the suffering people.
For the 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 capaci-
ties of officials, but be reduced and gra-
ded to the lowest possible scale compati-
BILE with the efficiency of most rigid
economy of administering suited to the
extreme poverty of the people.
Throughout the whole State the cutlery
against this oppression of excessive taxa
ton and still greater waste of expediture
becomes louder and deeper every day,
and it comes increasing In volume and
significant emphasis of tone end express
ion from citizens of all classes and condi-
tons. All fear the approaching ruin,
and all suffer from this common oppres-
sion-the difference being only in degree
With regard to possibilities for re-
trenchment and reform, We quote and
commend TO the careful consideration OF
all the official opinion of Gov. Ames, as
follows 'eThere are opportunities for
curtailment in every branch of the gov
eminent. (Message on Finance, SEES
sion, IA, page 3D.
! We ask the earnest attention of your
honorable body to the following particu-
lars 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 mo-
| tive on which the extraordinary SYSTEM
is tolerated. Let examples be cited III
evidence.
For the five years next preceding the
first of january, 1861, the average cos
of printing for the State did not exceed
/ So, 900 per annum.
For the five years commencing witt
the fiscal year 1870, the average cost o
the printing for the State has exceeded
$73, 200 each year, being an average
excess each year on the former OF 500,
GOO.
4 This enormous increase in the cost o
public printing cannot be attributed t.
increased expense of performing tn
public work, nor to the large increase IL
the number of our citizens, for the llk
conditions exist in Mississippi and Geol
pia: and vet the recent report of tn
1,omptroller-G General of Georgia show
that the average cost of the public print
ing in that State, for the years 1872 AM
1878 did not exceed SIC, 900. Mark tn
contrast according to the above average
The cost of the public printing for i'm
poverished Mississippi for those two yeal
was over eight times greater than the ces
of the same work done In the same yea
. for the State of Georgia
The journals of the two houses OF on
, Legislature contain a vast amount {
l matter utterly worthless to the public
and their enormous bulk, with suppl
a ments added, might well cause the ii
= ouiry. why we're they gotten up in tn,
2 bulky form If not to swell the profits
T the public printer? We cite for the COZ
: trast two examples, and one may verlt
: the figures in our State Library. In th
wear 1856 the journals of the two hous'
y contained together l, 1913 pages. In Il
$ wear 1873 the Journals contain togeth'
e {. 1873 pages-that is more than i've tim
the number of pages contained in tho
s two Journals for the year 1856. Thoi
e journals contain in full every little repo
that certain bill do pass, and thus the
8 are syelled with mass of useless matte
If Doubtless the enormous differences in Il
Is cost for public printing in Mississip
Ie and Georgia arises from the fact that o
Is journals are thus bloated with usele
A matter, and also that official reports
m printed and charged for more than ono
re and in part because OF exhorbltant raj
allowed to our State Printer.
h. The remedy for these gross abuses al
he waste of expenditure il plain. Let t
d ianrnals be greatly reduced in bulk so