The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1875-10-06
PETITION AND APPEAL
Tax-Payers to the legislature.
HEADQUARTERS DEMOCRATIC,
CONSERVATIVE PARTY OF THEl
STATE OF MISSISSIPPI

herewith republished. The Convention
was one of the largest and most respect.
able bodies of citizens that ever assembled
in the State. The grievances of the
taxpayers, SO ably, earnestly and re-
spectfully set forth, were practically ig-
nored by the body to whom they were
addressed. The people of Mississippi
must see to it that the next Legislature
shall be composed. of men who will take
up this petition and appeal, and give it
that consideration which the taxpayers
of the State have the right to demand.
j. z. GEoRGE, Chairman.
Hon. Geo. L. Potter submitted the
report Of the Committee on Resolutions.
which, on motion of Col. Walter, was
unanimously adopted
TO the Legislature of Mississippi:
The Taxpayers of Mississippi, assem-
bled by delegates in Convention, respect
fully show
That by reason of the general poverty
of the people, and the greatly depressed
values of all property, and especially of
our great staple, the present rate of tax
alton Is an intOlerable burden and much
beyond their ability to pay.
To say nothing of the very large ex-
pendltures for common schools, the pres
ent rates of public expenditure greatly
exceed the amounts deemed sufficient in
former days of Astounding wealth.
To-day, the masses of our people are
very poor, and they naturally feel, as
they may well demand, that all public
expenditures should Re greatly reduced,
and limited by the strictest rules of
economy to the plain republican system
made necessary by their Impoverished
condition.
1t was hoped by many that period of
great prosperity would follow the re-
organization Of the State, and provision
was accordingly made for costly gov
eminent; but that hope has given place
to dispair. Every day the people have
grown poorer lands have diminished in
value; wages have grown less, and all
industries have become more and more
paralyzed. 1t is daily harder and harder
for the people even to live; and many
hearts are saddened to-day, burdened
with dread, lest the little. home, only
shelter for wife and children, shall be
sold away by the tax gatherer.
These terrible truths show that the
present rate of exhorbitanS expenditures
must cease, or the means of the people
to pay will soon be utterly exhausted,
and their government will be disorganized.
A wise statesman will be careful to con-
slider the wants of the people, and studi-
Gus to devise, and prompt to apply need
full remedies, and this is what we respect
fully ask from the representatives of the
people, We are satisfied that public
expenditures can be very largely reduced
without impairing the efficiency OF the
public service.
1t should not be forgotten that the
Southern people in their poverty. have
now to bear many burthens, unknown
here in former times. The public debt
of the United States is enormous, and
we all contribute, indirectly it may be,
to nav the increased federal expenditures.
We may never see the taxgatherer, but
we pay the taxes-they make part OF the
price of the goods we buy. In addition
to this, we have the large expense OF our
common school system. These large
items may doubtless be greatly dimln-
ished nv a wise economy, and the people
NAV bear them, thus limited, as necessary
burdens but the fact that with strlc'
economy. such burdens may continue tC
be great, is a strong reason for rlglo
economy of administration wherever i
is possible.
It must be remembered that the people
of Mississippi suffer not only from thu
enormous burdens of needless State ex
penditure, but also from gross waste anC
extravaganza of Boards of Supervisors
added to these are the heavy local bur
} dens that fall upon the inhabitants OF
cities und towns and the unhappy peopl
of the Levee Districts.
In September last, Senator Sherman
} said to the people of Ohio:
: seThe first requisite of party to ad
t minister the government now is economy
f The most difficult to practice, especial.
after a period of great expenditure.
2 What we most need is very large re
$ duetion In local taxes, and still more,
very great limitation of the power G
, local taxation. Now innumerable locs
! authorities, counties, towns, cities, etc.
r have authority to levy taxes until tn
j amounts, in many cases to confscotaocr
!. x x 4 Upon this questio
9 of local taxation, we ought to have n
marty or soon incomes will be absorbe
by taxes" H.
a Apt words these, and wise, even Whe
a addressed to the people of rich and pro
e Derous Ohio! With what added fore
J, 40 they apply to us who suffer undt
h Greater slocal" burdens" with the add
l. tional weight of enormous State exPei
dituresi
To show the extraordinary and rap
n increase of taxation imposed on tn
!, : impoverished people, We will cite the
!. particulars, viz: "a
In 1863, the State levy was 10 cen
= on the hundred dollars of assessed van
2, For the year 1871 it was four tim
I. as great. For 1872 it was eight and a No
= = times as great. For the year 1873 It &c
u tapelpe aud a half times as great. For T
IN wear 1874 it was fourteen times as great
4 was in 1869. The tax levy OF 10
was the largest State tax ever levied
y Mississippi. and to-day the people
y noorer than ever before.
IT ia true that now, because OF DIM
: ished property and depressed values
=, percentage of taxation must be increas
% to the amount OF revenue levied In I I
mer times but what We complain OF
that the aggregate amount OF ta1
levied on us, in our poverty, greatly
ceeds the amount levied in prospere
g DAYS. The enormity of this great
ne crease in the percentage, will beco'
M ifl more plain. if We consider the fact Ct. "a
II our present assessments very greatly
coed the market values of the Propei