The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-03-16
REPUTATION.
MISSISSIPPI PRoPERTY-owNERs ARE GOING TO
TRY IT ON.


It would be well, says Washington CORE
spondent Of the Sunday N.rctuy, for capital
lists, banks, bankers, merchants and business
men generally in New York and Throughout
the country to watch the drift of public opin
ion in the two Southern States which are still
under the thumb Of the Radical emissaries o
the administration, black and white-lIissis
sppi and Louisiana | have it from the bes
authority that nothing less is contemplated
than a wholesale
REFUSAL TO PAY TAXES,
which must necessarily lead to the complete
| bankruptcy of the States, and the final repu-
diation Of their public obligations. | have Just
seen letters from two Of the foremost men OF
Mississippi, men who, before the war, stood
high in the councils Of the nation, and were
known and respected all over the land one re-
siding at Jackson, the other at Greenville in
that State They both agree that the resolu-
ton is ripening among their people to pay
NOT ONE DOLLAR MORE
of taxes of any kind. 4 call is now circuia-
ting among the taxpayers Of Mississippi for
a State convention, to be held IN March, to
consider the question and make formal de
claration to that effect. This call is, in itself
a most reliable document. 1t refers to the
fact that the debt Of the State is increasing 10
half million every year, for which there is
nothing to show. that real estate is now taxed
50 90 on every SlO3 Of assessed valuation,
and that the appraisement is in all cases more
than fifty per cent higher than the market
value OF the property. making the taxes
amount to over six per cent of its real value,
and more than it brings either from tillage or
rental; that the system of mismanagement,
extravaganza and corruption has grown from
bad to worse, and there is no hope Of relief
from the Legislature, and that the only means
to extricate the State is
REPUTATION,
the sovereign and rightful remedy for bur
dens imposed in violation Of the constitution,
and for purposes outside the legitimate ends
of government Both my correspondents
one former United States Senator, and the
other once Cabinet Minister-admit that the
remedy is desperate one, yet advise their
people that it will prove etfectual if all the
taxpayers stand together. passage from
one OF these letters is too interesting not to
quote, -" Rather" says the ex-Secretary of the
Interior, .'rather than toll from years end to
years end, and have all the fruits Of their
labor seized for the enrichment of the spoils-
men, who are rolling IN wealth on their hard
earnings, our people will initiate the example
CT the blind giant and
Pull DOWN THE PILLARS OF THE EDIFIcE,
that the torturers as well as the tortured may
be involved in the common ruin. And the
ex-senator of the United States writes me
that that the taxpayers Of Mississippi will
in State convention declare their datermina-
ton to pay not one dollar more of taxes of
any kind and unanimously abide by the
declaration. Some may, perhaps, think that
this strong language is only the fruit of the
madness of despair, but | can assure the
readers of the .>,uaday Mercury that the deter
mlnatlon to block the wheels of all local gov
eminent in thai State by refusing to furnish
the money required is entertained in earnest |
and is universal Ninety-nine dollars of every
hundred of taxes is paid by the Conservative |
whites, while the money is spent, squandered
and stolen by ignorant blacks and their thiey-
ing Il ldical allies.
1t is this state of things which cxasperates
the property -owners and taxpayers, and con
firms them IN their resolve not to allow them |
selves to be robbed any more but to starve |
out the thieves by withholding the funds Oh
which alone the latter can thrive. The best
proof that this proposed refusal to pay taxes
is no idle threat, is furnished by the fact also |
to me, that the carpet -baggers |
IN the State government, with Gov Ames, |
Ben Buffers son-in-law at their head, have |
taken the alarm, and Acknowledgement Harris |
has counselled his Radical brethren to take
the back track and reform. He advises
III the number OF chanceIIOrS, |
large decrease III salaries, fees and com
missions Of all kinds and in appropria-
ions to colleges he wants III railroad
subsidies from the State Treasury
repealed, and the cost of assessments
md collection Of taxes cheapened, less public
printing done, and a law passed to keep the
unds in the treasury and not permit any
body and everybody to help themselves at
viii by grabbing all they want. He asks the
Governor to recommend the State Legislature
o keep the expense Of the State government
Town to a half million and save annually over
$500 600. But the Governor laughs at him
nd the chocolate colored legislators de-
lounce him as fool and traitor to the
,arty. There Will be no reduction, and the
ak payers will be compelled to carry out their
xtreme measure of reputation.
The passage and prospective enforcement
t the Civil Rights bill has only increased
his determination, which is based not on {
ostility to the negro race, but on a fixed re-
Dive to deprive the scamps and rogues who
FAD and mislead them Of the supply Of I
ublc funds on which alone they can thrive a
A Narrow Escape.
The Baltimore SIMS Washington cor :
9spondent says a very dangerous bill, and :
ne which would have almost worked ruin !
pom several of the Southern States, barely :.