The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1875-10-13
Decrease of the Wealth
OF MISSISSIPPI
UNDER RADICAL MISRULE.
HEADQUARTERS DEMOCRATIC AND Con-
SENTATIVE STATE Executive Con-

nat Tue present INSTRUMENTATION y q
! produced the most wide spread destruction
{ of the property and wealth of the State
and not only prevents all progress and
improvement, but is surely and rapidly
consuming all We have, and all that car
be produced by the best energies of oul
people, is truth which we all admit and
feel; but it is nevertheless well to show
this by actual figures, 50 that the extent
and steady progress Of this ruin may be
clearly understood. Each individual
citizen is conscious from his own expert
ence that Notwithstanding his best efforts,
his greatest industry and his most
parsimonious retrenchment, he is gradu-
ally but surely approaching bankruptcy.
But he may think that others are more
favored, that the hard hand Of poverty
has not reached others, whom he may
consider more fortunate than himself for
this reason also, it may be well to look at
official dement's.
tits now ten years since the war ended,
and during all that time, it is safe to say,
that no people ever worked with greater
zeal or energy, or lived closer, and with
fewer luxuries, than the people of Mis-
sissippi; and the result is that they
have not only failed to accomplish any
improvement in their condition, or to
make any progress or advance, but they
have, under a merciless system of taxa
ton, and most dishonest, corrupt, and
wasteful government, been growing poor
er and poorer every day. This has been
the result up to the present time, and
during a period when our great sta,
pie, COTTON has commanded in the
markets of the world, higher price
than ever before; and the question
now arises in every thoughtful mind,
what are we to do in the future, when
cotton has declined to its ante beltum
price, and is every day getting lower /?
There must be relief, or there is certain
ruin. Disguise it as we may, the people
of Mississippi are poorer after all these
ten years of selt-denial and hard labor
than they were before. They are also
on the verge of universal bankruptcy and
ruin.
This has been brought about by Rad
ical misrule, and all our lost wealth has
been consumed in taxes, which are levied
to pamper and fatten worthless horde
of adventures, who have no interest in,
or sympathy with, the fortunes of the
people of the State.
The people of Mississippi are not
drones nor idlers. They have shown
their capacity to produce wealth, and
to improve their fortunes they have
beer energetic and economical; they
have worked hard early and late; they
have had no luxuries, barely the comforts
of life they possess a salubrious cline,
a fertile soil, and have been engaged in
raising the most profitable crops in the
world. Yet the result is ruin.
Let US look at the figures:
In 1850, the total population of the
State was COG, 526, and the total value
of the property of the State was $685.
951, 130, or 1877 per head. In 1860,
the total population of the State was
791, 800, and the total wealth 500, 472,-
912. In 1866, the total wealth of the
State was $161, Isl ,207, and the total
population about the same as in 1860,
and the valuation of the property per
head was little over $4,000. In 1876
the total wealth is $119, 1913, 008-about
$166 per head.
This shows large increase in popula-
ton between 1850 and 1860. but still
larger increase in wealth the increase
in population being 1874, 879, or about 13
per cent. for the ten years the increase
in wealth being $3.50, 521, 1872, or over
120 per cent; the valuation of property
in 1860 being at the rate of 1914 to each
inhabitant. In the next decade, from
1860 to 1870, four years of which were
war, and six years peace. the increase in
population was only 36,617-the popu-
iation in 1870 being 1927, 922 but still
of the State in 1870, as shown by the
being a loss in wealth in that decade of
over $500, 900, 900, or about go per cent.
These estimates are based on census re-
turns, not on assessments.
But as the object of this paper is to
show what we have lost by Radical mis-
government, it will be as well to COM
mence on new basis of valuation, just
after the war ended, and when its rava-
ges had ceased, making no other use of
the ante bellltn statistics than to show the
rate at which our people created wealth
in time of peace, under q fair and just
government. This rate of increase, as
IS above shown, was over II per cent. per
annum.
There is no civilized people, certainly
there is no part of the United States,
not cursed by carpet-bag rule, that does
not increase their wealth yearly. The
increase in Mississippi between 1850 and
1860 of II per cent. per annum is not
exceptionally high, but is below the aver
age. The increase in Indiana between
1850 and 1860 was Is per cent; between
1860 and 1870 it was IA per cent. per
annum. In New Jersey, between 1850
and 1860, it was 10 As per cent;
year,-between 1860 and 1870, it was
9 per cent. In Massachusetts,, between
1850. and 1860, it was A per cent; be-
tween 1860 and 1870, it was 10
per cent a year. In Tennessee, be
tween 1850 and 1860, it was IA per
cent. per annum; and between 1860 and
1870 there was even then q small in
crease. In Connecticut, between 1850
and 1850, the annual increase was 10
per cent. between 1860 and 1870, it
was 3-5 per cent. In Illinois the an
nual increase, between 1850 and 1860,
was 80 per cent; between 1860 and 1870
it was IA per cent. In Georgia, between
1850 and 1860, it was per cent. per
annum. In New York, between 1850 and