The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1876-02-03
How to Do 1t, and How Not.

OF tdAdIlOu muSb DC iOuuNs VI a - .
tenn of economy established where
by enough may be saved to compen-
safe the deficiency in revenue.
But as the people seem resolved to
submit to no higher rate of taxation
it will deyolve upon the Legislature
to determine whether or not rail
roads are taxed in ratio with the
other taxable property Of the State;
whether there is exempt from tax
ton, property which in strict JUS
tice ought to bear its proportion of
common burden, and whether the
spirits consumed-not manufactnr-
ed-in the State may not be made
legitimate and profitable source of
revenue. The body should enquire
also, whether exemptions, promo
tive of religion and education, have
not been made to cover real estate
from which a profit is derived
and at the same time, is wholly non
essential to the ends contemplated
in the exemption act.
AS to economy, there should be a
close scrutiny into every depart
ment of the government in order
to ascertain where a saving can be
made without detriment to the pub
lie service. The questions may
well be raised, whether there are not
too many State and county off
ces; whether elections are not
too frequent for the moral and ma
terial welfare of the State; whether
civil suits shouldnot cease to be ajax
upon State or county; whether may
not be enacted laws whereby crimi-
nal prosecutions shall be made less
burdensome, and removing the sub
ject beyond the reach oflocal option,
and whether the Penitentiary can
not be manipulated by State offic-
ials so as to save to the treasury
the large profits realised by the les
sees.
If the people will send the right
sort of men to the Legislature-mep
intelligent enough to know what to
do, and honest and firm enough to
do it, the most incredulous will be
astonished at the amount of money
that can be raised without increasing
the rate of taxation, and saved by
wise economy. Upon such a Leg
islatUre outside influences can exer-
else no control, but we can not hope
for such a body as long as the clev-
er, good for nothing fellow, who
treats freely and promises largely
can defeat the most sterling worth
at the ballot box. And until the
people do bring about this reform
in the Administration ofthcir State af-
fairs, it is foolishly unjust to charge
their financial troubles to the inef-
ficiency of the officers they elect,
and the sharpers who take advan-
tage of the popular incapacity for
self-government. 1t is undenlable
that much of our present pecuniary
distress is dine to the corrupt adj
ministration of the federal govern
ment-its withholding a snfficiency
of currency from trade, in order that
rings and monopolies may thrive at
the expesne of production and lab
or. Would it not be well then that
the Legislature consider well the
propriety and practicability of Civ
to the State a local currency, to
counteract the ruinous policy of
contraction by the administration
at Washington? The general gov
eminent has, for fifteen years, fur
nIshed a good currency based, not
upon gold, put simply upon the faith
of the government and the resour-
ces of the country. Cannot Tenn
essee do the same thing for its own
people? Surely the Legislature can
devise a State bank, or Subtreasury
which will alike, avoid collision with
the State constitution and the ten
per cent. tax of Congress, and which
viii furnish to the people a currency
with which to develope their resour-
ces rs well as enable the State to IL
quidate its heavy debt. The good
faith and abundant resources of
Tennessee is as good a basis
of a currency for the State as
that upon which greenbacks have
asted as a currency for the whole
county. Money is what the State
needs to develope its resources, re
leive the pecuniary distress of its
people and enable it the sooner and
the more easily to liquidate its
heavy debt. The way to get rid of
bondholders is to redeem the bonds,
in an honorable way, and the way
to redeem them is to carry out, in
practice, the spirit ofthe suggestions
we have thrown out for the grave
consideration of our readers. The
people must seeto the fitness of their
representatives, and If intelligence
and integrity are in the minority, an
intellectual qualification for suffrage
is the only remedy.-ClGrksVills c.
Be Manly