The Daily clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1866-1888, 1876-01-30

EDS. CLARION: Your points against tlis
| passage Of the proposed amendment 20 thf
| City Charter are well taken. Upon some 81
| them | desire TO make few comments
/. The proposition to legislate tsout of the
corporate limits of the town, that portion al
| North Jackson which is mostly settled BIZ a
| colored population,n Is a measure which is
purely political in its character, and if car
ried into effect would be in direct violation
OF the pledges and promises of the party in
power. L think you err when You promise
to support measure of this character. pro-
vided the democratic citizens" should
vote for il, By virtue of the position YOU
hold as Public Printer, you are supposed TO
reflect the sentiments of the party which
elected you; and while in a matter strictly
local you might with proprieIy advocate
measures which had received the sanction
OF majority of your party living in this
community, / doubt if you could with the
same propriety advocate local measuse in
volving principles in direct antagonism
with the utterances and pledges OF the
Democratlc-COnserya party ofthe State.
2. The Sheriff of Kinds county ought
not, Uirtate offcio, to be the collector of
the city revenue. With equal proprietv
might he be made, by this Legislature, the
collector OF taxes for every other village or
town in the county. The question, Whether
the Sheriff of Kinds county shall be the col
lector of taxes OF the city of Jackson.
is not involved in the question, Wheth-
er the cost of collection shall be les
sened. If he is eligible Co the office
i think under existing laws the present
Sheriff is not-and the people, or the Board
OF Mayor and Aldermen, shall see fit to
eject him, certainly no person could reason
ably object to his filling that office But
the office is now filled by another, and the
only question to be considered is, Whether
the present incumbent gets too much pay
for the work performed. As to the assessor,
say this: that it is impossible to get the
assessment for the city made without cost
Let the Board or the citizens decide how
much that shall be, and then to whom it
shall be paid.
3. The sum of $3.50 year for the salary
OF Mayor, is absurd, and serves, TO say the
least of 1t, to create doubt as to the sim
certify OF the friends of the proposed amend
ment, IN their expression of an honest de-
sire simply to cut down expenses. For many
years the salary of the Mayor was fixed at
Sl,OOO; which sum was thought to be rea-
sonable compensation. The last ce nsus taken
under and by virtue of an order of the
Mayor anu Aldermen, fixed the number of
lnnaoltants In the city at something over
5000; and venture the assertion that in no
city OF the Union of equal size does the
Mayor serve for nothing or for the sum of
S2oO. challenge the instance of such
case.
elected
or appointed is a question not worth talk
Ing about Either plan is good enough.
Inc election ofthat officer by the peopIe is
Is certainly not an euH
D. A perusal of the records of the CITY
will show whether thejail should be turned
oVerto the county or not. | can't refer TO
dates. but Col. ID. n. Barrows, formerly
Mayor, and the. Aldermen who served nm. |
ger MIN, can entighten the inquirino mind. |
l VIII say this, however, that as asserted. If |
mas Deen the cause of much confusion. |
whether giving it to the county will lessen |
tne cohluSlon' is best understood by the |
gentlemen above referred to In What I |
have said on this subject | don't wish tn b.. |
understood as advocating The present svs
'em OF keeping the city prisoners know
nothing about it.
o. Funding laws have been passed in
many OF the States, aud in many OF the
counties OF this State, some of the latter at
he present session of the Legislatures. Tn
ess there are pernicious features in snrh
avs, they should be sustained. IT. is wron~
n principle to say to a creditor of the citv
gu must Iuhd your warrants; and when
,I sIia al nave complied with the law and
aken oonds, to say to those who did NOT
omply, You can pay your taxes with tbe
warrants you refused to fund but the ner-
on VINO did fund shall not use his bonds
OF the same purpose. When it is proposed
Q repeal any part of the funding act, the {
9AOuid place all evidences of t
Ivy Indebtedness on the same footing, q
ms would be just--nothing more. LET {
mart gentlemen, who know the wants and a
1qulrements of the city betterthan T. saw '
heGher 1t would be wise to 'fi0at'' tbe y
ohded DEBT. This You must do if Won will a
t0dt the warrants which ought to have S
zen funded under the act which the .tnro
osed amendments" seek to rannaJ
own with schemes, 0P0"i' y
IN conclusion, retrenchment IS the ordar
1ne Gay everywhere, The general onin-
u is that the salaries of the citv officers orc
0 hlgh. L concur in that opinion. and tbint
ag the Mayor and Aldermen shonld d
! accordingly. 1t never was intended a
d. me Collector, Assessor, Clerk. Treasu- "
! anu fhyslclan should make living for h
JlnselVes and families out of the city. and th
me persons holding those offices think So II
; sooner their minds are relieved of s,fc5 r,
! iI preston the better. Let the Nav ar si
AAlaermen fix their pay and the paw of a,
oity oHcerS. so AS to conform 70 tba 70 m
rem irements of the ordinances revised and nI
ollshed during the administration of Cni q
L1IoWs, L mink in the year 1857. and av- q;
oouy Will, or ought to be- satisfied IA
hoG sure that Legislative interferopca n
ulH not De right and proper in this mai Of
!, sAouid the present administrator insis+ an
Cne present salaries 1t wonId cartainiu re
no narm to fix the salaries hv Inv ~ r.,
ires that would commend tbo,,e s% az 10
,do sen sense OF justice of all. The fioures IL;
~ ny Tue present administration do NOT,
SENIOR. an