The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1876-02-09
Letter From Another Citizen ON
the Other Side.

EDS. CLARION In your Daily Of the 25d
inst you have 2 leaGrr advocating the
policy 1T eNenpting factories from taxa
ton In which YOU instance the success of
that policy in Georgia and give several
acts passed in that State to illustrate the
point. | pre- sumo the Georgia acts were
not prohibited by her ponstitution--such
acts are prohibited by the constitution of
this State. Section Ii article II provides
',The property of all CORPORATIONS for pecuv
mary profits shall be subject To taxation the
same as that OF individuals" and section
20 article II provides, as 10 property OF in
dividuals, Taxation shall be equal and
uniform throughout the State. All prop
erty shall be taxed in proportion to its value
TO be ascertained by law" 1t puzzles Il
plain man like me to see how our Legisla-
ture can exempt the property of faqGoTies
from taxation, unless the fact was these
factories are butt aad run Tor buncombe
and not for pecuniary profits. If it Is good
policy to exempt them. ii seems tn me the
first step to inaugurate that policy is to
amend the constitution, since, while the
constitution remains as il is, such eXemp-
ton cannot be granted, unless the Legisla=
ture fOrgets that il is sworn to support the
constitution. Thi2 exemption policy has
been attempted by that party. which you
frequently depOminate ''the Wreckers." in.
certain acts which | suspect were bought
and paid for. The first act approved April
LIST, (all fools day. 1872 will be found on
pages s.. GO and ca, of the sheet acts of that
year-this act did not venture to take the
bull of violation squarely by the horns.
but sneaked around the constitution proh-
bition, by allowing, alter the property
had been asseSsed az the expense OF
tie 5tate ana the Counties. the taxes to be
paid With two bit affidavit, upon which
the collector receives the same cdmm ISsions
as if lie had COLLECTED the taxes in money!
thus not only eXempting the property from
taxation, but forcing the people TO pay out
their money for the assessing and collecting
of the taxes SO exempted to these factories
This act bore on its face that it was to en-
courage ne,o factories, bus the fox having,
hy this act, got in the tip Of his tail, intro
duced his whole body afterwards. in respect
to factories already in exist"uce.--See Acts
in relation TO Stope Wall Factory anG
Mississippi Mills. Acts of 1879. pages 212 and
ala 1t Is enough, IA reasonable man would
but 1t Is rather too much to make the other
taxpayers pay for assessing and collecting
these taxes when not cent is paid in to the
State or County Treasures, Again some.
at least, OF theSa factories own property,
which i in no way accessory to the manu-
houses, plantations. etc, ETC.. the taxes on
all OF which are literally y paid by the
aforesaid two-git AFFIDAVIT,
4heie acts IN relation TO factories are not
! solitary instances of such class legislation
| in favor of the welthiest people OF the state.
|
| to exem pit the property Oft farmer, miller,
! blacksmith, shoe maker, timer. or the like.
/ The act of 1875 in reference 10 the tax on
railroads l. a lit companion for the fac
| tory acts. The railroad act provides
| that they shall be taxed SO 90 per mile in
| lieu of every other tax whatever. Now il
| these railroads are worth only $4,000 pei
mile, they could not he built now as cheaI
| as labor is, for less than $4,000 per mile,
the tax on such railroads, {if their ''yalue b'
aseerained as directed by law,") according
to the average taxation in this State wOulC
be $500 90 instead of $500 per mile. While
these railroads are thus fostered at the ex
pense of the people of this State, they arr
constantly discriminating against our peO
pie. For instance, douF by the CARLOAD
will be shipped from Illinois TO New Or
leans for "a cents per Darrell; but If yoI
ship it to an intermediate point, the charg
is from 81 90 to $1.50 per barrel. Cotton
will be shipped from Memphis cheape
than from Canton or Summit.
] submit these reflections in the hope tina
if these be continued our Legislature will
at least, do its part towards the adjustmen
of the Constitution to the policy, aud let th
people say at the ballot box If it meet thei
appreciation, and, in the mean time, ODE
the present Constitution until il is amende
and wipe from the statute books these gros
violations of the organic law.