The Daily clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1866-1888, 1876-03-16

with scrip OF every KIM IOf tue iHooo "a ~ itti
services and under preteXt the most suppo-
sitious: the next steps when this scrip
becomes deprecis ted, is TO shut 1t of from
the use of the taxpayers by fundtng-and
thereby, too. destroying the evidence OF
fraud or illegalty: it is covered INTO bran
new bonds which become sacred ana lnVlo-
liable, Having eaten out all the present
available resources of the county, these
officials reach out undisputed, TO put the
future under contribution to their lnsatla-
BILE greed. In the county of Bolivar, Tor
the three years 1S70-'7l-12 (and no later
reports are at hand) on the final settlements
of the Sheriffs with the Auditor, there were
returned to them the following sums as
oyerpayments from their monthly Install
menrs: -
For State tax 1870. ........ ------ S., 2s6 q
- 1871. = S66 81
9 1872 2.001 %
Some $40 O0O-taxes collected on the sus-
pended list of lands fortified to the State,
and for which they received credit. The
county taxes have been generally about
300 per cent on the State tax. say S5o,0Oe
more, making some $50 900 for those three
years-retained, it is reasonable to infer,
by the Sherifs-over and above the ieglti-
mate fees of their office. | make no account
of the privilege and poll taxes nor OF the
large levee taxes, where it is believed a
propoItionate, if not even greater, amount
of manipulation has been going on. why,
gentlemen, it is something stupendous the
way in which those river counties have been
robbed-selected | presume for the rich
place and the unthinking party discipline OF
the predominant eolore6 population
Now, Mr.. Speaker. near three-fourths OF
this debt of 100000 was bonded by the
county Otficials--one-half the whole debt,
the scrip of two retiring Sheriffs, who are
prohibited by law from specializing In scrip,
being the receivers of the same for taxes.
II h.. Iaara
supplying, all the time, scrip to the tax
payers, and this 100000 is just what was left
Oyer-no demand for. So there can be no
accurate means of ascertaining the taxes
misappropriatedi in the county. have been
astounded at every step of the investigation.
Look at the results: we are paying to-day,
in our county, 1l5 per cent. on the State tax
for past county Indebtedness; we have no
railroads, or even passable county roads; no
school houses built with the public money,
nor even jail--prisoDers being guarded in
an old stable. The only thing we have to
show for it is Mr.. Florey' shalf-finished res
idence for courthouse, and a United
States Senator-whatever that may be
worth
This bonded debt does not embrace all,
but only certain scrip in the control of
ring. The law required it &c be bonded in
one hundred and five hundred dollar bonds,
and prohibited the scrip to be paid in any
other way, for taxes or otherwise, thus
forcing it from the hands of the small hold
ers. 1t also excludes the large issue of
school warrants in the county, and fixes no
limit to the taxation for the payment OF in
teresJ or principal. The President of the
Board Of Supervisors, which is authorized
to levy the tax, was a holder of a consider
able amount of the scrip. Let us see what
was the operation under this law there was
actually levied tax enough to ply the inter
est and take up nearly $4,000 of the prin-
cipal, the first year, on eight year bonds.
and leave surplus of some $1,000 The
same "grab" was being made this YEAR
even greaCer--an increase of five per cent.
on the State tax. The object of this bill is
to limit the levy and graduate the payment
of the bonds over the eight years.
L have said nothing OF the distressed con-
dltion OF my people, and the extraordinary
heavy levee taxes we are to carrv this year,
nor of the sore trial it will be--after getting
rid OF these plundererS to continue to pay
them tribute for years to come. Under
feeling of Indignation aud a sense of great
wrong, have thought it would be but sim
pie justice to repeal the act entirely, and let
the bonds take their remedy in the courts
and establish their legality or genuineness.
But for perhaps more prudential eonsidera
tons and III spite OF the moral turpitude
that underlies this debt, have been will
ling to build bridge of gold tor the re-
treating fiend.
The bill before the House amends it's orig
lnal act so as to limit the tax, provided for,
to 70 per cent. on the State tax, which, if
it only meets the interest for the present, is
all that can be equitably claimed. The
State tax cannot be much reduced, and the
data upon which / base my figures, are a
minimum. For certainly if our legislation
Is to accomplish anything, it will enlarge
the area OF the tax-prOducing field. As ii
is now, most all the lands of the citizens of
i9VGp
brace their houses and improvements, have
been forfeited to the State, and these they
VIII again take up under just, liberal and
honest government
The Governor, no doubt, took the down
ware progression of taX-yield under his ad-
ministration in the State, and also reckoned
the bonds in their payment dollar for
dollar; neither CT which are correct data.
Inc Governors veto, with no specific
limit to taxation and our Board of Su-
pervlsors, under the control of the ring, no
doubt would enhance the value of these
Donds TO the great wrong and detri-
ment of the people of my county
Inc wisdom OF our form of govern
ment provides against the corrupt or OPP
presslve motives OF a CO. ordinate branch and
permits that. in great upheaval of the
honest purpose of the people, their needs
and wants shall find utterance in laws for
the common veal.
NoTE.-The Increase of tax has resulted
In the gradual abandonment of thousands
OF acres of land--passing to the State aud
OF the various levee corporations.
uhls showing does not tell the whole sto-
ry (; lt does not show the debts of the coun2
ties. In addition to State and county taxes,
there is one cent per pound on cotton, and
fifteen cents per acre on land we can only
approximate what this amounts to on an
ad valorem basis; for this purpose, we will
take Washington county's exhibit for the
year 1873: liberalization of property, which
paid taxes. was $2,374,276; the cotton tax,
and the fifteen cents per acre land tax.
yielded revenue of $l42,010, which is about
six per cent, or sixty mills per dollar,
which, added TO the other totals, makes the
rate of taxation in Washington county, /
about 1929 mills on the dollar, OF valuation,
or ABOUT 1014 per cent, as the existing
amount of tax on property in the three