Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1876-01-29

NOW 10 DO M, AND HOW NOT.
Whatever has been, or may be writ
ten in regard to the best mode of pay
ing of the State debt, the fact still re-
mains that to its obligations hon
estly, there must be an increase of |
taxes, or new objects for taxation must
be found, or system Of economy es-
tablished whereby enough may be saved
10 compensate the deficiency in reve-
nue.. But as the people seem resolved
to submit to no higher rate of taxation
it will devolye upon the Legislature to
determine whether OF not, railroads
are taxed in ratio with the other tax
able property of the State; whether
there is not exempt from taxation,
property which in strict justice ought
TO bear its proportion of the common
burden and whather the spirits con-
sumed--not manufactured--in the State
mqynot be made legitimate and prof
table source of revenue That body
should enquire also. whether cxemp-
tons, promotive of religion and edu-
cation, have not been made TO cover
real estate from which profit is de-
rived and az the same time, is wholly
nonessential to the ends contemplated
in the exemption act.
As to economy, there should be a
close scrutiny into every department
of the government in order to ascer-
tain where a saving can be made with
out detriment to the public service.
The questions may we'll be raised.
whether there are not too many State
and county offices; whether elections
are not too frequent for the moral and
material welfare of the State; whether
civil suits should not cease to be tax
upon State or county; whether laws
may not be enacted whereby criminal
prosecutions shall be made less burden
some, and removing the subject beyond
the reach of local option, and whether
the Peniteniary can not be manipula-
ted by State officials so as to save to
the treasury the large profits realized
by the lessees.
IF the people will send the right sort
of men to the Legislature-meni intel
ligent enough to know what to do, and
honest and firm enough to do it, the
most incredulcus 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 Legislature outside in-
huences can exercise no control, but
we can not hope for such a body as
long as the clever, 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 OF their State
affairs, it is fOolishly unjust to charge
their financial troubles to the inefici-
eney of the officers they elect, and the
sharpers who take advantage of the
popular incapacity for self-govern-
ment. 1t is undeniable that much OF
our present peeuniary distress is due
to the corrupt administration of the
federal government-its Withholding a
IA, o;ono,, a. o,,.~o,,ox, Sow traJo -
order that rings and monopolies may
thrive at the expense of production
and labor. Would it not be we'll then
that the Legislature consider well the
propriety and practicability of giving
to the State local currency, to coun-
teract the ruinous policy of contrac.
ton by the administration at Wash.
ington? The general government has,
for fifteen years, furnished good cur
rency based, not upon gold, but simply
upon the faith Of the government and
the resources of the country Cannot
Tennessee do the same thing for itsown
people Surely the Legislature can
devise State bank, or Subtreasury
which will alike, avoid collision with
the State constitution and the ten pei
cent. tax of Congress, and which will
furnish to the people currency with
which to develope their resources az
well as enable the State to liquidate its
heavy debt. The good faith and abund.
ant resources of Tennessee is as good
basis of currency for the State as
that upon which greenbacks have rest.
ed as a currency for the whole country
Money is what the State needs tc de.
velope its resources, relieve the pecu-
MARY distress of its people and enable
it the sooner and the more easily tc
iiquidate its heavy debt. The way tc
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 of the suggestions
We have thrown out for the grave con.
sideration of our readers. The people
must look to the fitness of their repre-
sentatives, and if intelligence and in.
tegrity are in the minority, an intellec.
tual qualification for suffrage is the
only remedy.
MORTON said in his recent speech
that it is folly longer to deny the out.
RACES perpetrated upon the colOreC
people at the South. And it is equally
foolish 20 deny the outrage perpetrateG