The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1876-08-16


greater revolution than that achieh recent
ty occurred IN Massachusetts.
Acknowledgement Harris, in an opel
letter to Senator Warren, published il
the Pilot. Feb. 10. 1875, complained o
the failure of the Legislature, then il
session, 10 give redress as ked in the
Taxpayers Memorial, and amor 9 thing:
stated by him he said:
The people are in state of exaspera-
p" ton, and in their poverty and tiespera,
ton they are in arms against the bur
den of taxes chat is levied and collected
:" on the value of their property, which is
I" unproductive. They have made a re-
=" speetful appeal to the Legislature for
. relief, and are now waiting in breath
g less silence to hear the result Of its
g action. Four years in war, and ten
" years in peace, aud yet there is no
&C peace.
After urging reform and redress Of
grievances, he proceeds:
"The honest political party is not
g formed alone for political purposes,
:" but for the nobler purpose of subserv
=" ing the best interest of the masses of
" the people; and whenever a political
party fails to accomplish this purpose,
g it ceases to deserve the poaCer aud should
g haze its lease Of power terminated"
He further said:
" engages, the attention of all class
" es of people throughout the State,
" is the burden of tares; and the
question is can we afford relief?
=" | answer We can !; and if it is now omit
" ted we are guilty Of culpabIe negli-
" gence that is objectionable, how
" ever elastic the pardoning power.
" There has been steady increase Of tares
4" for the last four years, during which pc
I" Rod the value of property has been con
" stantly diminishing, thereby rendering
" it the more difficult to pay the taxes
g and it is an appalling fact that only
g about onethird of the land in the State
q" isnow paying taxes; and year after year
as the lands are forfeite to the State
" for the non-payment Of the taxes, the
g amount to be taxed is growing beauti-
" full less"
Yet no relief was granted-but the
same system of wanton extravaganza and
ruption continued.
In letter from Attorney Genera
Harris, dated Nov. "a, 1873, to Presi-
dent Grant, in which he reviews the his
tory of the Republican party in this
State, among other things he states
That Raymond received for public
printing $50, 600 per year; that \. r.
Howe, ex-member of Congress, ''took
from the treasury of Pamela county
through an ignorant colored man and
the Board of Supervisors, and now I'M
lawfully retains So, 125 81 ;" that A. I.
Morgan, State Senator, offered in wri
ting to sell his vote for $1,000, that Ray
mond refused to pay it, saying that he
had already paid him 5000, and that
was enough for that vote; that Gov.
Ames, in order to control the Judiciary
as well as the Executive department of
the State, appointed the Chancellors in
vacation, SO that if any did not please
him in their DEGREES, ETC., he could with
hold their names from the Senate; that
Ames in making appointments to Judi
cial positions did not confine himself to
the legal profession, Gin two or three in
stances he appointed men who had re-
ceived law license only few days pre-
vious, for the purpose Of being appoint
ed, who had never had case in court,
and who were totally ignorant Of the law
or the practice of it and in one case a
most notorious, venal and corrupt one"
That in January, 1875, "quite num-
Der of the LEGISLATORS, having no interest
in connection with or in the State,
were out of employment except during
the session of the Legislature, and set
about TO create new offices and did create
the Office of revenue agent"-"and the
Governor appointed TO these offices five
members of the Legislature in open vic
Iation of the Constitution"