The Osceola times., 1876-04-15
ARE WE OUTSIDERS ?

Section 81, ,,of Article s, Of the
constitution Of 1874, declares that
any citizen or resident of the coun-
ty, city, or town, shall have the
right to intervene, in all cases,
where claims against said county,
city, or town, are presented for al
lowancc, and TO appeal against any
allowance so made.
This privilege having been exer.
cised few days ago, in our county
court, upon tho presentation for al.
lowancc against the county OF q
heavy claim, which was considered
to contain several illegal charges,
the intci vention was somew hat
looked upon as tho impertlncnt in
reference Of an osfsider. As one
OF the arguments used was an in
s'nustion that The amount Of iare5 paid
by an individual should bc tho cri-
terion OF citizenship, and conse.
quently, should measure the dc
gree of interest outsiders should
manifest IN the administration OF
county finances. We would like
TO know for ourselves, and in be-
half of a large proportion of the
voting population of Mississippi
county, many of whom We know to
be worthy citizens, if this Is the
platform intended 10 be adopted by
any Of the numerous candidates
who, this fall, propose becoming
seekers after popular favors )! The
laws of the United States and of
the state OF Arkansas laid down in
terms so simple that che who runs
may read the qualifications of cit
izonship; and these qualifications
are pretty well known throughout
the length and breadth OF the land !;
now, if a new rule is to be adopted,
to-wit: "Vast estates, plethoric
purses, and much taxes" to cou-
stitute citizenship for the future,
we would like to hear from some Of
our candidates on the subject. A
large class Of the best mon in the
county, and IN fact, in every com.
munity, are men Of meagro estates,
who are blessed with the payment
OF but few taxessbu they are men
Of "bone and sinew," of brains, IN.
dustry and integrity, who add
greatly to the fund of general
wealth aud prosperity. These men
were born citizens and are pos.
scssed Of all the cnnobling quail
ities Of true manhood and respecta.
bihty. II, forsooth, the poverty,
or want OF financial success in life,
of such men as these, is to be the
cause of their ostracism from citi-
zenship or the right to interfere in
the common veal of tho commu.
nity, at the beck and call of few
purse proud individuals, who seem
to gauge their own influence and
rcspectabliity by the amount OF
taxes they pay, We say, we would
like 10 know 1t.
If this is TO be the test of citizen.
ship, or Of success IN life, we pre-
sumo 'twould be we'll for all to join
that happy band of brothers, Bel
knap, Joyce, Mcdonald, Babcock,
Avery, and others OF like stripe,
who, no doubt, are large tax-pay-
crs, but who, at the present time,
do not stand very high |
in public esteem. 1t is to the IN
tcrest Of every community to en-.
courage the emigration of worthy
aud industrious men, irrespective
Of the amount Of means they may
possess. Now, if those without
means are to settle among us. de-
prived Of the right to take or exer-
else any interest IN the manage
ment Of the county ailalrs-aro 10
sit idly by and see the whole com
thrown into insolvency and
ruin, without the power to raise a
dissenting voice toward averting
the evil, where is the inducement
for . poor man, however industri-
ous aud honest he may be, &c strug.
gle fss psrsQnal success in . bank
rupted communityf We DO not |