Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1876-03-04

Surely there is not any great cause
for alarm just yet. The Governor may
tarry little while with us before he
packs his carpet bag and starts off for
New York.
1t may be objected to the above cal
culation that most of the tax mentioned
has not been collected and much of it
never will be collected, while the cur
rent expenses of the State are still
running on and the interest still ac-
cruing. Precisely-but what the people
wish to know now is, How do the cur
rent assest Of last gear compare with
the current liabilities? If we are to
take the expenses and interest of two
or three years and place it against the
fraction of the tax for one year, which
we guess the collectors will graciously
choose to pay in, it is easy enough to
make discouraging estimates. If the
amount due the State at the beginning
of the present year exceeds the amount
which she then owed by 81 BIS, 5l3.76,
there is small excuse for talk of re-
pudiation or for sending disheartening
estimates out to the bondholders and
the payers. fit is deliberately as
serted that we are to lose altogether
this 81 BIS, 51376 and more besides. We
would respectfully ask, What as the
State government for? OF course weun
derstaud that the act of the Legisla-
ture of last year, suspending the col
lection of taxes, depleted the treasury
for time, but if the Governor did not
see fit to borrow the money to pay the
bondholders their interest, he might
at least have assured them with con-
fidence that the payment was only
temporarily suspended. He might
have assured them that the means pro-
vided were amply sufficient to meet all
the just liabilities of the State, at least
to the end of his administration, and
the time for the levying of another tax.
He might have done this, because if
the indebtedness for rs could be met,
it must be borne in mind that the pros
pect for '76 was better, since the cur
rent expenses of his administration
will be lessened at least 100000 by
the changes in the criminal law and |
the absence Of a Legislature, while the |
States income will be increased about
$500, 900 by the dog and railroad tax.
The crying evil in Tennessee to-day
is that her assessment and taxation |
laws are not enforced. During Gov.
Browns administration it was asserted |
again and again that with economy and |
anything like a faithful collection of
taxes, the privilege tax would pay the
current expenses of the State govern
meut. If that was true then, with the
decrease in expenses mentioned above
and with a constantly increasing pop
ulation and corresponding increase
in the various eallings upon which a
tax is levied, it must be more than true
now. Let any man take the act of
1873, and observe the numerous items
olassed there under the head of Priv
ileges," then let him look about him,
and he can not fail to see that scarcely
any regard is paid to the law. Very
few of the assessors make any show of
returning privileges, and the county
clerks, even those who are disposed to
do their whole duly, are compelled to
remain in their offices and receive the
tax from such persons only as choose
to come forward and pay, leaving all
those who choose to brave the terrors
of the grand jury to follow any calling
they may incline to without money
and without price. "
We are told that suggestions and
plans for relief are now in order. Our
plan is that the Governor of Tennessee
stay at home and enforce the laws,
that he write no more open letters to
citizens of New York or any other
state, that the Attorney Generals
throughout the State be instructed to
proceed at eace against all collectors
who have failed to discharge their
duty, that such as are sinply reuiss be
held responsible upon their bonds ,nd
that the doors of the penitentiary h.
thrown open to receive the defaulters
The State Of Georgia has bonded
debt equal TO about FIVE per cent. of
the true value Of her property under