Richland beacon., 1878-06-15
or the Beacon.
Taxes, Ne. 3.


defined, as the writer concrives, the legal aud
proper method of assessing the current tax.
would, in this article examine the constitn.
t'onalmy of the method adopted by the as,es
sors, under the law. But, before we entri
into the investigation I " ould state that Judge
Garner, in tie New Orleans Democrat puts h
case exactly apPupos. Judge Carrier says
tia, piece Of property winch was assessed
four year. since at S?,OJU, has, since the
aisove valuation been sold :or $4,000, but, n
consequence of the law is still assessed s'
$4,000. Here We see that the present wneI
Of the properly pays two-thiris more than hi,
real assessment should be; in other words, 10y
circuiuous legislation, instead Of paying ten
mills, he pays about thirty one aud half
This proce,iurc s,nltikes, and is really con.
Trajectory within itself The law, beIievA
permits only ten and a half mills to he a..
ses.esi, but. under the provision To- revise the
rolls il winks n thirty one and n half mills.
We however charitsby disposed, must see
that the legislature saw the benefit to reri~
the rolls Instead Of assessing, as should have
iren dune DOes the reader believe that had
the real estate in Louisiana advanced in price,
the value enhanced two.third., instead OF de.
preciating two. thirds. that the legislature
would not, instead Of recising, have ordered
an a,sessme mt (or the same) kept their peace.
and suffered the assessment to have gone on
a. nsials BAIT. no, sir The fact i, patent to
every one who cares to think At oil upon the
matter. The hen which laid the golden egg
has been inundated npOn the aitnr Of the
hond.hoIder! Under the act Of revising the
rolls, is a crucihle in which madame hen is
Pisced to see il any ar in chemical. is pow
eriul enough to extract the gold which by
their former judiciOus policy they have lost !!
lost just as sure as real estate has deprecated
two-thir,ls its value in the last three or four
year. l. Is certain il will loose the other one>
third ia the Eext two years TO come, without a
speedy and radical change. Ttis confusion
is legitimate and far. Money power! All,
there it is, farmer; do you wish to hypOrhe
cate real estate in order to raise money! You
are at once told fhsy DO not rasf your real
estate. Why Once you say all monied
transactions were based upon real estate;
gently; not 80 now; bonds are the power no W;
il closes up oil access of the tiilers of the soil
to the door Of the treasury. Money kings
hold the bonds and draw their interest Al
their convenience, this interest is again in
vested in bonds and so on dd infni.Uns
Where, we ask. is theie chance for the
worker Of the soil to get dolar' We are
informed that in the Parish Of TanEiPal'oe
nine hundred plantations have been already
surrendered to the State for nonpaymen,
Of taxes. How long before ours will 20 the
same way! And ours is not an exceptional
case, bnt it is - throughout Louisiana. When
ell the plantations shall have been surren.
dered, what then. Can the State farm them,
A. H.
bondholder will become irrascibIc, demand
his interest, in consequence, the lands must
he sold TO the bondholders, and we quickly
settle down as fswants. These are unpleas-
att deductions, but if there is not speedy
change in our stnte government, they are a.
sure as the fact that the sun rose in the east
this morning. Reader, to show you the
danger in large interest bearing debts, il is,
for illustration, estimated tina, the total expense
Of Columbus completing his outfit for his voy.
age Of discovery 10 have been SJ00000. Now,
had this .um b-en put at interest on the morn
ing he set sail from Europe, a, 6 per cent per
snnun,, both continents of America could Tot
pay the debt at this day. What a pigmy sum
is S5UOOOO compared with $75OOO,0 900. And
| feel assured the total debt Of Louisiana is
not one dollar short Of S75.OOOOOO; add
what is this sum compared with the United
States debt! which approximates, in round
numbers, two billion two hundred million
dollars. Bonds! Bonds! upon which we
pay interest! is there no money! Is it as
,onishinr that we hear Of communism! The
Father Of his country in his farewell address
warned the American people Of heavy debts.
Now, if the price of liberty is eternal vigi.
lance. had not the people better awake from
their state Of letlaryy! Ii is better to ruin the
currency Of the country than to subver the
it; Of the two evils, we
should choose the lesser. lie, these bonds b~
At once redeemed in greenbacks, stop the in
,erest. and let the people therein have money
to pay their debts.
In a very few words, now, ! shall conclude,
In article lis, Of the Constitution Of the State
Of Louisiana, we read Taxation shall he
equal aud UNIFORM throughout the State. All
properly shall I've taxed in proportion to its
value, to be a.certsihed rs directed by law
The law says: Where the parties can not
agree upon this raISe, third parties shsIi he
called in which shall be final, thus the value
is ascertaineti.
Now, simply ask, is the present assessment
according to its value! II not ssses.ed in pro-
portion 10 its value, to he ascertained by law.
All tile enact,nents Of the legislature till
ioon,sday can not make il obligatory upon the
people ~ submit; consequently the act 10 not
worth the paper it is published upon; nor
neither is the work Of the present assess
n,ent under this act, if any party concludes
10 test II.
TAX RAYsR.
HERMITAGE, June 1. 1873.