The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1879-04-10


'ouchers Of the County Treasurer, Tax Coec-
or, Ordinary, Sheriff and Superintendent OF
he Aims House, and to exercise general SUI
.ervision and control over the roads aud reve
lues Of the County. the compensation OF said
to be their actual expenses
whilst engaged on and about tho public service.
Preraltsee Of Crime
We come now to consider certain matters Of
ha gravess Importance to the people OF this
County, aialAiadeed of the whole State item
lot have escaped the attention of the most care
ess observer, that crime now prevails in al |
,arts of the country 10 an extent never witness
d at any former period ia oar history. Whether
his is one of the results Of the late war betwesn
he States, or is one Of the consequences OF the
sudden emancipation of A 100000 of slaves or
y neither il Is one Of those mysterious visitations
Of Divine displeasure 10 which all nations are
liable, and which come and 60 like the plague
at remote intervals of time, it is impossible to
say We only know that the fact exists, aud
with that il now becomes our duty TO deal
70 meet, and if possible to check this rising
tide of crime. Two remedies present themselves
Que Involves resort to represrive measures,
such AS the speedy trial aud certain punish
ment of offenders; the other the employment OF
the means at hand for the moral and intellectual
elevation of the people.
The Mebett Liquor Ld,c.
The Constitution makes it the duty of the
General Assembly to exercise the powers of
taxation "for educational purposes" 1t aIso
provides for a Especial tax on the sale OF rpiritu-
Gus and malt liquors." and deyotes the tax.
when assessed, to the support Of common
schools.
In order to carry into effect this provia
ion of the Constitution, the State School Com
Prof Orr, ons Of the most capable
and faithful men who ever held office in G~or
qia, recommends the passage of law similar
to what is known as the Moffelt Liquor Law of
Virginia, and to this recommendation We desire
here to give our hearty approval and -ndorse
ment The law embraces all classes of dealer,
each one of whom is required to pay specifc
taa for license 10 ssll, varying from $25 to
$3.50 per annum. according 10 the grade of the
ton to tax of two and half cents for every
drink of sprituous liquor, and II half cent for
every drink of malt liquor sold by him. He is
furnished by the State. at his own expense,
with an apparatus called a Register. Before the
safe OF drink, the dealer is required to turn
the crank of the instrument, which is 80 con
structed as to register inside the fact that q
drink has been sold. The revenue officer;
when he furnishes the dealer with register,
locks ii and seals it, himself taking charge OF
the key. AT the expiration OF each month,
the tax collector is required to visit the husi
ness place of every dealer in the county, UNI
lock the register, count the Number Of drinks
marked down therein IA sold. and collect the
tax accordingly In order to secure the turn
ing OF the crank. which is attended with the
ringing of bell within the instrument, and
which is required TO be- done in the presence Of
the purchaser, the dealer is made lisble
to fine for failure to turn of not less than $50,
or more than 500, one'thrd Of which goes 10
the iniormer.
The revenue realized under this law by Vir-
einis, which since the division Of the State has
a population not quite as large as that Of Geor-
gia, is $780, 900 per annum; and there is no
reason 10 doubt that the income, il the law
were adopted here, would be fully much.
The law is popular in Virginia with all classes,
except the small politicians. Even tbs dcalurA
do not object TO it, since they take good care 10
make tho purchaser pay the tax on the drink
which he takes, In this way class of people
is reached who otherwise would pay but little,
if any tax.
Dog Tar.
Another Wise provision of the new Cons itu
ton provides for tax on dogs, and devotra
tho revenue thus raised also TO the vital Gauss
of educating the children of the State Accord
ing to the United States census, there were in
Georgia in 1860, a fraction over 5l2 900 sheep.
Thu census of 1870 gives the number of sheep
then in the State as 419 465. According to
the returns of the tax receivers, collected TN
der the auspices of the State Agricultural DE
partment .here were in 1875 only 319, 1893
This shows decresae from 1860 10 1875 Of
nearly 200, 900 head of sheep, worth say $780,
600, and most OF which decrease was caused by
the depredations of dogs Since the emancipa-
ton of tlIs colored people, the number OF dogs
in the State has increased from about rs, 900 in
1864, TO about 100000 at the present time. In
other words, AZ the dogs have increased, The
sheep have decreased. The dog is = compare
lively worthless animal, while the sheep is one
Of the most valuabls, and is estimated to yielt
an annual profit to its owner of 63 per cent
Notwithstanding the ravages Of tho dogs
The Agricultural commissioner estimates ih'
loss from the depredations Of dogs in Georgia II
near 500. 900 per annum, or nearly enough T.
pay the per diem and mileage Of both House
OF the General Assembly. And yet the dog
pays no tax, while the "poor mans little eve
lamb" does The widows mich COW and tn,
farmers pillow horse are also taxed but not the
worthless cur that sleeps all day and prowls all
night.
Should the Legislature pass these two meas
ures, our school revenue would be as follows
From present sources, $300,0O0; from the
liquor tax, $500, 900 from the dog tax, $500,
900 total, $500, 600. With this fund, the
State School Commissioner says lie can sustain
in every school sub district OF the State abso-
luieIy free schools, for both the white and col
0red races for terms varying rom five TO righ
months in the year. If this should be- done
what a leverage it would give the true mel
and women of the State in their warfare against
crime now 30 fearfully in the ascendant i'll the
country. We would thus be forcing dogs
which destroy our property, and the mel
whose intemperance causes much OF this crime
10 unite with lis in putting it down By educat
ing and elevAting all classes of our people.
Tar on Deadly Weapons.
But there Is sill another ana more mpmtan
tax which should be imposed by the Lrgisla
laturs. The frequency and NUMBER of crime'
daily comi1ilted in all parts of the country
have at last aroused the popular mind to some
thing like due appreciation of the horrible
aud cowaidly praciic. OF carrying concealed
wsapuus But little good will come of thi
iardy awakening Of the public conscience
however unlrss radical measures are adopted
and vigorously enforced Aud to that end, VI
r-c"lulu nd Ihst general law be enac ed. 10
curing all dealers in pistols, bowie knives
dirka. sw. I'd can-s slung shots and otlIe
dSadiy weapon. TO pay hesyy tax, ard in adj
dition to pay tax "n every weapon hy then
sold or brought into the State, and also t.
keep list OF The names of all p-r-on. 10 WHOM
any Of said weapons may b~ spld. said lisi I.
s. ~er'ifi, cofrec. 4ad ai.i Nelor- ti4 GRAM
Jasy iro,si IRA. 10 term. Fariherm0r,