The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1879-09-20
tAnTY PLtD6Es AND PATTY PER
FORMANCEs.
w.a, nm. the Democratic Party Done
For Mississippi

| come. very buuuOhiy1 AhADNNN
an order of virtue to be longer contaminaN
tad with party which has, Gas they ailege)
failed to carry out its pledges. They onarge
the Democratic party of Mississippi win
failure in carrying out the promises OF itS
platform, and pretend that they stand ready
now to redeem these promises. Let us see
how this is.
Tn 1878 and '76 the Democrotic party
made certain pledges. Among others IL
promised to protect the political rights Oh
all classes and races. Itpledged itself 10 al
economical administration OF the stare
Goyernment-to reduce the taxes, and to
foster the public schools. We propose now
to prove that it has redeemed every one OF
these pledges.
First AS to the Public Schools. Under
the mastery administration of the Carpet
bappers there was collected on this account
more than twice as much money as there Is
now. but investigation into the line OF dis
bursements disclosed the fact that only
about % per cent. of the entire amount
collected for school purposes under the
Radical regime, ever reached the hands OF
teachers, and went on its grand mission OF
educating the youth of the State. The
nce-three-fourths- dollars IN
every four-were swallowed up in the all
devouring wallets of the Superintendents,
Professors, and other loyal attaches. Inc
schools were kept up only three months in
the year, and very imperfectly and unsatis-
! factorily for that time.
Under Democratic rule, with less than
half the money, the schools are kept up
four months in the year, and nearly the
entire amount goes directly to pay teachers
who earnestly labor for it, and are justly
entitled to ii The reduction of the salaries
of County Superintendent alone, leaves
sum for the payment of teachers nearly
sufficient to run the schools for one month
The schools are infinitely better managed,
and give vastly more satisfaction. Here is
vital reform in which every child of the
State, black or white, is directly interested.
Is there any violation of pledge IN this
school matter
Now as to the reduction of taxes. we
present below the rate of the State tax as
drawn from the books of the Auditor Tor
the last twelve years, which will give
vivid contrast between Radical and Demo
cratic rule. This statement is exactly cor
rect, as anybody can find by examining the
records open to all.
From 1866 to 1869, the State tax was VI
on the thousand The first Radical Legis-
lature met in 1870, and the State tax at
one bound jumped to $5 on the thousand
In 1872, 1t sprang to IS so. In 1873 1t
made another leap to $12 80. In 1874 1t
mounted to $14 on the thousand. This
enormous State tax added to the county
and municipal taxes gave the people bur>
then of $50 to $40 on the thousand to car
ny for their government An amount OF
tax greater than the profits of prosperous
agricultural community. Of course 1t
ul6dUG COuubCdllOn VI ShO PAOPSNy
farmers and landowners. Then the tax
PAYERS began to howl. They held State
Convention in the spring of 1875, and pre-
scented temperate and dignified protest
and appeal to the taxing power-a docu>
ment which will live in history as one OF
the ablest and most exhaustive and unan-
swerable pepers which the distresses and
perils of free people ever evoked in any
State. 1t had in it the wisdom and conservas
tsm Of Potter, George, Percy and Nugent.
The taxpayers had cause to howl. But
Governor Ames thought it was very absurd
and stupid in them to howl, and hippantly
classified them as "the bowling tax payers. b"
However, their howlings had some effect,
and brought the State tax down for that
wear to 50 So Here ends the Radical
dynasty.
In 1876 the Democrats reduced the State
tax to So so on the thousand In 1877 to
So; and in 1878-79 to So so.
Thus it is shown by the record that the
Democratic party has brought the State
tax down from S14 to So so on the thou
sand. And yet men like our honored old
friend Governor Brown will talk humorous
ly about wanting the Democratic party to
quit Cunning their fiddle, and play a tune
for him-intending by this fiddling joke of
his tc convey the impression that the DEM
ocratic is party of promises and not of
performance, and that the present admins
tration has not materially lessened the bur-
dens of the people,-in the face of the fact
that the State tax has been brought down
from 1914 under Radical rule to So 80 under
Democratic rule. What are we to think of
the fairness of men who will set up such
pretenses as this in the face of such
record? They must be fearfully exercised
for point against the Democratic party
when thev are ready to father such quasi
assertions or insinuations which can be so
easily disproved.
But it must be borne in mind that when
tho Democrats party came into power in
1876 they inherited a considerable debt
created by their Carpetbag predecessors,
aud in considering the reduction of the
taxes it is fair to consider also tho the re-
duction of the public debt of the State.
in fact this must be done to make up d
inst ultimate of the actual extent of relief
winch the Democratic party has given TO
the people of Mississippi
In 1875 the debt was. ........S1 ,707, 0jG G.
" 1876 ......... 1,O47, 400 o.
" 1877 ........ 1900 81
" 1878 ......... 53l,719 10
q 1879 300. 354 70
This is the Democratic record on the
States public debt, drawn from the State
D. i IL. II .L..-....,