The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1879-09-20
INDUSTRIAL SITUATION OF
MISSISSIPPI.
THE CAUSES OF DISTRESS AND
THE REMEDIES.
BYA MISSISSIPPI TAX-PA YER.

BYA MISSISSIPPI TAXPAYER
STATE LEGISLATURE AND COUNTY BOARDS
OF SUPERVISORS IMPROVED BY WITH
HOLDING COMPENSATION BEYOND
NECESSARY EXPENSES.
In No. II of these papers, promise was
made to show how the payment alone of
the expense of members of the Legislature
and of members of the Boards of Supervi-
sors would raise the character and in
crease the value of the services of these
officials Ipropose in this paper to redeem
that promise; and as germane and intro
ducGory to this subject, to say something of
the uncompensated labor citizens of free
commonwealth owe to the State.
Certain duties are now required Of every
citizen, without compensation, or rather
without reference to compensation. He is
required to labor ten days on the public
| pOooC
itatUs in the enforcement of the laws He
is required to serve on juries and that SER
vice is without compensation, beyond his
expenses, except only in case of the pro-
fessional juror who resides at the Court
house. In war he is required TO serve as a
private soldier, submitting to the hardships
of camp>life, and risking his life, with
compensation utterly inadequate to the
service performed. In peace he must serve
in the militia for the days required for
drill and discipline with no compensation
whatever. These duties are performed by
the humble, 80 far as know, without COM
plant.
| Is this the extent to which uneompensated
labor for the State is due? Is it true that
only muscle and physical vigor are required
to contribute to the public weal2 Must
talents and intelligence always be fully
compensated for service to the State,
even when it is only occasional and does
not materially interfere with the business
of the fortunate possessor2
There was time when the public service
of the citizen was not thing to be avoided,
aud to be cast on the humble and ignorant
as a misfortune they could not escape, and
when each citizen was expected to con-
tribute of his labors to the public good in
proportion to his ability. The State has in
deed more right to demand the uncompen>
sated service of her brightest and most
intelligent sons in the Legislature, than she
has to exact from the humble laborer service
on the highways over which he has prob
Every man must serve the public in the
way he is best qualified, No man should
be impoverished by public service, nor on
the other hand should he be enriched be-
yond what he would have gained in private |
life.
That these duties are not universally
recognized, results from decay of public |
spirit consequent on our recent condition.
We have been accustomed of late to look at |
our government, botll State and National,
as enemies to be circumvented and not as a
loving mother to be served with fidelity and
affection. In the late war the National
government was our open, avowed enemy
When peace was restored, we were so far held
sin the grasp of war; Ito use an express
sion of the Attorney General of the United
States, that the Federal government felt at
liberty to deal with us as enemies. Where
ever that government appeared, and she
was ubiquitous, she appeared as proud
ordering affairs without refer,
ence to the feelings, the prejudices, or the
interest of the vanquished. By her recon-
struction laws she delivered us into the
hands of a State government administered
by an alien crew of hungry and unprin-
,ipled adventurers, who, with their igno-
rant and debased followers, turned all gov
,rnmental powers and agencies into instru-
nents of plunder. Drunk with passion !
with the opportunity of irre-
,ponsible misrule and plunder {
,f unlimited power to take from hated
people whatever greed could desire--these
adyenturers and their associates made legis-
alton carnival of unbridled license and
,rime, infused the spirit of seltishness and 3
corruption into every department of the
and demoralized society in l
III its ramifcations. The citizen saw in
he official only an enemy and stranger. i
The State government presented to him |
,nly the hand of the plunderer and uttered
,nly the voice of hatred and contempt for :
lis complaints. I
This condition of affairs confined so long, s
he hope of deliverance was SO faint, that :
he people began to confound the State :
With the dissolute and iniquitous horde
Who had possession of her government.
Though this is all changed now, yet we
ave not been able to divest ourselves en-
irely of the impression then made, and to P
ccept as a maxim to be acted on, that the c
Itate is our mother, 10 be loved and served a
With affectionate unselfshness. n
Whoever is fit to serve in the Legislature
heuld be willing to serve on the terms on
7hich the Father of his country devoted I,
is best years to the service Of his people C
be payment of his actual expenses. II
II this rule Was inaugurated in Missis- = =
ippi, the benefits would be great, not only "
. a saying Of sIPenses-a matter Of deep "