The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-06-29

claring that the tax of fifty cents should be
the only tax levied for government support,
and that Ill expenses should be paid out OF
said tax, thus repeating the frontier tax but
not diminishing the expense Of frontier pro-
lection. 1t was hoped that as an administers
ton had now been elected by the people,
which was congenal to their tastes, the state
would enter upon career of increased pros
perity, and that tn re would be no lack OF
support to the state government In all oil us
denaltments. The weakness of the constl-
tuition was overlooked in not allowing the
torcible collection of taxes on lands annually,
and OF necessity but little progress was made
ont of our financial dilemma, The burden
of debt, which had been increasing from
year to year, was CALLING and our constant
deficiencies was an incubus not easily shaken
off. State bonds were sold below par to realize
money with which to pay these old debts,
thus adding to existing burdens the annual
interest on the bonds sold, still hoping that
it might be possible by amending the old
laws and enactng new ones to bring the state
out of her financial chaos. Stringent laws
we're passed by the Thirteenth legislature
requiring prompt settlement OF sheritfs, los
ing sight of the fact that the organic law
prevented the collection of the taxes due
Under the provisions of the constitution OF
1869 authorizing the sale of lands every five
years for taxes, the Thirteenth Legislature
passed an act "providing for the condemns
zion and sale OF lands for delinquent taxes.
This law proved imperative among other
causes on account of imperfect assessments
and lack of proper description of the proper
ty. The Fourteenth Legislature, which con-
vened in January, 1876, observing this defect
among others, in the constitution, passed nj
their second session, on the 18th
of March, 1875, joint resolution
providing for convention to frame
a new constitution. A convention was called
and constitution framed which was adopted
by the people to take effect on the 18th day
of April, 1876, which provi led that lands
shall be liable to seizure and sale for the
taxes due thereon; and further, that all prop
erty shall BIO rendered and the taxes paid il
the county in which the property is stu
ated.
The first legislature (the Efficiently under
the new constitution enacted a law in accor
dance with the above provision. In the NEAR
time, however, the taxes assessed were being
annually returned to the comptroller as de
linquent, there being no practicable law TO
their sale. AT this session of the legisl 'turC
law was also passed providing for the col
Letting of delinquent taxes on lands assessed
since 1870, by which the comptroller was re
ouired to copy the delinquent lists which
had been filed in the comptroller's Office
since 1870, and place them in tn,
hands of the collectors for fcrcabl'
pxrptn n
once inaugurated by which the parties coulC
DO reached, who had hitherto sheltered
themselves under the provisions of the con
stitution of 1869, and a foundation laid 70
the sure redemption Of Texas from tinancia
embarrassment.
This great obstacle, the most potent facto
in our financial arrangement, having been re
moved, it was expected that the state wou
rapidly recover from her embarrassment.
The antidote had been applied, but on
government had become so enfeebled by in
efficient revenue laws that progress towar
recovery was at first SLOW The people ha
been INDUCED so long that they had almos
come to look upon tax paying AS something
not mt all necessary.
The first sales under the provisions of tn
law we're made in the spring of 1877. Tn
Indifference to the payment of taxes had bt
come so profound that the people re
garded the threatened sale of their prol
erty with very little concern, solacing then
selves with the conviction that no or
would buy their lands, and if the
were bid in for the state, the sale woul
amount to nothing; and should they b
bought by individuals, they could not acquil
good title, hence there was no cause for VI
easiness.
Such reflections az these caused the peopI
10 pay but little attention to the collector
advertisement Of their lands. The sale
which we're madein 1877 were almost entirel
to the state. This system being new to then
individuals bought but very little-distrus
ing the authority of the state to make It'll
Financial relief was not greatly felt for I'll
| first year, by reason of so much of the pr,
perty having been bid in for the state at tn
sales.
The comptroller, Immediately after IL
passage os the act requiring him to do s.
commenced the preparation of the delinqueI
lists for forciblo collection. These lists WEI
completed and placed in the han of Il
several collectors during the fall of 1877, M
with the tax rolls of 1877, were advertise
for sale in the latter part of Il
sp'ing of 1873, which was the secor
sale under the new law. By that time IL
people had been better educated in the ne
system. Tax collectors had become more {
milar with the law, and, rs a consequence
there was greater promptness in the payme
Of taxes, In the meantime, our deicienci
had been rapidly decreasing annually. Il