Claiborne guardian. [volume] (Homer, La.) 1877-188?, 1880-03-31

term Of four years 10 beyond the reach o
the people for that space Of time in cas-
they should wish to punish him for any o
his acts a. . Legislator. II being well m
derstood that the only punishment thai
can I've inflicted Oh politician for errors u
Judgment il to stand in the way Of hi'
promotion and tn defeat at the ballot bo,
his aspirations. So il Mr.. Farmer deserve.
punishment for political offcnses, for f-ur
years he Is safe.
We look upon Judge Farmer a. fine
lawyer. He will make 40 excellent judge
lie Is a polished and cultivated gentleman
ia the soul Of honor and is deservedly pop.
ular where he is best known. But man
may be all this and still merit as reward
for political mistakes consignment to the
shades of private life, there to Illuminate
upon tho beauties Of Republican institu.
tions.
Mr. Farmer has been guilty Of an offcnsc
which cannot he pardoned by those who
believe that one Of the first principles Of
good government In to he found in 40 ad.
jn-ting all taxation that it may fall equal
ly nPon all persons.
The License bill that he has INTRODUCED
we consider outrageous. II creates priv
ilrgs class or Glasses. Its operation will
put it beyond the power Of many good
men to engage in trade, and will give to
the capitalist every advantage in those
pursuits that should be open To all alike.
When it is remembered that grave
doubts exist in the minds Of many men IA
to the propri-ty of License Law, and
that very many endorse such legislation
only brc,.use Of its cxpedirncy, only be-
cause it in the most certain means If rails
ing n revenue, il would seem that Mr.
Farmer has acted without any reference
to the Constitution, and opinion of many of
our best men. We may say that he has
not considered the requirements of the Con.
stitution advi.rdly. The whole course of
the debates III the convention, and the
wording OF the law, all 60 to show tina,
the question of cxpcdicncy controlled the
delegates, aud that il was their intention
to lessen the burden of the License taxa
ton. graduated system of Licenses
clearly meant a reduction.
Under Mr.. Farmers hill licenses are
higher than ever before, and in many in
stances the enforcement Of the law will
amount to a virtual prohibitions A small
raider who, by economy and close attrn.
ION To business, manages to exc ont u bare
for his family must pay TWEEN.
y-fve dollars tn the State. Parishes and
corporations may impose the
'amr, and III many instances the dealer
NIL pay fifteen or twenty per cent. on
Iis capital We know men who have five
" SIX hundred dollars in business. By
urning 10 over four or five times in the
onrsc of the year they manage 10 get a
olerable income out of IL. This capital
= taxed six mills-thrcc dollars and sixty
'ents; twenty-five dollars State tax; TWEEN
y-iiye dollars parish tax; twenty-five dol.
airs town tax-scvcnty-cight dollars and
ixty cents. In the smaller country towns
! lawyer or physician who makes twelve
" fifteen hundred dollars year does
veil. Seventy-hvc dollars is more than
tx per cent on his income.
The whole system of a License tax il
wrong II hears with the greatest scvcri.
y upon all classes, and the ilimsy plea
hat It is protection is worth no notice
Any man may practice law with power
# attorney. The people can buy their
goods in New York and get them by mail
'dtcnt medicines ARE sold all over the
and. Any old woman may doctor with
icr simple herbs. No accouchcmrnt is
'"mpictc without the aid of granny
| he peddlar steps across the State line
md trades with the darkic, at night. An
Insurance policy ON ones life or goods may
~ obtained through his man Of business
u New York City. Bill and letter heads
may be- ordered in st. Louis. and yet there
must he protection. II the License law
'rcntcs a privileged class. ~ some contend
he pooplr are injured. II il does not the
party paying the license j. not benefited.
We persist i'll the declaration that Mr.
Farmers License bill is an outrage, and
Mil operate numerically upon all CLASSES
Nho have TO pay the enormous amounts
'harced them before they can cndrayor to
make living.
We favored an adjustment If the State
Debt, but if We had believed that the PEG
pie were to be ground under the iron heel
# n mrrcllc>s Legislature We should have