The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1881-04-05

The Economist lahors under the melancholy
impres ion that The FLoRIDIAN is delighted "
with an increase in lakes" On the contrary,
this paper has been The unwaveIng advocate for
economy in government and for The lowest rate
! Of taxation consistent with good faith 10 the
States creditors. Beginning with 1873, Radical
taxation was never less than fcelce mills, AMI in
many counties, like jeff rson, Leon and Gadstlen.
ii was twelve and quarter, and in others twelve
and a half The FLoRIDIAN denounced this taxa
ton as runous and contributed som ew hat to the
hnal overthrow OF IFS authors and the naugura-
lion OF better and cheaper government under
Drew The Economist does US the honor 10
quote few extracts from our columns of those
days, but il will find still stronger expressions in
FLoRIDIANs of earlier and later dates We not
only denounced the enormous taxes imposed but
exposed the extravaganza committed by the Rad
cals which led to the present large bonded debt,
10 meet the interest on which requires an annual
levy of Mree mias on The dollar of the taxable
properly of the Stale out of the eight now i'm
posed for all purposes. Since the Democrats
have been in power the FLoRIDIAN has urged the
adoption of amendments to the Constitution re-
ducing salaries and abOlshing and consolidating
offices, and we satisfied that these changes
would have been now in operation or in condi-
lion TO be voted on this spring but for the ex-
IRENE views of those who seemed to be opposed
to any changes unless made through the expen-
sve machinery of Constitutional Conven-
ton"
NO, The Economist is altogether mistaken
The FLoRIDTAN is opposed to going back to the
scrip system that's all, and for one reason if for
no other-a scrip debt, which our contemporary
appears to favor, leads 10 an increase of The
bonded debt, with its annual burden in The
shape of increased taxation. Deprecated scrip
is only at discount in the hands Of Its holders
it is at par as 0gdina tie peoples treasury A
large proportion of the $4,000 of annual inter-
est we now pay is the fruit of a scrip debt Does
The Economist hold all as being delighted with
an increase in taxes" who oppose return TO
Radical methods of fnanciering-first an i'm
mense floating debt, scrip spectators al every
street corner, and then more bonds Is this the
feast 10 which we are invited! No sensible per.
son supposes or ever did suppose that we can 90
back to the cheap government before the war.
great revolution has taken place since then
and rendered necessary expenses 10 which The
people were at that time strangers We made
brief reference 10 the difference between non
and then last week and need not repeat The
most that can be reasonably looked for is an ap-
Proclamation 10 The cost of former days In the
meantime, until such changes are made as will
lessen expenses, and until the taxable resources
of the Safe are increased by a better system OF
revenue laws or by the influx of population and
capital taxation If il be desirable to meet obli.
gallons as ihey occur and thus avoid population
on The one ha nd or an increase OF ercst-bearing
debt on the other viii necessarily have to be
comparatively heavy-heavy as compared with
ante beilum days, but light as compared with the
burdens imposed by the Radicals.