The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1881-12-15


10 The Editor N Tho iffattb
DAblAs, December IN short lime aao I
sent you communication upon Vie qnes.
lion ofa proper disposition ~ Tie present
sash balance. A. this Ia a FREQ country,
every person has right 10 express himself
fully. As belong TO that class Of people
who arc strictly non-tar.payers, that Is
those who have nothing, and very little Of
Of that, can speak without prejudice.
We have on hand about two million dol
lars more than Is needed TO carry on the
expense Of the government. We have an
other thing on hand; We have very heavy
occupation tax on hand that Is grind
ing down the business men OF our county.
The State is certainly interested in the sue
cess of our business men as much as any
other class. Now the question is, will this
occupation tax be kept up so that st. Louis
and New Orleans merchants can underseli
our home merchants, and thereby take the
trade away from them ? Shall St. Louis
and New Orleans reap the benefit of our pro-
auctions in preference to our bone interests?
and this, too, in the face of facts that show
there is no necessity for such a tax? 1t
looks as though parties advocating an ad-
verse doctrine are working for those two
places and against Texas. Some may ask
the question, What has that to do with re-
do If the matter is properly graded now,
the occupation tax can be placed at rea-
sonable amount; but if you exempt
taxes altogether for one year the
cash balance will be used up,
and should there be q deficit the merchant
would have it to bear. For this reason the
| farmers, being relieved from paying tax for
hi aIs -, TO-
than now, and they being the largest voting
| elias, in our State the members of the Leg
| islature, through personal interests, would
| saddle the burden upon the already over
| laden merchant.
Another thing, we need some internal i'm
provements. Weneed school-houses badly,
and as we have the money why not build
them in preference to following out the
policy that is charged upon the Texas cattle
| family is destitute of milk. The great ques-
| ton is will our State be misery?
We may pay dearly for our whistle.
| Many and many man, who has been pos
| sessed of great deal of this worlds goods,
yet failed to educate and pay proper atten-
ton to his family, has regretted his error
when it was too late.
State University at present. Shall we re-
nit the tax and let that enterprise
lay over? If so, why not re,
our officers to a mere pittance? 1.-Two on
even bread and bacon and adopt the dres.
of the aboriginees, and be economical and
miserly to some purpose? 1t is to be hoped
that no such course will be adopted but
| that the tax will be properly reduced so as
| only to collect sufficient to carry on our
| State Government and admit of the occupa-
ton tax being placed at a proper figure.
and in the mean time ample provision made
! for building school-houses and maintaining
our public schools on better basis than at
present.
But if our legislators all have aspirations
of some day being Governor, and want to
| please the tax-paying people and believe
| that economy is the watchword, then why
| not with this same cash balance buy the
| capitol bonds?
We have to build the capitol ANYWAY. If
private individuals can afford to buy, the
State certainly can. By selling the same
on credit of ten or twenty years with in
terest on payments to be made at a rate OF
or 10 per cent. per annum we could realize
for the same an amount equal to our
! present bonded debt. The interest collected
annually would offset the interest we pay
on our debt, and the principal would meet
the payment of the bonds themselves when
due. Thus our people would at once be
rid of heavy and onerous debt, and be
permanently relieved from paying q large
portion of our tax. Our Legislature should
move slowly in this matter. K. IL. w.