Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1881-04-21

those the duties of which should be
performed by others in Office. The
multiplicity Of Offices is the great evil
of the day. 1t centraIizes power, con-
centrates a selfish authority, begets ex-
tragance, is the fruitful source of idle
ness, discourages industrial pursuits by
inspiring the hope Of place and ofease,
and the greater the number the greater
per cent, Of eager aspirants who often
toll and suffer for years in the pursuit
OF place instead OF giving ready hand
to the common industries of life. With
out entering into detail, / will only
make the general remark that there are
offices which are absolutely useless,
some not reasonably necessary, and
some whose duties should be performed
by others. These should all be abol-
ished. Not only would large sum be
saved to the treasury, but, beside, DIS
pense with a great official influence
which more or less tends always to its
own interest and protection. Bills were
introducedat the last session for this pur-
p,se, but with only an exception or so
IA ed 10 pass.
The gradual payment OF the public
debt was one of the distinctive declsra-
lions Of the democratic convention, and
is in perfect conformity with the re-
quirements OF the constitution. The
cherished policy OF the State has been
the gradual payment and final extinc-
ton OF the debt. There is political phi
losophy in this exalted policy of the
capable and wise men who did this
good and honest work of compelling the
payment of the debt in a limited time.
1t upon the one hand discourages the
creation of debt, for an adequate tax TO
pay it imposed at the time would be the
subject of certain criticism; whilst
upon the other hand TO pay the debt in
a half generation is in itself sound mo-
ralIty and rational, simple act OF JUS
tice
The constitution. article 3, section "a
provides that "No debt shall be bereaf-
.-ter contracted by the General Assembly
unless such debt shall be-authorized by
a law providing for me collection Of an
annual tax or taxes sufficient to pay the
interest on such debt as il falls due :
and also 10 discharge the principal there
of within fifteen years from the time Of
contracting the samei and the taxes le-
Wed for this purpose shall not be re-
pealed or applied to any, other object
until the said debt and interest thereon
shall be fully discharged" and fur
ther that the General Assembly shall
not use OF appropriate the proceeds Of
the internal improvement companies or
Of the State taxes now levied or which
may hereafter be levied TO pay off the
public debt to any purpose unlh the IN
terest and debt are fully paid or the
sinking fund shall be equal to the a
mount OF the outstanding debt"
These provisions, | regret TO gay,
have not been regarded, and into the
causes for which / do not now propose
10 inquire. Had these provisions been
observed the debt would have been
extinguished by 1889. We are not pre-
pared as we should have been and as we
were required by the constitution to be,
10 pay the debt maturing in 1888, and at
the last session provision was made for
a continuance of il or the larger part Of
it. Our resources are so ample, our
credit so good, our disposition to pay so
undoubtcd, and the payment Of the in
terest so prompt, that those who hold
our securities do not wish them paid
for no better investments can be had
and those who want the money for 9TH
er purposes also do not inspire its pay
ment and therefore it Is the more in
cumbent upon the people who wish to
be free from debt to give special atten-
ton to this branch OF the public service,
and to see to ii with the most exact
scrutiny that the means are always ac-
cumulating to pay promptly the princi-
pal of the debt when it natures.
1t is time to reform our conduct and
90 back to our simple duty; adhere for
The future rigidly to constitutional re-
quirements: practice economy aud re-
trenchmcnt in every branch Of the pub
lie service; establish an efficient system
of prompt collection and payment over
of taxes, and TO that end bill was be-
fore the Legislature, but unfortunately
failed to pass; apply the public money to,
the purposes for which It was raised
and then, with the gradual accumula-
ton of capital in the sinking fund, with
its reinvesting interest processes and
with the authority in case our own Sc
cuuties sell too high OF investing in
United States securities, which vary in
marketable prices but little, we will,
with our present rate of taxation and
without increasing it, and from our 9th
er ordinary resources, soon put the
State on the high road to freedom from
debt, and this too without disturbing the
good securities we still hold, rather
leaving them to be consolidated into
permanent school fund, which, with To-
cal resources and the surplus Of the usu-
al receipts into the treasury, will give
a generous and efficient support to our
schools without calling upon the State
at all for general taxation. And then,
once out Of debt and free from State
taxation, we can relegate all those con-
troverted questions Of taxation, having
reference to exemptions whether of
mortgages, plant of manufactures and
whatever else may be thought expedi-
ent to the counties and the city for their