The Waco daily examiner. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 187?-1888, 1882-03-24
IS THIS A REMEDY q?

The reduction of ad valorem and oc-
cupation taxes, made a prominent ques-
ton by reason OF the Governors propo-
sition in his late proclamation, elicits
discussion all over the state. Many pa
pers, headed by the enthusiastic States
man, declare that it reduction) must
and shall be accomplished. Journal.
/ that venture to ask how it is to be done
/ (by the pending session of the legisla-
ture) are twitted wit standing in the
way of "retrenchuent and economy"
and characterized as advocates of ex-
avagance-oppressor of the people.
The Statesman declares that the ExAMI-
NEB insults the Governor, and through
him the people. by daring to question
the feasibility Of immediate and practi-
cal reduction. But amid all this dis
cussion the EXAMINER has waited pa
tiently t. hear one Of these sanguine
papers tell how this very desirable end
is to be accomplished. We have scanned
the Statesman's columns day by by day
FOR something in the shape of a sugges-
ton, plan. If the Statesman has an
idea it has never unfolded it, and hence
we conclude that the Statesman, like
the rest Of us. is really minus a theory.
on this particular subject Out
of all the articles printed on the
subject we have seen but one that pre-
tends to point way ont Of the difficulty,
This is q correspondent of the San An
tonic Express. and his reasoning is at
least ingenious. He argues after this
wise
The constitution Of the state provides that the
state tax shall meyer exceed fifty cents on the
one hundred dollars, exclusive Of the tax nee
esssry to pay the public debt and that no
county, city or town shall levy more than one
halfof said state tax. Now, what is said state
tax Is it NOT fifty cents on the one hundred
dOllsrs3 And mag not the counties be author-
ized by law 10 levy twenty-five cents on the one
hundred dollars, though the state tax may be
only forty cents or any other amount below
hity cents on the one hundred dollars? Had the !
trainers Of the constitution intended that the |
county tax should never exceed half the state
tax, whatever that III ght be, the phraseology |
would have been that 20 county shall levy more /
than ene-hRf the state tax and not the said /
state tax. what's the sad state tax? Is II not .
hlty cents on the one hundred dollarsH Most
assuTedlY. 1t can have no other meaning.
There Is no necessary connection between the
finances and resources oftha state and the coun-
ties rftiaz tp.r1s Tho on. mn b.. o,lt of |
debt and have an oyernDwiug treasury and re-
luire the levy Of very triiling tax, OF perhaps
none at all, while the counties, cities aud towns
Or so1no Of them, may be embarrassed, and
need the ful tax, OF twenty-five cents on the
one hundred dollars. The Luen who framed the
constitution, II is to be presumed, were of at
least ordinary intelligence aud if so, they could
never have adopted such stupid provision as
to require theneCe>sitles Of the counties cities
and towns, 10 be measured nv those ofthe state
throw out these hint, to call the attention Of
The legislators about TO assemble in extra ses-
sion, to the subject.
We have said this is ingenious, and so
{ is. Whether It Is constitutional, is
mother thing. If so it may afford a
oath out Of the valley OF the shadow of
he cash balance, In the light of past
experience however, We hesitate to
'uild hopes on the phraseology of the
onstitution. Upto 1879 most people held
hat the constitution required the legis-
lture to appropriate one-fourth of the
eneraI revenues for free school pur-
oses. That was decided to be anything
MT mandatory. Here is q case in many
espects analogous. If the correspond
Mt above quoted is correct the problem
5 solved the legislature can safely re-
uce the state tax to thirty or even
twenty-five cents, and scale occupation
axes with a liberal hand. II the Ian
'uage Of the constitution is not manda-
ory, then tie difficulty Is as perplexing
IS ever We should ike to hear what
he Governor and Attsrney General
hink about II.