The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-03-23
THE TAX PROBLEM AGAIN.

tney can DO about reducing ad Val0rem
and other taxes. 1t is a frigid fact, that
the tax system cannot be materially
without change in the eonsti-
tuition, which must be proposed at reg
ular session of the legislature, and this
is only an extra session. To a man up a
tree it looks as though the executive is |
going to put the legislature to a disad-
vantage. This legislature can no more
make practical revision of the tax sys-
TEN, with reduction as a consequence,
than the Hebrews in Egypt could furnish
bricks without straw. The masses do
not analyze the difficulties in the way. If. |
the legislature meets and adjourns with
out reducing ad valorem taxation, there |
will be people land plenty of them to cry
out: 1.-The governor wanted the taxes I
reduced, and so suggested. Why have |
you failed to reduce them?| On the 9TH |
er hand, the governor will have to I
watch how he drives, or he will stick in !
the mire. 1t Will behoove him to have |
a formulated plan, ready for the legisla- |
ture when ii meets. III he does not it |
Will be suspected, and with reason that |
he merely intended to pose as a tax re- |
former, well knowing that little or
nothing can be done this year, and leave |
The legislature to 'hOld the bag" as they |
say in that exciting pastime known as
sn1pe hunting. But there are some old |
hands in the legislature. A few OF them
".
and they will be wide aw AXE this time. |
Those of them who understand the con-
stitutional difficulties are cudg cling their
brains to understand what plan, practi-
cal and com prehensive in its workings,
the governor can possibly present to an
extra session. They are all willing as he
is to reduce taxes at once If way can be
shown to do it. But if it is found (as
many feel sure will be the case) that this
session can do nothing in that line, the
legislature will hardly be content to bear
all the blame while the executive gets all
the glory from unreasoniEg taxpayers
There will be some interesting scenes at
Austin.- Waco Examiner.
The above is certainly very I'M
complimentary to Governor Rob-
erts. 1t implies that he is cunning
and deceitful beyond measure; that
he would use the called legislature
to make political capital for himself
and to injure the character of the
peoples representatives. The i'm
putation is offensive not only to the
governor, but 10 the people and
their representatives, for it has al
ways been conceded that Governor
Roberts has labored for tie popular
good, and majority of the people
of the state would not hesitate
to declare that .. Nj. Roberts, as, in
fact, any other good citizen should
do, would forego individual ad
vancement for the public good. The
"trigid fact" that there can be no
relief from the present rate of tax
alton can be traced alone to the cold
and calculating and apparently
selfish conclusions of the Examiner.
The frigid fact" appears 10 exist,
that it would even destroy the good
that the public demands of the
called Legislature, by arrayiDg legis-
latOrs against the executive, by lead
ing them to believe the governor
has gone into this extra legislative
business purely for personal political
buncomb-tO make him appear as
an emineutly wise and economical
governor deferred from effecting
purpose by the eminent folly and
prOfligacy of opposing legislators
Were every legislator 10 adopt as a
manner of thought the utterances of
the Examiner, there could be nothing
but personal Insult and injury aris-
ing out of the called legislature, but
the conservatism of the governor,
coupled with that offs good majority
of the legislature, with perfect har-
mony existing between the two,
will result in securing much needed
reform legislation. Not long ago
the Examiner was abusive of the
governor for having a cash
balance, and now it urges the
extension on our statute books of
the very law creating that cash bal
ance. Instead of urging that coun
ties be so managed as to acquire cash
balances, it now wants the balance
still piled up in the state treasury
simply that county officials may not
be forced to learn how to live on less
money. Time was, not long ago,
when the tax for counties was only
one-third what it now is, and then
the same courts and the same Off
GERS had to be maintained, and the
same expenditures were made, and,
while the paraphernalia of county
government is the same now as
then, the tax is not only three
times as great, but the taxable
values are twice rs great, and in
many instances, ter times as great
as they were. Economy is the key
to tie whole question, and lift be
practiced there is not county in
the entire state which will not be
able to pay its expenses on a tax of
fifteen cents on the hundred dol
lars, which would be The rate were
the state tax fixed at thirty cents.
The Ecdmlner plainly said,-'a few
days,agO that the counties could not
exist on reduced taxation. There
is very little doubt that
great many of them could
not be made 10 make both ends
meet on even increased taxation. 1t
is in the nature of things that some
of the county organizations would
not make ends meet, were they
to have five times the revenue now
collected. Many of the county or
CARNATIONS are devoting their ener-
gies to retrenchment, and are ready
to accept decreased taxation in
fnrtherance of proper economy,
and shall they be debarred the
exercise of such right in the interest
of extravagance elsewhere? 1t will be
seen. The STATESMAN has no doubt
as to the honesty of Gov. Roberts in
presenting the tax problem, and it
is satisfied, instead of this inharmo-
NOUS result the Examiner would
have, that the Alcalde and the leg
islature will be able to formulate a
plan that will hereafter leave the
balance in the pockets OF Taxpayers
instead of pilipg it up in treasury
vaults, to be guarded by a special