National Republican., 1883-10-03
nIisslssipui Finances.

Tho bourbons of Mississippi claim n
monopoly Of all the wisdom and honesty in
that state. They admit that they unlawfully
seized and have ever since usurped tho
political power of the state in tho face of a
majority of its legal votes, and they justify
their lawloss action OH the ground that the
majority was black, and its leaders dis
honest prohigato, and incompetent carpet
bag Adventures. The divine right to rule is
claimed by them without regard to numbers,
just as it is by the corresponding self-stylod
"bottcr class" of people in the north. But
now it transpiros that the democrats have
only been. as compared with the republicans,
rs King Stork was to King Log. Tho con-
dition of tho treasury is much worse than it
was when Gov Amcs, the last republican
governor, resigned. This will be seen by the
porusal of the following figures which we take
from the Natchcz Miss Crusader, n bold and
able independent paper recently established :
Most OF our citizens have doubtless perused the
New orleans times. Democrats great first OF Sep
tcmbcr issue, containing Gov Lowrys carefully
prepared exposition of the affairs Of our state.
With other intention, no doubt the governor has
in this display of figures, made an exhibit which
would open the eyes of the people to the pinch
beck nature Of the claims set up by the party in
power, us we will demonstrate.
The d, mocratic press has so often asserted that
the debt contracted by the republicans had oil
been paid that we had long since accepted this
statement as Of fact. Perhaps had we received
aud studied the reports Of the state treasurer, We
would have long since known better. But we
have not. The bonded debt when the republi-
cans were driven from power was about $500, 900
Tho auditors report, however, of the yeai
1875 exhibited an excess of 1858 900 of receipt
over the disbursements during that year. and
since that time the state has collected by compro.
misc with railroads or judgments against thcm a
fillows: From the c. ST. L. and n, sl10OOO from
Miss. and Tenn $4,000; these we know Of ant
these three sums make up Sj3S 600 or $4,000 NOR,
than the republican debt. Possessed Of these
figures, how great our astonshment when we
learned from Gov. Lowry, in this interview be.
tween himself and II New Orleans Times Democrat
reporter, that the state owes $4,000 due Ia 1880
and S277, 900 duo in 1896, making 100000 or but
little less than the republican debt in January,
1876. This, taken in connection with the fact tha
the auditors last report to the legislature exhibit
ing tuuJ III 1901 lIc uSDuFSClDellS were III excess
of the receipts about 1909, rather takes the wind
out of the "pawty's" boast of reforming republi.
can extravaganza.
And so it seems from tho books of the
treasurer and auditor that the democrats in.
herited from the republicans a debt of $780,.
cash, and claims against railways from which
they have since received $4,000. Thus they
found the assets in excess of tho liabilitie,
$4,000. Gov. Lowery says the state debt II
now $i67OOO, and that the state rum
behind nearly hundred thousand
year. This is reform with vengeance
But tho bourbons say that under thei
sway the general prosperity has been sucl
as greatly to increase the value of property
Let us see. Tho auditors books show tina
in 1875, when they seized the state govern
ment by revolution, the total value of al
property was $116,51s,3 1862 They either Gu
it down arbitrarily, or it actually deprecated
in value under their first four years of power
nearly ten millions of dollars, for they as
sessed It in 1879 at 1O6,595,7Os. In 1881
they jumped it up to $115, ,13O,651, an increas
of Ss,53i,943 in single year. Since tha
time they have put it up to $4O769S NOR
than it was when the republicans went out
and are now boasting about the great pros
perity which they have brought about. Tn
| figures show that under their rule propert,
went down in value S9,923, ,65l, and then II,
again to little moro than that. They hav
held their own in property, but have gon
behind 100000 in indebtedness. The bour
bons must go.