The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1884-05-07

poorer.
/ still have another more serious objee-
ton to this exemption Of capital from tax
alton, and that is the Constitution. When
We took our seats upon this door, we took
an oath to support that Constitution.
Nov read article p, section Is. Il reads
thus: The property Of ali corporations
Tor pecnniary profits, shcl Be subject % Tara
ton. the same as that Of individuals.
Also see sec. 30. 1t reads: Taxation
shall Be equal and uniform throughout the
State All property shall be taxed in p % /
portion to its value, 10 be ascertained as di- /
recieI by Law Now, is this not as plain /
as this bright day? How will you get over /
this constitutional ohiections There are
two sides 10 this question. One is the side |
of the people, and the other the side OF the I
railroad monopolies, which are grinding |
the people into dust. A railroad is char /
tered and given the right of public domain.
It Is given almost omnipotent power.
Il comes through your best timber Stays
that. Then through your best field, your
horse lot, yenr garden, or yard. 1t re-
moves your crib, smoke-house, or even
your dwelling house. Now the friends OF
this almost omnipotent power, do not only |
claim that it is uncomfortable by Legisla
tive authority, but that it shall also be ex
empt from taxation. Now / ca1not see
things in this light.
We have been sitting here for the last
week, listening to able and eloquent har-
argues on the part of railroad attorneys
and the friends OF monopolies. Some Of
them an hour or more in length, while not
! 4 word has been said in behalf OF the PEG
pie, or By those here who represent
The side Of the people. | ana sorry
to see honorable Senators here on this
aeor, thus taking the side of monop
olies against the people. | am sorry
to see them, as frierd of capitalists,
great stickIers for the Constitution, when
they hope to protect railroads and capital
| from proper restrictions; but can shut their
eyes TO the Con -titutiun, when it stAres
them in the face as bright as the noon
/ day sun, ii that same Constitution protects
| the people.
| Here Mr. Burkitt was interrupted by
the Stnator from he 25th District, Mr..
| Marshall, with the question: do yon
mean to charge that we Senator's are biased
in our action by being railroad attorneys,
etc"
Mr. Burkitt replied: l don't mean to
charge exactly that but do say, that We
see Senators here who are railroad attor
neys, and got their pockets stuffed with free
passes, voting daily for railroads and
nonopolies against the interest of the peo-
pie. II is like the old story of the turkey
and buzzarl. while il is turkey to the rail
roads and other monopoies and bazz trd
to the people it is all right But when
ever the people ask for pie ce of turkey,
| then there is great cry raised abont the
Constitution. Here again he was inter
rupted by the above named Senator by the
question, Have not the railroads got the
turkey?] Mr.. Burkitt, All! That is it!
That's IT! Now, see what struggle when
| the people claim their just rights and en-
leavor to procure them.
Now, Mr. President, | cannot vote for
measures 50 unjust to the people, and 50
| clearly unconstitutional, as to exempt
large capitalists FRI m taxation in our State
while the poor laboring man has to pay
most of the taxes. ] shall vote for the
amendment
REMARKS OF SENATOR BOYD.
Mr.. PRESIDENT; In offering this amend,
ment to the pending bill, desire TO dis
claim any intention to infiict an injury
upon the railroad interests in the State of
Mississippi. Nor would | be catalogued
With that class so graphically described
by the honorable Senator from the Third
District, who become inhamed whenever
proposition is made looking to the
I'd yancement of railroad enterprise in our
midst Of, to use his own figure, "who
20 into red eyed rabies " and "paw" the
arth whenever red rag is exhibited to
their view. In reply TO this. III gentle
man will allow me modestly to suggest,
that there are other parties on this floor
who "bellow" at the bare suggestion of
railroad taxation. l deny being an enemy
to railroad advancement, but | plead
guilty to the charge of wanting them to
shoulder some of the burdens of the States
Government. | would as nearly as pos
sible hold the scales Of justice at equi-
poise between the people on the one hand,
and the railroads on the other.
The amendment offered by the Senator
from the Sixth District proposes to allow
no exemption whatever, and as between
that proposition and the policy advocated
by the Senator from the Twenty-forrth
District, that of exempting railroads by |
the terms of their charters, for period |
of twenty years, [ shall, if forced to choose |
between them, vote for no exemption |
whatever. But, Mr.. President, We are
told that to provide in the charter to tax
the chartered road is to impose tax ON a
paper railroad-upon something that has
no existence-and to meet this view of the
argument, | have offered this amendment,
occupying a middle ground on the ques-
ton, hoping that Senators will accept it
as a compromise, proposing as it does to
impose the burden of taxation so soon as
the thing taxed has an existence and not
before. Whatever Senators may say about
railroads on paper and imaginary rail-
roads, it certainly is undeniable that so
soon as they are completed they are to all
intents and purposes property, possessing
all the elements of taxable basis and
ought to be listed as other taxable prop
erty, and made to bear a just proportion
of the burdens OF government To take
any other position is to place them above,
and make them the masters rather than
the servants OF the people But, sir, we
are told that two years ago the State ,
adopted as a settled policy the plan of
exempting railroads for twenty years, and !,
that this policy must be adhered to, be-
cause then a number of roads were grant
ed this exemption, and it is now mex. /
pedient TO change that policy because to :
DO so would be to Discriminate against the
roads now proposed to be chartered. In
other words, the idea is that because a
Iwenty-years exemption has been given to 1
lne or more roads the same must be done {
Tor all the others in order to uniformity
IF chartered rights and privileges Mr..
President, il the policy then adopted was !
more liberal to the railroads than lust to !
he people, the sooner it is abandoned the :
better both for roads and people, But if
his doctrine of uniformity must be adj !
lered to, there can be no departure from
he railroad policy Of 1882, but from year
o year, and for all time to come, each
ind every charter granted must in this \
aspect be a copy of its predecessors. :,
With such policy 1t seems to me, to be :
,nly question OF time, when the wealth I
# railroad corporations thus protected,
viii III this State, as has been the case ia
'ther States, assume proportions such as b
o give them controlling influence in a
matters of State policy, and even to DEFY \
he majesty OF Law. | hope, Mr.. Presi- b
lent the time will never come when the O
'ulk OF the property values In this State T
rill be able, by reason Of chartered ex- :,
mptions, to defy the revenue agencies of n
he law. By this amendment / propose 10 =
xempt only during the period Of construc- f.
ion. In the helplessness of infancy Il
1ould impose no burdens, but when this =
ender age is passed-When railroads reach
0mpletion and are ready to compete in ..
he race for fortuneI would lay upon
hem the same burdens that are required !
D be borne by the humblest citizen In the =
and. Less than this, justice could not q
emand. More than this, the great body
{ the people have never asked. In con- ii
Iusion, Mr.. President, | believe the peo-
le demand of this Legislature on this sub pT
ct, at least the provisions Of this amend Pr
lent; nor do ! believe they will be satis- co
"a with less. The demand Is reasonable. v.
Oldest and Just, and to refuse it is to ig-
1re the popular will. co
SENATOR BURKITT oN FREE PASSES.
When the bill to prohibit free passes was
lore the Senate, some of those who
posed the measure denounced it as Es
hobby Of demagoees brought there By .,
ILL .ln..a1.r. II The raannIe Car.alor !. =