St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1884-05-10

the public debt is to be at the rat
OF four per cent. The tax was dis
trihuted by the last Legislature a
follows:
For Payment off the Debt. III mill
/ Eoi AeseeS. .....-.l
For Public Education. .........l a.
For General Fund. .............2l
| 1otsi ....-.- .......--..-o
By virtue of the amendment tn,
rate for the public debt will b,
three mills. As one and half mill,
| were required to pay interest Al
two per cent, three mills will bt
necessary when the Interest is fxed
at four per cent.
Where can this extra one and 8
half mill be obtuined2
The levee tax cannot be reduced.
That is certain.
The alimony of the pnblic schools
cannot be diminished, unless We
abolish the common schools alto
gethsr.
1t is absolutely necessary to take
it from the General Fund, which
will lenve only one mill to carry OH
the State government. The con-
stitutional officers will have a pref
erence Oh this fund.
Under repeated decisions OF the
Suprsme Court their salaries are
guaranteed by the fundamental
law.
The General Fund thus being
absorbed 10y the public officers,
where will the money come from to
sustain our public institutions, and
to meet absolutely necessary Incl
dental expenses? How are the
University, the Blind, Deal and
Dnnb, aud Insane Asylums to be
kept gninse
There is but one resource. and
that Ia to increase assessments. But
how can assessments be Increased.
md the taxation of tue people
De thereby augmented, when one
lalf of the State has just suffered
rom disastrous overflow, and the
people of the alluvial districts will
% clamoring for REMISSION, instead
If submitting TO ali increase Of their
,urdeus9
The gravity OF the situation is
uch as to put it beyond the sphere
II partisan politics. The conse-
luences of this state of things are
.ppalling. It is no time for lille |
ecrimination; but the people must /!
'rapple at once with the most try |
ng problem they we've ever called |
N to consider.
The New Orleans CITY Item.
'hsch denennces the people who
oted against the debt amendment
3 "repudiators." suggests way
ut of the difficulty by the appoint
lent of a Board of Equalization,
Or the purpose OF increasing assess
,ents throughout the State. To
ertain extent we agree with the
lem. Let the assessments be in
reused in all those parishes that
oted for the amendment, as they
ave shown by their votes, las
that they are able and
illtng to submit to Increased taxa
on. So far as the State is con-
'rned, it is. in many respects. like
i individual. It must first pro-
lie for its actual wants and neces-
ties, and if there is any surplus,
Should be devoted to paying its
,nest debts. The debt amend ,
ent owes its adoption to the uu-
ir manner in which the tickets
sre printed and manipulated. and |
the ignorance of thousands of
tiers who voted for it without =,
owing what they were doing.
is idle to suppose that persons
10 do not know the difSersnee be- S
cen ga" aud q clothes horse were
mpetent to vote understandipgly :
such an important question as s
1t presented by tho first amend
mt And yet they were voted by
ltoons, regiments and brigades,
,eciallY in New Orleans, and al
,ugh at least ons-half Of them ;.
re neither property owners nor ),
payers. they have succeeded,
their blind carelessness and ig-
rance. in ssddIing this extra bur- =
/ upon the State-a burden which :.
State is unable to carry, as will til
seen a year hence. when the COW sc
d blood money flour mills) will ~
he forthcoming. Let the State ~
right ahead and provide for it. an
first, and IL there ia A sufficient IN