The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1885-06-18
Fools Rush In Where Angels Fear
to Treed.


knowledge, that there is always
more or less complaint about high
taxes and the country Icing ruined
by taxation. Taxes are levied IN
two way which | will mention LIST,
BY the legislature OF ;he State to de
fray expenses of The State govern
meat ; End, by the board OF superb
sors of counties To meet expenses OF
the county government. 10 regard
to tue first the legislature OF the
State, uuder democratic rule, has
generally levied y tax Of from $3.50
to $3.50 on tie $1,000 worth OF prop
orty, while the boards OF supervisors
have usually levied in addition to
the State tax OF from $40 to Sl5 on
the $1,000 for county purposes, show
ing conclusivelv that the boards OF
supervisors levy and contrO, at least
four fiftls Of the taxes paid in by
the people. Then would ii not be
well and proper for us to canvass
this subject 10 the right way, as there
is row being so much said about the
extreme extravaganza Of Gov. Lowry
and the last legislature, br few
croakers. whose digestive powers far
exceed their intellectual attainments,
at least on this question, Gov. Low
~ is an executive officer, and has
nothing TO do with the levyiig of
taxes aud appropriating moneys.
save his veto power. and therefore
is not responsible for high taxes ami
extravaganza in government But
vino will dare say that the last legis
laturc should have reduced the State
tax below $3.50 on the $1,000. where
they found 1t. Then where does the
criticism como in ; There might
have been q few bills passed that
could have been left off, but very few
indeed and made their work respect
able. They did not raise the State
tax and therefore should have nc
apologies to make, and il any body
is TO blame for the present financial
condition of the State it is the lesis
laturc and not Gov. Lowry, as some
like for it to appear.
In regard to the second source o.
taxation the board Of supervisors
who levy aud control, as We have
stated, at least four-tifths of the tax
cs collected, and it is generally left
discretionary with them to a great
extent how much they shall levy
based, we suppose, on their gooC
Judgment. To this We have no com.
plant to make, if they Will only eA
ercise this Judgment Alright and il
! behalf of the best interest Of tn,
people, but when trouble from taxa
! ton comes, the Governor and Lrois
/ lature are expected to shoulder sins
/ that naturally belong to the county
administrations. Therefore insteac
of so much complaint against the
/ Governor and Legislators, would il
not be well for the people of the dit.
! tercnt counties TO look closer after
| their boards ofsupervisors when they
want TO know where money goes
controlling as they do tour-tifths o
all our taxes. Well, We suppose thu
temperance people will excuse thi:
little advantage and long explana
ton that we have made, and woulC
like to sec the point to our article
As we have stated, the levying 0
taxes by the boards of supervisor,
is largely discretionary, as will u,
seen by consulting our statutes
! While the State tax is fixed at 1
certain amount it is left with board.
Of super, isors to say how much shal
be paid provided they do not so be
You'd certain limit. Now, in The
case Of taxing saloons under our pc
tition law, the boards Of supervi
sors have a margin of $500, being
empowered to fix the tax on retail
saloon anywhere between 5000 anC
$1,000. But their general course ha.
been to put the tax on this evil ant
sin at the minimum two hundred
dollars, but on everything else they
usually put it at the maximum, tn.
! highest tax allowed by the State law
and often in many counties they &c
beyond TIE limit of the State law
Now, to general tax payers, Is this
right in our boards Of supervisors
II lntemperance is an evil to be taxcC
and paid for, why do not our board,
OF supervisors put the tax to $1,000
on retail saloons, the maximum pro
vided hy law, as they d" on all other
tax payers. BY 80 doing would i,
not help the temperance cause
Therefore, how would it do for the
temperance people in the coming
election to look somewhat after the
whisky proclivities of their candi
dates for boards of supervisors as
well as after those of the legislaturei
Answer. For the reasons given above
is why the present petition law has
done so much to uphold Intemper.