St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1891-10-24
THE LOTTERY OR IN.
CREASED TAXATION.


!. VIZ. ". N. washburn, Of Gibs
, land. Louisiana, who forms his con
; illusions deliberately and bases hi
{ decisions upon the broad and uner
] ring principle Of common sense
has recently presented to the AGA
dia Advance som. reflections o,
"The Issues" which irresist,bl,
challenge the attention Of all VII,
are sincerely DESTROYS OF putin,
the affairs Of tits State in . Der
manent and solid condition. H,
shows that under the forced econo.
mics OF 1879 the Inevitable and IN.
avoidable expenses Of government,
have % Tar outstripped the ways
and means provided that even 80.
der government Of Representative 5
and servants, the choice Of the
people. IN additional debt of $4,-
600, 900 has been scored up in ten
years. and IS there Is no possibility
Of checking the increase or Of re-
ducing any part Of the principal
under the present limits Of taxation,
inevitable bankruptcy stares ue in
The face.
There are but two ways Of get
ting rid Of debt. viz: by honestly
paying it or by reputation. The
State has resorted to the latter de-
vice to the verge Of dishoner. and
can not 60 further in that direction
with any hope Of profit The might
lest sovereignty is not superior to
the necessity Of dischsrging its
just obligations. It may be said,
without fear Of successful contra
dictiOn, that no State, no power.
however despOtic or seemingly ire
spDnsible, evei made . l.,llsr BY
repadiating its honest obligations.
Louisiana 10 no exception. nor
can . government ne successfully
conducted by neglecting to provide |
for the legitimate and proper OBJ
jects ut administration, which, in
clude not only the ordinary execu- j
tive. Legislative and judicial expend-
itures. but also the schools, public
works and public charities. Mr..
Waehburn repeats what has 50
often been shown. that the tax of
six mills ON the dollar on an as
sessed valuation Of about 1854. OIO,-
900 is entirely inadequate to pay
the interest on SIS, 900. 600 Of debt.
md defray the other expenses for
State government.
A serious deficit stares us in the
face from year to year which can
not be made penny less BY the
most fervid and impassioned rhet-
,ric, still less BY Justification of
statistics. The State, like an in
lividual. must pay it's way out Of
ts financial difficulties, and it has
10 other source to look to for its .
'eve"ue thai the property and
business Of the people. Mr.. WASH
'urn shows that it will require a
AZ Of ten mills on the assessed VAL {
'ation to put the State on a paying,
Olvent footing, and demonstrates
hat an increase of taxation would
'e one Of the most unpopular and !.
rksome measures that could posi-
'ly be proposed.
Yet unless it is proposed to 60 on I
nth the policy Of reputation, adj \
ltional money, and an abundance +,
( it, must be raised. Two sources
resent themselves for conaidera- I
ION. Either enforced contr,bn- q
0n from the enfeebled industries d
the State, or voluntary contritu- =
Ons from the entire sporting fra .
rnity. II the revenue amendment
e adopted, As Mr.. Washburn for v
IDLY puts il, the ''money will be Il
rawn not from the people Of Lou e
lana, and not from the legiiimate e
renue Of trade elsewhere, but from
Re sporting fraternity Of the whole -
America and Europe. . b
he money will come from the race o
ack, the prize fighter, tie faro ia 10
e and the sal0on.'' ~
he objections to deriving . rev. -
Tue from what can ut worst be 81
lied mild form Of gambling are
lowed by Mr.. Washburn to have
me weight; but like most other Is
hecting men who have studied G
e question with an earnest desire .
get 1t the truth rather than to u
ri an unsupported assertion. he
Ids that the advantages outweigh M
e objections. The practice 1T in
mpelling wrong-doers to contrib =,
. to the expenses Of their sets '
. had the highest sanction in all VI
ages. II grows out Of the ne pr
ssity Of recognizing the imper- tn
,tions Of humanity and checking de
EN- - far - possible by appro- -,
late iinee and penalties 80
The best Of men have long ago de
SPARED of entirely doing away VII
th immortality by legislation. an
en- our modern SAINTS, the Ants. .,
not even hope to dispense with ..
teries altogether, ~ q good many ."'
them have invested In Mexican IOs
ttery stock. Mr.. Washbnrn fat