Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1897-04-29

courts upon the same rules and princi-
pies, and no man should be turned out
of any court whore he may plead or be
impleaded and compelled to seek an
other court to vindicate his just cause.
To pretend to administer justice upon
any other principle is to sacrifice the
spirit and soul Of the law to mere
shadow and form.
Fee-GrRbbing Criminal Costs system.
Prior to the passage Of the late law
known as the Jarvis act the State paid
all felony costs and the counties all
misdomeanor costs. We know the
amounts paid out by the State, but not
what is paid out by ali the counties.
After obtaining reliable reports from
nearly all the counties, tits computed
that the costs paid for criminal prOsecu-
tions in Tennessee by the State and
counties exceed S1,25O,OOO annually,
while less than S1O 600 is paid out in
Georgia for the same purposel But
then few years since Georgia remod-
OASA ApE COHobAtubAOht dAu NAAph bho
convention had exhausted the fund APP
propriated to cover the costs OF its
deliberations, one Of its most distin-
guished members, Robert Toombs, came
forward and pledged his private estote
for the extra costs Of the convention,
hence it finished Its labors before adj
journment, eo,tho great delight Of Mr..
Foombs, who declared that in SO doing
they had locked the door upon extrava-
gance and thrown the key away
Hero ara the figures showing what the
Shelby county criminal court cost the
people for 1896:
Paid by county for misdemeanOrs. ,.,.$ &c AS 8:
Paid by county for workhouSe. ANN 1897 !.
Paid by State felOnies (est.)...,....... 2s67G 4
Total paid by State and county. .... Si9O, 492 2!
1t will be seen the county pays out for
her part of these costs ST., S15. 80 while
the entire property tax for the county
for 1896 was only $4,000, of which the
trustee says no will collect about $685..
COO, or not enough to pay the county;
criminal costs,
Space forbids further details, but
will add that while very great saving
could be made by the adoption Of what
is called the Georgia criminal cost sys
tenn" yet thorough ard full relief car
not be granted with respect to the
several reforms mentioned above, with.
out constitutional changes. see from
the papers that the new criminal costs
laws arc already undor fire. No less
than five different laws passed by the
last legislature have been declared un,
constitutional. In fact the old docu
ment sets on the State like an incu bus.
The Tax Laws.
The organic law permits not only
double, but even triple and quadruple
taxation, in view OF which wo cannot
condemn the sagacity of the committees
appointed by northern and eastern, CAPT.
talists, when it reported adversely upon
the tax laws of Tennessee, and thus
caused capital to pass around Tennessee
and seek investment in States having
wiser and more just laws. While some
interests are thus subjected to double
and even more taxation, other interests
escape, thus making unjust distinctions
Some slight reductions in taxation were
made by the legislature OF 1895, but
this reduction has threatened deticil
in the State treasury for 1897, and q
still greater one in 1898, and tho word
has gone forth that the tax rate as well
as the number and amount of privilege
taxes will be greatly increased for the
years 1897 and 1898.
II our people. are to compete on equal
terms with citizens OF other States, ther
there must,be reform in our constitu.
ton on the subject of taxation, which
must be less and properly distributed,
so as to encourage enterprise and CAPT
tai to build 10 our waste places, and
thus create values which in the future
will yield their just proportion of reve
nue., to the relief o, our present over
taxed people. We must either keep ur
with the procession or fail behind and
be cast under foot; we must either pro
gress or stagnate, and stagnation is
staring US in the face.
Paradoxical as it may seem, the clause
Of our constitution which declares that
taxes shall be equal and uniform
throughout the State, has been 81
constructed by the supreme court as &c
admit not only Of double but Of triple
taxation; and then again so construed
as to deny the right OF the legislatuF
to tax part Of given public improve.
ment upon the abutting property mos
improved according to the benefits Re.
ceived, thus not only placing Tennessee
alOno on this proposition, but practi
eally vetoing a large class Of publ,
Improvements Then again when the
legislature in 1875 passed an act to tal
railroads por centage on their gros,
incomes as they are quasi public cor
porations, just as they and telephone
telegraph, express companies and the
like are taxed in Wisconsin, Illinois
and other States, the supreme courr
quoting this clause declared the Law
unconstitutional, ellis VS.. /. & n. r
r., s Bax., 5s0l What is the RESULT
In Wisconsin the railroads pay into Tho
State treasury Sl,750,O0l per anuum