Mexico weekly ledger., 1897-04-08

priations made by law" And then
the constitution proceeds to note the
cases wherein the appropriations can
be made. Anyone will see thst the
Assembly is clearly prohibited from
appropriating money for even the
payment of interest on fictitious
debt. The constitution has doubly
guarded the interest of the people.
Article 10, section 10, reads as follows:
"No moneys shall ever be paid out of
the funds under its management, ex-
cept in pursuance of an appropriation
by law; nor unless such payment be
made or warrant shall have issued
therefor, within two years after the
passage of such appropriation ct;and
every such law, making a new appro-
priation, or continuing or reviving an
appropriation shall distinctly specify
the sum appropriated, and the object
to which it is to be applied" This
provision clearly shows that the Cen
eral Assembly has no power to entail
perpetual debt upon the State. The
language is clear and explicit and
needs no comment.
But one other objection from a con-
stitutional standpoint. 1t is proposed
to further evade the increasing of the
revenues, that instead of paying the
interest direct on the $4,000, 900, that
that amount of interest be taken from
the funds set apart for the payment
of the State debt, thus again plainly
violating the constitution and not only
that, but the faith of the State pledged
to the people that that fund should be
used for no other purpose only for the
extinguishing of the State debt and
when that debt was paid said sum
should cease to be collected.
Read section IA, article 10, of the
constitution: thereafter there shall
be levied an annual tax sufficient to
pay the accruing interest upon the
bonded debt of the State and
to reduce the principal thereof each
year by a sum of not less than
$250,000; the proceeds of which tax
shall be paid into the State treasury,
and appropriated and paid out for the
purpose expressed in the first and
second subdivisions of section 43, of
article of this constitution. The
funds and resources now in the State
interest and State sinking funds shall
be appropriated to the same purposes;
and whenever said bonded debt is ex-
tinguished, or sum sufficient therefor
has been raised, the tax provided for
in this section shall cease to be as
sessed."
The subdivisions of article 4 refer
red to above are as follows: "For the
payment of all interest on the bonded
debt of the Staue; for the benefit of
the sinking fund, which shall not be
less annually than S25O,00o."
There can be no doubt as to the con-
struction to be placed upon the pro-
visions of the constitution as above
set forth, and it is surprising that in
the face of these plain provisions; in
the face ofmen's obligations to Support
the constitution, and the plighted faith
of the State to redeem its pledges to
the people, that men were asked, and
that by men claiming the highest de-
gree of refinement and intelligence, to
violate their oaths, break faith with
the people and entail upon posterity
a debt of SO, $780, 900.
The constitution not only provides
(see section 43, article a that the tax
levied for the payment of the interest
on the State debt and for the liquida-
ton of said debt should be used for
no other purpose, but by reference to
the Revised Statutes of 1879, Sec.
1924, amended, and to Chap. 164, Sec.
s65 and 1852 of Revised Statutes of
1889, it win be seen that the General
Assembly pledged the ''good faith of
the State of Missouri to the full per-
formance of the same"
The two sections referred to read
as follows:
Section S651. thereafter there
shall be levied and collected an an
nual tax upon all the taxable prop
erty in the State of one-tenth of one
per cent. to pay the accruing interest
of the bonded debt of the State and to
reduce the principal thereof each year
by a sum of not less than $3.50, 900, the
proceeds of which tax shall be paid
into the Treasury and disbursed by
the Auditor and Treasurer for the
purpose for which it was collected
and no other, in the following order:
FirsG, for the payment of all interest
on the bonded debt of the State as it
falls due; and, second, for the benefit
of the sinking fund, which shall not
be less annually than S25O,000."
Twill call especial attention to the
expression in the above section "And
no other" that is, that this fund is
set apart for the payment Of the State
debt-shall be used for no other pur-
pose than that specified. This shows
clearly how those law makers viewed
the provisions of the Constitution.
But if this language is strong the next
section, 1862, forever settles the
whole question and pues it where no
man can violate the provisions made
without breaking faith with the peo-
pie and having the great State of Mis-
souri, forfeit it's word and its honor
and its own pledge to the people. This
section reads:
"Tne proceeds of the tax mention
| ed in the preceding sections, together
with any other moneys that may be
added thereto under the provisions of
the first and second sub divisions of
section forty three of article four of
the Constitution, shall constitute and
be known as the interest tund' and
the Esinking fund.- and the General
Assembly hereby pledges the public
faith of the State of Missouri that the