The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1897-08-26

Is universally regarded a. ono OF the
most intelligent and intellectual
States in the Union, does not think
it vicious or unfair TO present in iis
code the following enactment:
"If . person refuses or nsgiects
for fourteen days after demand to
pay bis tax. and the collector can
not find sufficient goods upon which
it may be LEVIED, he may take the
body Of such person and commit him |
TO prison, there to remain until he
pays the tar and charges Of commit
ment and imprisonment, o, il dis
charged by order Of law. Bat per /
son imprisoned for non-rayment OF
q poll tax shall not be detained in
prison more than twenty days"
Massachusetts,, however, has no
constitutional prohibition of impris-
onment for debt.
/ would not appear as defender OF
this law on account of any general
necessity for it, tor our machinery
for the collection of taxes, after
there has been . proper return OF
property, is amply sufficient for all
purposes of collection if the officers
who are entrusted with it's execution
will do their duty. But it is on our
books, and it may be we'll for the
executors of the law to understand
the force of it, and for them to let
others know just how much 1t m cans,
despite the scattering comment and
speculative discussion that may be
made on it.
It is somewhat out of the way of
the purposes Of this meeting to dis
cuss such questions as the expendi-
ture of public moneys. but while we
are together it may be possible now
and then to offer a suggestion which
may find Judgment and which may
grow for future good. There are
some matters of public expenditure
in which radical changes might be
made with beneficial results. Let US
I look for example at part of our
penal system. A glance at the re-
ports of the State auditor for the
past twenty years shows that it has
cost $50, 300 to pay the railroad
fare and transportation expenses of
convicts from the counties in which
they were sentenced to the penlten-
tiary. We find further, that the
total amount of money appropriated
and paid for the penitentiary from
1876 to 1896, is $2,657, 900. The
earnings of the penitentiary during
that time have amounted to $l,14O,
600. These figures show that there
has been q ret outlay of money f, I
the support of the penitentiary dur
ing the past twenty years of 81, 516,-
900. Now if there should be added
to this net amount the cost of con-
veying convlcts to the penitentiary
we have a grand net total expense
for the penitentiary of ST. .697 900.
The State has to show for this i'm
menss expenditure, a tremendous
buildings magnificent structure
the largest and most imposing edi-
fee in the State, a penitentiary.
How much glory can a citizen of
North Carolina fad in rejecting on
the fact that the most magnificent
institution in the State is one for the
G )nfinement of criminals. If the
money which this institution has cost
net, has been invested in soma other
direction, say in the constru 5tion of
public roads, there could h We easily
been built during the ,'sst twenty
years, over LOCO miles f fine m cad
amized highway, 16 feet wide; for
the average COST of a m eadamlzed
road of this width is 10 n $l,4OO
a mile, including ,bor, I. n this
instance the cost of ts'- labor
would have been the cost al
keeping the convic's. This Loco
miles of highway would reach
across the State from East te
West twice; from North to South
four times. venture to give this
illustration of how money has been
unprofitably spent and may be spent
hereafter unless there shall be some
change in our laws.
There is channel of expenditur,
in which, despite the frothing art
dwelling of the demagogue, no
enough money has been spent; an(
while | know the intimation l an
about to make here may possibly
! provoke ridlcule, be purposely mis-
understood and be distorted out O
all meaning, l shall not refuse O,
that account to offer it. l can hes
do so by giving an illustration.
, few days ago, three State official
met in the usual performance o
their duties, and according to a pre-
arranged programme, heard a dis
} cussion. The officials l speak O
{ constitute the State Railroad Com
, mission. The discussion was as t.
{ whether there should be an increas
) in the valuation of railroad property
r or a reduction of railroad rates. o
both 1t is none of our business her
to enter into the merits of this quea
: tion; we have nothing to do with il
t but [ could not help noticing an l.
teresting fact in connection VII
' that discussion. The three Commis
: sioners were representatives of tn
: people of the State; their combine
D salaries amounted to Sc, 900 per ar
2 mum. The railroads were represen
r ted of course in the discussion, an
:, as l looked over the ASSEMBLY
y could easily see that there were &
: least three men present each one {
r whom was paid more by the CON
/, pany he represented than the ps,
: pie Of the State paid all tn ee {
l their representatives. In fact,