The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1900-02-24
THE BACK TAX QUESTION.

lUc uLnOuuL u DdCh tuAOo uO
clared to be due by certain cor
porations in the county amounts t
1865. 500. 1.-THE penalty of double
tax should be added If would in
crease the amount to 1871, 900.
The question as to liability fol
these taxes has been an open one
in which each side felt that it wa:
| in the right. A final decision hav'
ing been reached, the settlement
stands in favor of tax imposition,
so that hereafter there can be nc
question about it. The corpora
lions affected accept the situation
and will from henceforth prove q
valuable addition to the taxpaying
element.
At this point, however, there
arises question in which the coun-
ty commissioners should be very
conservative. To enforce back
taxes for term of years upon cor
porations would be to seriously
cripple them. 1t would, in addi-
ton, be unjust, because while the
name of some of the corporations
involved may have continued
through the term covered by the
decision, many of the stockholders
have changed ami the effect of en-
forcement would be to make the
man who bought stock one month
ago responsible for the debts of
others who had proceeded him.
Public policy as well as justice
demands that business enterprises
should be conserved, and that the
effort should be to build them up,
rather than to tear them down.
This being the case, the county
commissioners should act in
spirit of conservatism as to the past
in order to reach equity. A reason
able and satisfactory adjustment
which will serve the county and at
the same time not cripple corpor-
atoms would be IN the line of good
policy.
Throughout the state, county
authorities are arranging a reason
able basis of settlement with the
companies affected by the supreme
court decision, and it is proper
that Fulton should be no excep-
ton to the rule. The county com
mlssioners of this county have
taken the matter up and will no
doubt settle 1t on just and resson-
able basis.-The Constitution.
From the above it looks like
Georgia has a back tax question
also to deal with, and as the Con-
stitution fully says a reasonable
and satisfactory adjustment which
will serve the county, and at the
same time not cripple the corpor-
alton would be in the line of good
policy. Now, If this is as the
Constitution ably remarks, a
good policy for Georgia, would it
not, may | ask OF our legislators,
De good policy for Mississippi
Il it is, then it looks to US the
$4,000 rendered the state by the
'ailroads should be a satisfactory
adjustment, and should be accept
ID by the state.
The question OF law has passed
nd that Of equity and justice
S now up. The railroads have,
y their offer of compromise,
lowed to the court mandates.
hey realize the amount of two
billion, If compelled to pay, will
ripple or bankrupt their roads. t
or the same cause Mississippi ,
epudiated an honest debt. And :
} uphold their honor they offer +
he large sum of $4,000 to wipe |
way the debt. By accepting it a
he state has all to gain and moth /
g to lose, and taking the road as f
state benefit, which it is we +
elleve, they should be met IN r
'iendly spirit and the matter adj +
sted on some fair basis. !,