The Bolivar County Democrat. (Rosedale, Miss.) 1887-1969, 1914-08-01
ABOUT BONDS AND STATE
TAXES.

| Under the Longino admiuistra-
/ ton the new State capital was.built
aud paid for, and when he lelt the
office there was plenty of cash on
hand to meet every demand. Since
then, the State heen going
deeper aud deeper into debt. The
last legislature had to issue bonds
to the amount of million Of dol
liars. These bonds were sold some
time ago. but not dollar has been
paid for by them yet, while debts
amounting to thousands of dollars
are log past due. The June dis
tribution for schools has never been
paid. Mississippi has suffered woe
fully for some time at the hands of
politicians. There certainly should
be some sort of change made for
the betterment Of our State. May
eTsville Spectator.
We beg to inform our contem-
porary that it was not the fault of
the present Legislature. nor of the
preceding one. 1t is the taxing
system of the State, We have
large and growing State, with ex-
pending educational institutions
and its chractiable and eleemon-
synay Institutions require larger
appropriations to propely maintain
them than they did during the Lon
gino ADMINISTRATION. But the States
receipts from raxation and other
sources have not kept pace with
the growth Of the State. The diff
ferent counties vie with one anoth-
er in seeing which can get the low
est tax assessment on property, so
as to get all advantage over the
rest of the State. We have the
most archaic and outgrown tex
assessment system of any State in
the Union OF which we have
knowledge. Let's change our
system and place Mississippi on a
sound financial basis. The mem
bers Of the Ways and Means Com
mittee in ethe last Legislature. of
which Hon. j. D. Stennis was
chairman, grew desperate in its at
tempts to get an income for the
State sufficient to meet is necessary
expenses. Yazoo City Herald.
Like the Spectator, we believe
that great deal too much money
has been spent by the State of
Mississippi within the past ten
years. Bond issue after bond issue
has been made, aud, even at that,
much Of TIE time the 2tate Treas
ury has been empty or almost so.
It is true that the State is grow
hing, aud it is also true that its in
lcome has been growing; but there
IBIS not a chance to pay expenses as
long as the legislatures appropriate
hlany more thousands of dollars
.,ethan the various taxes bring into
aa'he Treasury, Instead of basing
he appropriations on the income,
be Legislatures have appropriated
n,lrge sums with no way to raise
fortem without issuing bonds.
ibis looks like very poor
lslness to us-for, instead of pay
oh. or any Of the Indebtedness, if
urt Ire is no change made in the
no. item, each succeeding Legisla-
e will be called upon to author
r more bonds untii finally the
for It will be reached and no more
de. can be obtained in this man
a Then what will we do.
egarding the assertion of The
mas. as I'D that taxation should be in
t to cIed, we will state that Bolivar
'aue ely is probably as rich aud
rlerous as any in the State, and
j, yhe people Eere are paying
elec. qaa large sum for the privilege
livar oa'ing, holding property. and
ddbusiness in Mississippi. We
id believe the people want the
,unce ta}aised-they want the appro-
,nty, pr ns cut to fit the income, and
sub
ction W9eve the cahoidates INV iuu
ming the Legislature should be
calhpon to express themselves
J. N. on subject SO that the people
Boil. wht the expenses of the State
ratio may intelligently when they
vot(
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