The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1916-10-21
TIOMAS AND no. II

NUMBER II CBFEtllCE Nitu seventeen CLIGLS
hat VII be submitted to the people next
month. Most Of these amendments are in
tended u take care Of local needs and there
I is, and snoI-d be, no objection to them.
! Ri. Thomas MAKES very .&,r arI strong
! presentaEion of the reason for each &m,ua-
ment ard We regret space viii no. pea4t
its publication in full. We have noted OPP
position to only one amendment and that is
number y providing or the state board Of
ailiai.>
The position Of Mr. Thomas on this
amendment is OF peculiar interest for thc
reason that It IS currently rumored tnaE ne
will be a member of this board il the
amendment is adopted.
The salient features Of Mr. Thomas
IcOntentOn are that public institutions Of the
state need more money: that the revenues
of the state viii be increased; that The
functions now performed by sixteen mpn-
bers lof two toal>isl viii BE transferred u
/ three members appointed ~ the @or,rnr;
That the scheme - the budget T. ia pre-
pared by this board Of three, if effective 1t
all, will restri;. presen. powers OF the leg
islatTe. TO these he adds the Imaginary
proposition chat the " i.terests," political
land otherwise, ere opposing the amend
ment in order 10 discredit the Pleasant adj
ministratiCn.
But the explanation OF Mr.. Thomas is
more interesting because Of the things he
leaves unexplained:
How will he raise more revenues with
out assessing more taNrs2 Who does DC
expect will pay moro axes?
On what theory does he base the opin-
ION that three men can perform the feat Of
increasing revenues without increasing
! taxes better than sixteen men.
Why can these three men prepare &
budget better than the appropriations and
the ways and means committees of the
general assembly.
There are some facts that Mr.. Thomas
must know and t. which he fails TO refer
in his explanation:
That the taxing power is vested en-
tire!y with the legislature, with the eX-
&Ipti0n Of thai exercised by. the board Of
appraisers. He knows further that this
board is taxing the property Of railroads
and other corporations under its jurisdiction
fairly and in proportion to other property.
I Now he knows that the Legislature
could have crystallized into law every pro-
vision OF this proposed amendment eXc2rt
that which provides for the abolition II tn.s
board OF appraisers.
Then if this be true what other motive
! than the Capitalization Of power could have
prompted this amendment?
MIR. Thomas falls into an error very
common with political prestidigitators that
Of believing the people blind to tricks most
obvious. Every obseryant man in Lousi-
ana knows that the tendency of legislation
at the last session was towards the central
cation Of power, and that the board Of al
fairs amendment is the fulcrum that makes
more powerful the leverage to lift into con-
tinued power those nov at the head.
The journal is Z strong believer in the
centrallzatlon Of loVcr, hut likes to see It
properly labelled. : great many voters
will oppose the amendment not because
they desire to di&creiit the administration
tut because they can see no Improvement in
the proposed system over the one r@W cy-
iSting.
The Journal thinhS the new system Of
duel assessments bunGIosorle ard unneces-
say; that it viii finally NE ii that asses
ments will he centered in th4 state .,uthori
t.e-, and that under it small tavnarp1s Will