The Columbus dispatch. (Columbus, Miss.) 19??-1922, 1919-08-03
THE SUPERINTENDENT RACE.

Inc DiSpaLch mas taken no part IN
the gubernatorial race. Three good
men are running, any one of whom
in our opinion will make the State a
good and creditable governor, Russell,
Johnson and Longino. We have never
regarded Ross Collins as measuring
in mental depth and craftsmanship
and in ability up to the dignity of At
torney General, much less the office
Of Governor.
There is but one issue, serious is
sue, in the present campaign and that
is the State Tax Commission. Mr..
Johnston says the Supreme Court
has Invested it of its power and there
fore he wants it abolished. Mr.. Russell
wants the State Tax Commission and
its power enlarged and continued so
that the problem of taxation may be
worked out with equal and exact
Justice to all and that thousands or
dollars of taxable property, which is
now escaping its just share of the
burden of government, may be brought
within the fold. Longino's position is
nebuIous, favoring some sort of body
with some sort of power and authority
but it is not sufficiently defined to
merit serious considerations.
There is just one thought we want
to present to the people of the county
this Sunday morning, worthy of their
serious consideration Tuesday when
they go to record their vote. 1t is the
States economic dilemma in meeting
the new scale of living with the old
order of assessments and the old tax
rates.
The State as a political entity is
up against the same thing that the
individual is struggling with, sus-
tanning existence when all operating
and living expenses have doubled. 1t
is going to cost the State more than
it has ever cost to maintain it's in
stitutions There is no doubt about
that Salaries of State officials may
remain the same, although they ought
to be increased, but if all State insti-
buttons are to be maintained at the
maximum of their usefulness and eff
ficiency, more money must be appro-
priated for their support than ever be-
fore. To attempt to maintain them
upon the present basis with former
appropriations is out of the question.
Then more money must come from
somewhere
Now the State has two main
sources of deriving revenue, to tax
it's present wealth and to sell its
bonds. But bond sales have never been
tolerated in the State for its current
expenses, being employed for perma-
nent Improvement from which future
generations will derive some benefit.
Therefore the only source from which
the State can realize it's increased
revenue is from taxes
There are hundreds of thousands
of dollars of taxable wealth in the
State escaping taxation now, wholly
or partially This must be made to
pay taxes and if the State Tax Com
mission is continued and its power en-
larged, this property can be made to
pay its share of our State govern
ment cost. Then the corporations of
Mississippi, whose interests are
protected by influential men, must
be made to pay the same share of
taxes that the individual citizen is
paying. In fact, the burden of the
little fellow is as heavy as he can
bear and the additional revenue must
come from those who have heretofore
escaped paying what is justly due
from them. The whole State must be
ransaeked for taxable wealth by
some body, divorced from local in
fluences, where these sources can be
uncovered. This the State Tax Com
mission can do, and this the board of
supervisors, under the old system,
can not do and will not do, To abolish
the State Commission now without
creating some similar body with equal
or increased authority, will be crimi-
nal and will cripple the whole State
and involve it in economic ruin 1t will
be a step backward in these days of
progress and new conditions from
which Mississippi may never recover,
It's too serious a matter to dismiss
lightly and the voter should stand
behind it Tuesday. That's all.