{"newspaper_name": "Mississippi Democrat.", "edition": "01", "page": "p1", "byline": ""}
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ed, the whole amount ought TO be paid, but
tlhat when he had parted with it, the holder


should only get what he had given for il


with interest. They took the ground that


it was unjust that the many should be tax


ed for the benefit of the tew-thus recog-


niZing the great principle that the people


ought not to be taxed for any other than


strictly governmental purposes.


In this country, where the personal and


religious rights Of the people are well Sc


cured by the various State constitutions,


an abuse of the taxing power is the only
thing they have to fear. 1t is the only in


strunentality by which they can be op-


pressed by government. Are the taxes
just?-i5 the question OF questions with


the many, the pivot on which all our cleo


lions, State and National, turn. This 1t is


that divides the country into two parties,


one contending for high tariff and ma


tIonal bank-the other opposing these, be-


cause they tax the people uniustly, and for


other than governmental purposes. True,
the advocates Of those measures do not


propose them as means of taxing the
peopIe-but that such is the effect, we


think is very clear and self.evident 10 the
impartial observer. The advocates of
those measures attempt to hoodwInk the


people by talking about " protecting home


industry" " regulating commerce and er-


change" "a sound Currency," etc. So
do the advocates of tardtjOp to pay debts,


made for other purposes than the egin-
mate support of government They talk
! ,ynrU r,rattiIv oh State f,;Jb &
and dignity of the State,'' - opinion of TO-
. reignerS," ETC., with the view of keeping


the real question in the back ground, and
from the people. While thus amusing the
people with high sounding words, they are
trying TO sell them forever, for the benefit
, of European and American stockholders.


Having made these general and preIim-


nary remarks, which seemed relevant to


the question, and called for in order to full


ly understand and appreciate its impor-


tance, we will pay our respects to the wri-
, ter alluded to at the beginning Of this ar


ticIe, with the view of defending and JUS


utylng The State of our residence for the
) course she has taken respecting certain
bonds, sold to the United States Bank in
1888. We have, as yet, discussed the
, question as If there was no constitutional


prohibition against making debts, and think
we have shown most concluSiveIy, that
the people of any government have the


right, moral and legal, of repudiating any
debt, not clearly made for the support OF
, government economically administered.
With Mississippi the case is stronger, if
possible, as, in addition TO the conserva-
tive feature incident to all governments,
we can plead our constitution against the
bonds Of 1888. We have a clause in our
constitution which deprives the LegsIa
, ture of the power of making debts, or
pledging the faith of the State, without
consulting the people with reference to


the subject. This part of our constitution,


all important in the discussion of the ques
$ ton OF Mississippi repudation, the writer
: in question makes it convenient TO over
look, Perhaps we ought to be charitable,
e and suppose that he did not know of its
y existence. This, il SO, evinces a Gu pa
: bie ignorance, wholly inexcusable on his
t part. He should not have been in such
t haste to condemn sister State, as to neg
2 Iect the examination of both sides of q
great du' iIilpuFliHl question.


it The portion of our constitution shat pro
}, hibits the making of debts, reads as fol
lows: " No law shall ever be passed to
e raise a loan of money upon the credit Of
r the State, or to pledge the faith Of the
: State for the payment or redemption o.
e any loan or debt, unless such law be pass
s ed in the Senate or House OF Representa-
IS tives, and be agreed to by ma ority o


the members of each House, and entered
e on their journals, with the yeas and nay'
II taken thereon, and be referred to the mex
e succeeding Legislature, and published TO
< three months previous TO the next regua
= election, 10 three newspapers of this State
)t and unless a majority of each branch o
Df the Legislature, SO elected, after such pub
IS ication, shall agree TO aud pass such loan
d. and, in such case, the yeas and nays shal
'e be taken and entered on the journals o
e, each House. ~ (Art. VII. Sec. 9.) Thi
e, clause was inserted, in order to preven
J. the people from being involved in deb
Sc without their consent. This makes it III
e perlous on the Legislature to have the LAY
to proposing to borrow money, or to pledg
n. the faith of the State for any loan, submit
O. ted to the people, and made public by beln
It, published, so that they may carefully an
I'd deliberately examine the same, and b
IN prepared to judge of the propriety of bol
/ rowing the money, or pledglng the faith {


the State, for the purposes therein mer
he toned. Any law, borrowing money,
ly pIedging the faith of the State, passed b
in one Legislature only, is necessarily nu
r, and void, because IN UioIatjon of the fuI
r. damentaL LalD of the State.


at Before giving the history of the bono