The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-08-27
IRE Cosr OF RAD1cAL eovERNxEsr.

cherubim instead of sons of Belial, the people
could not afford to accept their legislation at
the price which it costs. Equally in Congress
and in State Legislatures, they run to profi-
gate expenditure and extortionate taxation,
as naturally as young ducks run to water or
an uncultivated field runs to grass. 1t Is
noteworthy, but by no means surprising
fact, that in the multitude of laws passed or
projected by the Radical legislators in this
State, not one evinces spirit of retrench-
ment and economy, not one is designed to re-
duce public expenses, and by such reduction
to tighten the taxes of the people and improve
the credit of the State We will mention a
few of them, only those which involve new
and extraordinary occasions for expense. The
printing project, State and parochial, con-
fessedly intended as a means of substituting
Radical press which could not otherwise exist,
cannot, at the lowest estimate, come to less
than 100000. The metropolitan police
bill gives to the board of commissioners the
right of taxing the people of this city and its
suburbs without limit. This unrestricted and
irresponsible ''Star Chamber" NAV impose
one per cent. or ten per cent cd
uQlorcm, or one dollar or ten dollars
per capita; and it is presumed that all the
powers of the State and of the United States
Will be ready to enforce its utmost exactions.
But let us suppose, with one of our cotempo-
raries, that it will not exact more than
$1,000, OO0 The school project of "Parson
Conway would cost at least half million
more tn the old school sytem. The project
of a State police or constabulary is mode
fately estimated at a cost OF 81, 900, 000 Then
comes the project of State militia, upon
which Gov. Warmoth has assured the Presi-
dent that he must fall back, unless federal
troops are put at his service in the number
and in the manner designated by himself
This would make an item of not less than
$1,000 600. Briefly, then, it may be said
that the aggregate of extraordinary expenses
contemplated by Radical schemes of legisla-
ton in this State amounts, in round num-
bers, to 100000 Add this to the ex-
penses incident to the ordinary administra-
ton of the State and the city, and $14, 000 900
would not be too high computatio of the
expenditures meditated by Radical policy in
a single State possessing population of little
over half a million and property valued atless
than $500, 600, 600. But let us cut down this
sum to 100000. At this estimate the
price of Radical legislation, as now marked out,
for every man, woman and child in the State
is about $50. But, in point of fact, it is almost
exclusively the adult male population which
pays the tax-gatherer, out of the earnings of
industry and the income from capital. If we
assume this class to be one-fifth of the aggre-
gate, then the cost of Radical legislation, as
now projected must be at the rate of 500 to
every male inhabitant of the State. None can
escape. The tribute will fall upon the poorest
laborer, white or Hack. as upon the richest
property-holder. At the same time they must
meet the demands of federal taxation, not less
than $50 per capita Let any man dependent
on his industry for the support of himself and
family, let any intelligent, honest and in
dustrious freedman, say if he can afford to sur
render these deductions from his earnings
Everybody knows that the average net earn
ings of the laboring classes are wholly insult
fcient to satisfy such exactions. In this
aspect, the batch of Radical projects of legis-
lation referred to is monstrous impossibility;
but it would not be, il attempted enforce
ment, the less ruinous to the interests of the
laboring man, of the property holder. and of
the commercial and agricultural communi-
ties. Citizens l-laboring men, business men,,
rich men, poor men-doesn't radical govern
ment cost too much, be its abstract, trans
cendental and invisible virtues what they
may?