The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1871-05-28
The School Tax Election.

It seems that measures are on foot for the
holding Of an election on the question OF
levying specific tax for the support Of the
public schools. Some ofour city dailies grow
indignant over this and appear to take itfor
granted that the election will be ordered by
the city government. Upon the assumption
that this will be the case, they commence
in advance to arouse the public to vigor-
GUS and united effort to meet the evil at the
polls. But we cannot agree with our
neigt bors in the foregone conclusion to
which they jump. We are by no means
prepared to believe that the City Council
will take any such measures.
1t must be remembered that the Supreme
Court have manfully decided in this matter
in accordance with their ideas of law and
in opposition to the behests of party, and
it must be admitted that SO much was not
expected of them on the part of many who
now have no confidence in the council. As
the Supreme Court has shown itself su-
perior to influences of party pressure, why
may not the Council do the samef 1t seems
to US that little charity would not be
amiss, even in the arena of politics.
We seldom think people better than
they are, but it is the universal tendancy
of human nature to believe ones adversa-.
ries and opponents much worse than they
are. Almost every body is bad a little, but
it does not follow from that, that every
ono is utterly depraved. A politician for in
stance might promise an Office to an in
competent person in order to secure his in
fuence in q pending election. He might
be willing to have people vote early and
vote often-for himself, he might have
folks naturalized without due regard to
law and do a good many other things to
get Office, to which no enlightened spirit
ual adviser would counsel him, but it does
not follow that he would steal or betray
his country. He might laugh at moral
obliquities which he would contend to be
merely venial, and at the same time scorn
as utterly dishonorable any attempt to
amalgamate an inferior race with his own
ON any pretense whatever.
We shall never believe, until we see it,
that our City Council will make itself sub
servient to the hybrid schemes of Mr..
Conway. One man may be found here and
there, on the bench and off it, who will de-
grade himself by drinking convivially with
negroes OF by giving a Judgment Of heavy
damages against a white barkeeper for re-
fusing to mix drinks for cOlOred people,
but such specimens of moral depravity are
much rarer than an oppressed people are
apt to imagine.
Some members of our City Council may
have hastily promised Judge Dibble and
Gen. Longstreet that they would order this
election, but they did not, perhaps, think, at
the moment, of the effects intended to be
produced, and; at any rate, majority m ay
refuse to make their promise good.
We speak in this matter merely in sub
the impulse of feeling. On the contrary
every feeling Of resentment that could be
aroused by systematic course Of wrong
and Injustice at the hands of our fellow
citizens would inspire Catholics with al
ardent desire to see the election ordered
and the tax voted. Retaliation is power
full impulse. For many years the Protest
, ant portion of our fellow citizens hav'
scornfully and contemptuously fastened
the burden of heavy tax upon Catholic
q year after year, laughing at our protesta
o lions that we could not send children t.
their public schools. They have compla
Gently put our money in their pockets AM
utterly refused a pittance out of it to on
parochial schools, while loftily informing
Catholic voters and taxpayers that thei
: scruples weso euperstisious md their con
3 victio ms nothing but ignorant prejudice.
How nice it would be now to seize tn
9 opportunity of retaliation analisten Quietl
to the negro majority telling white mi
q nority that their notions of superiorit
:. were an old fashioned remnant of ignoraH
+ prejudice. If we should vote for the ia:
d it would be but continuing yoke to whic
= we are accustomed, while it would teac
% our oppressors q lesson from the Mosai
n law-an eye for an cye.
But the Mosaic law lie modified now an
the Christian law requires us to do goo
10 for evil, 1t would be wrong in us to vot