New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-09-22
he Is NOT A REPUBLICAN.

| u. l..
testimony on the subject himself, such a
will establish his own freedom from tn
suspicion Of Repubicanism. In the frs
place, he is opposing his own party
This is not conclusive to all people, bu
it affords strong presumption. In tn
second place, he afiliates with the Demo
Gratis, and this. we take it. is decisive, from
partisan standpoint. In the third place
he openly insists that taxation shall fal
upon the poor and not upon the rich, and
this sustains our proposition so thoroughly
that there will be few men who will call
Morgan c. Hamilton Republican after
they satisfy themselves that he has done
what we charge him with doing.
We have neither the time nor the space
to discuss Senator Hamiltons immediate
political relations with his own party Or
ganization; but, when he puts himself on
record, as he does in his letter to the Gal
weston Bulletir, as friend OF the rich, he
departs from the Republican platform so
far that his voice should be disregarded
altogether ID the counsels Of the party.
Senator Hamilton arrays himself as an
aristocrat of the most ultra persuasion,
because he seeks to exempt special class
of rich men from the necessary burdens
which attend all organized government.
His controversy is with Mr. Tracy OF the
Austin State J0,raal, and the subject matter
Is the propriety Of taxing large landhold-
ers for Their uninproved property Mr..
Tracy says. tax these lands as all other
property that is protected is taxed Sen
ator Hamilton says, release them from
taxation. To illustrate the point, che in
dividual owns eight hundred thousand
acres Of land which he says it Will break
him to pay the taxes upon. Senator Ham
llton favors renting the tax. ard Mr..
Tracy urges its collection. Will any man
pretend that Hamilton is a Republican
under this statement Of facts: What
greater right has the great landholier 70
be exempted from taxation than the poor
one: II one acre pays its burden. let a
thousand acres do the same thing. for
reason suggests that the man who can buy
and hold a thousand acres of ground is
better able to support their expense than |
the poo, settler who can only pay for one
acre. The large landed proprietor is more |
IN need Of the protection Of the govern
ment than his modest neighbor, for he is |
more in danger from all those troubles |
that beset roperty. Therefore, he should
pay the greatest tax, because be is the
greatest beneficiary This will be admit
ted as safe business rule.
There are reasons of public policy, be-
sides, which condemn Senator Hamilton
as an unsafe public leader The owner of
eight hundred thousand acres of land in
Texas is not so by virtue of the spirit of
the land laws Of the State From the
earliest beginning of the republic the
Texans hedged their land grants with re-
strlctions that were designed to confne
them to parties who would improve them.
Spectators bought these grants, or head
rights, as they were called, knowing the
obligation that rested upon them, but
'rusting to lack to escape the performance
If the bond. So far they have been sue
,esstul. Where the State bargained for
Of citizens, all of whom would
nave brought physical and financial
strength to her, she now finds some man
lolding in his hands the resources Of the
country and begging to be exempt from
axation because Of his immense wealth.
md she also finds United States SEN
tor sustaining this unreasonable applica-
ION, contrary to all the political IDEAS of
he men who have heretofore supported
i'm as the friend Of equal and exact JUS
ice to all lnen.
The demand of the landholders is no,
My lnequltable, but it embodies false
ood. 1t not only sets up All exemption
wealth from taxation, but it suggests a =,
otent mlsstatement as its only support. {
'axation being levied ad rnloren,, it is all f
onsense to insist before intelligent peo- t
lie that the owner Of eight hundred thou. I
and acres Of land can not pay one fourth {
one per cent Of its assessed value. If s
1ese possessions are estimated to be q
'orth eight hundred thousand dollars. q
hat is to ruin the owner if he is called c
pom to contribute two thousand dollars {
taxes: And if the owner of all these T.
sres is to hold them contrary to the b
plrlt in which they were granted con- g
airy to the public interest, subject to the t
rejection Of the community even to the s.
Itent OF war, why should he be held n
tempt from supporting the power that p
pholds his tremendous possessions? d
nat greater claim has he upon the Y
Sner Of sixty acres than the owner of Il
KY acres has upon him? Why does o.
enator Hamilton favor the land moropo- it
sts at the expense of the Door peor,e h
no own no lands? There is but one reg
~ and that is because he is not Re- W
abllcan. He can not be one and ho,d 70
his ideas If he ever was one he bas ~
lien almost as far as Tuc;fo T., ~