New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-01-28
DOCTORING THE CITY BADLY,

wy VI NcN OTltduS. luc evil ID lIo0 Sol-
rected directly, as it should be, by cutting
| 1t of, but a remedy is sought to be effected
| by suggesting an amendment to the char
| ter. This is chronic, and therefore we
are not surprised at the present demand
which is being made upon the Legislature
for an interpolation into the municipal
constitution of new device, in the inter-
est of popularization, and of new declar-
atory principles, in the interest of the
| lawyers.
The amendment proposes to divide the
city into thirteen wards, from each of
which an alderman is to be elected in con-
nectiOn with the seven Administrators. This
is what may be called the popularization
device, since it gives to the people greater
voice in the government. As we had
these ward men in the council before the
adoption of the present charter, and as
they did not work even SO we'll as the Ad-
ministrators are doing, it strikes us that
this effort to- correct one evil by flying to
what has proved itself greater one, is
not the best thing to be done under the
circumstances. The people Of New Orleans
are not interested in being more fully rep
resented in the Council than they are, for
they pretend to the common sense view OF
to attend to their business as twenty, and
the lesser number is certainly the least
expensive. And they further assume that
if they cannot elect seven good and faith
full officers, they are still less prepared to
elect twenty. The responsibility is now
confined to four members, for no measure
number; whereas, if the Council was en-
larged to consist of twenty, the response
bility would be so completely divided and
distracted that the public would be at a
loss against whom to enter its complaint
for vicious legislation. In the ordinary
relations of life men do not adopt this
policy of enlarged Councils, but, on the
contrary, the greatest plans owe their chief
success to the genius and consistency OF
one or two designers. What is wanted in
the government of the city is honesty and
ability, and the people viii be better salts
fed if they get them from seven than they
would be if they paid more money for the
same qualities in twenty men.
Another Objectionable feature in the
proposed amendment is that which sug
gests renewed confusion by another altera-
ton of the wards of the city. Every citi-
zen now knows the number and dimen-
sions of his political district, and any al
teration or change in this matter would
subject all the people to the necessity Of
forgetting something that they are familiar
with at present, in order to learn another
something that some chameleon about the
City Hall thinks would be better to be
known An honest government cannot
be obtained by altering the geography and
confusing proper names of the city. 1t
must come from the desire and intelli-
gence of those who elect, and those who
are elected. to office If We could have
more efficiency and less expense under
three men than we could have under the
rule of all the people, it would certainly
be better to limit the government to a
than to extend it after the |
manner of the Athenians to a popular
plebiscitum on every question of political
In respect to its suggestions as
to the collection of taxes, the amend
ment merely fees from one plain
process by being sent to another intricate
process that .contemplates a seizure of
without or with writ, as the Ad-
ministrator of Finance may determine.
This complication of remedies is not adj
visable because it will increase rather
han diminish litigation at the hands Of
awyers, who never consider the costs they
involve the city and their clients in. And
t is still more Objectionable, since it puts
t into the power Of bad man to injure
he taxpayers and the city, both by provid-
ng for the sale of property without de-
rec of court. The present system is the
pest that can be devised for the collection
If taxes, pr divided it is honestly and prop
rlv carried out and the costs are kept
within the limits fixed by law. That tea-
ure of the amendment, however, is good
which gives the owner the right to redeem
lis property within two years. The seiz-
re should not go with the sale, nor
hould the property be sold for more than
be tax and the accrued interest and costs.
provision that allowed the purchaser to
lain a perfect title at the end Of two
ears would put the taxpayer in such peril
f loss that he would certainly settle with
be party who had bought the tax title
his defesible right is the system adopted
n many States with perfect success.
AS to the amendments concerning the
,sue of bonds and the construction of I'M
rovements, these features are too much
liked up to be understood or explained
kept after a severe strain. MessrS
anders and Shaw, who are the reputed
.thers of the project which We have been
iscussing, either intended to confound
lie Legislature and the public with a
byrinthian financial completely, or else
ley are deeper men than we have given
lem credit for being. If they can ex-
lain the provisions suggested in the
when taken in connection