New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-04-26
OPPOSITION LICENSE PAYERS.
Meeting at Turner Hall.


In the big room of the Turner Hall, corner
of Lafayette and Dryades streets, a meeting
of the annti-license payers was held last
night, and very slim attendance honored
the call, the greater par, being Germans
The president, Mr.. Hummel, called the
meeting to order, and then a gentleman,
whom we took to be the secretary, read a
document in German, which we took to be
the minutes Of the last meeting, and being
no objection, they stood adopted. The pres
ident then said something which fell
silently upon the throng, the only portion
of the speech we understood being "Swei
thaler und halp," and from few other
words we were led to the irresistible con-
clusion he was calling on the members to
pay up. This appeared to be the case, for
to be secretaty read out the list Of members
who hadn't paid up, and they reached a
goodly number.
The president mild and dreamy looking
gentleman, with moist eye, covered with
spectacles was kind enough to say that if
those who were present that did not under
stand word of what was said would only
possess their souls in patience, English
speakers would express the sense of the
meeting. The secretary illustrated his
reading of the rolls with remarks like this:
"If that gentleman's name is right, don't
know" Then he fell back On his mother
tongue, and was at home again. The
audience was made up Of shoemakers and
tailors as a general thing, some of whom
fell under the generic style of those whose
sands of life were nearly run out. The
secretary's list contained names enough to
fill every chair in the room (abOut 7OO), but
a very small crowd of fifty souls hugged
the front rows cf seats with persistent
silence, and they listened to the reading of
the cognomens, nine -tenths of whom were
absent, with about the same eagerness one
would listen to lecture from dictionary.
The president said something when the
reading was done which sounded like gen.
tie reminder of the dues not being paid up.
Having puttered over the list for some
time, and corrected mistakes, the associa-
business Of the meeting. The list of con-
tributors which had been read, it appeared,
was for the purpose of feeling legai gentle
man to help them resist the taxes.
A report of some examining committee
was read, in which it appeared the resisters
of licenses we're of one mind. The commit
tee recommended in regard to the State tax
collector that he be ignored, and in regard to
the payment the advice was, ''Do not pay.'
Common cause was to be made in the mat
ter, and it was reso lved, in case one member
of the association was sued by the State,
the remainder were to stand by and pay his
expenses. This was about the long aud
short of it, though the secretary was con-
siderable time reading it out in English.
The first resolution recognized in the at
tempt of the city and State te collect the
licenses an encroachment on their legal
rights; the second declared their intention
to resist the collection by all legal means;
the third committed the members to making
common cause with all who were forced or
distrained to pay; the fourth defined the
status Of member to consist in the pay
ment Of his dues; the fifth authorized the
president to employ counsel to defend any
one of the association who might be sued.
Mr.. Charles F. Buck was introduced as
the speaker Of the evening. The movement
had his personal sympathy, but he was
here this evening by special request. he
confined himself to an explanation OF the
material of the meeting. Labor should be
free; any license imposed on industry and