The Opelousas courier., 1872-04-06
Non-Payment of Taxes.
[From the N. o. Bee, of March 81. ]

An agreement has been circulated
throughout the city, which looks to a
combined arrangement whose principal
aim is to refuse payment of any more
taxes. The paper is remarkably we'll
written.
We, The undersigned citizens of Loui-
siana, agree and mutually pledge our
selves to pay no taxes whatever, until we
possess Government which represents
the people, and is administered to pro-
mote their material welfare.
In explanation of this (perhaps) extra
ordinary proceeding, we make the fol-
lowing statement, confidently appealing
in our justification to the moral sense OF
the world.
Taxes, State or municipal, on real es-
tate alone-whether improved or not
have reached the unprecedented figure
of 81 per cent, being greatly in excess
of the whole yearly rental of all city pro-
perty. This exaetion has been rendered
still more oppressive by an extravagant
assessment, which on real estate is at
least on an average three times it's mar
ketable value. Indeed a very large por-
tion OF city property is utterly unsaleable
having no exchangeable value whatever.
In addition, taxes are imposed upon
every profession, trade pursuit and call
ing, upon incomes, furniture and capital
in trade; upon carts, wagons, drays and
all other vehicles. Besides these, wharf
age and market dues of the most onerous
character are exacted, until the public
burdens, crushing in their effects, have
diminished reproduction, whilst trade,
commerce. agriculture und manufactur-
ing industry are paralyzed, capital driven
away, and the whole community, in every
position of life. are suffering under, op-
preston, without parallel.
Our grievances are reduced still more
CALLING by the knowledge that they were
not imposed by representatives legally
chosen, nor even for the ostensible in
terests of the people, but openly and
avowedly for the purpose of enriching an
unprincipled executive and an Infamous
ly corrupt ring of legislators and other
public plunderers.
In further justification of our course,
we submit that it is an indisputable
truth. that all taxation in excess of what
is sufficient to defray the necessary ex-
penses of a government exercising only
its legitimate functions, is simply rob-
berry and as such it is the duty of the
people to resist it with all their might,
otherwise they make themselves and
their children the slaves of the money
lender.
1t is also principle, coeval with con-
stitutional government that taxation can
only be rightfully imposed by the con-
sent of the people taxed or their legal
representatives. These simple and ac-
knowledged principles forming the basis
of our republican form of government,
have been grossly violated, and have re-
suited in the almost entire prostration
of our material interests.
We cannot appeal to the ballot for re-
lief, as the elective franchise has been
virtually destroyed by an unprincipled
and unscrupulous executive nor to the
Judiciary, as that is under his corrupt
influence. Therefore we are compelled,
by a sense of self-preservation, to resort
to the only means remaining, to save
ourselves and the whole people from ut
ter financial ruin.
AS citizens of property, nothing butan
overwhelming necessity could drive us
to this step. Knowing that we must
have some government, we pledge our
selves, until the people are properly re-
presented, to police the city, to support
the Judiciary, and to defray all necessa-
ry expenses of government exercising
its legitimate functions.
It is understood that this agreement
shall not be binding nor go into effect,
until it is subscribed to by two thirds of
those who pay taxes directly, and who
are citizens or residents of New Orleans.
All expenses incurred in resisting the
public robbery, to be betrayed by pro-
rata assessment on the subscribers, each
contributing in the proportion of his
yearly taxes. t%