New Orleans Republican., 1873-03-13
AN ALARM BELL--THE MAYORS MES
SAGE

mercial city are seized on as the military
chest of a political warfare, wholly re-
gardless of the interests they are IN
tended to subserve. The debt OF
New Orleans now amounts to twenty
one million dollars. Who made this deo.!
It is the accumulation of supplies iur-
nished at exorbitant prices. OF unneceS-
sary labor engaged to command 'o'0'
Of contracts passed. in notorlouS III.
stances. with the participation u
the Councilmen. and the depreciation
If ci+v credit resulting from this
vasteful system. Tor this seizure OF cor
,,oro+c crcdi. a. campaign fund 'Ae
rao,,a who have unfortunately allowed the
ascendencv Of bad men under the S'llSe
0. party profession are reSponSiDle. ne
oro,+ion Of this debt was not the work o.
II. republican party. for. without claim
in, superior purity for all men who as
snme its name, the Republican party has
NOT had the control Of the city admin
istration during the foundation Of this
debt. The last city administration was
installed in good part by an executive
then in the confidence Of the Republicans.
but since and at present leader in the
bands Of the opposition. But the debt
exists and the accumulated embarrass-
ments of our much mortgaged resources
demand immediate relief. At the same
time come the partisans and say to the
people: 1--WE can not enjoy the expendl-
ture of your taxes. therefore withhold
them. Pay no taxes. and the obnoxious
incumbents will be compelled to evacuate
the offices, and we will be installed. You
will then pay your taxes over to us
with perfect safety" This appeal proves
our first proposition that partisan only
looks upon the business of a city as use.
full to furnish him the means to live at ease
and prosecute his animosities. Hence,
when the order was issued dby the partisans
to "make case by shooting few hun
dred citizens and burning down square
or SO, it now appears they were adjured to
postpone their purposes until the crowd
which attends the celebration of our prin.
cipal holidays should have expended their
money among our impoverished people.
This stay was granted. though perhaps
with much reluctance. as it was O suspen-
sion of hostiIties under some strategic
disadvantages. Congress adjourned dur
ing this time. and the astute leaders who
counseled faction" could not employ the
| shooting and burning as a ground for
setting aside the State government. and
| giving us the blessing of q restoration.
| both of the former State executive and the
immediate predecessors Of the present
city government The REPUBLICAN ex-
planned these consequences Of in
surrection. and likewise the ruin to
the city if the advice to refuse
payment of ia xes were followed by the
| people. 1t was the resolute stand taken
by the city authorities. their steady re-
fllsal to aid the partisans of jackson
square and the general discountenance of
the business and industrial classes, which
enabled less than half a regiment of police
men to preserve the peace Of the city. SO
now comes the evidence of these facts in
the message of Mayor Witt.
1t is a deplorable exposure. 1t seeks
to throw upon the predecessors of 1872
an undue share of responsibility for the
embarrassments which surround him.
1.-The interest" says the Mayor. 'on a
debt of $21, 600, 900 Of city bonds must
be paid. 1t is legacy from past extrava-
gance and dmismanagement" yes, from be-
fore the war, and since from Monroe to
Flanders. This is like charging cita-
ton in bankruptcy with the ruin of one
who had been for years accommodating o
debt beyond the possibility of liquidation.
There are other passages in the mes
sage which will gladden. the hearts Of
those who advocate the anarchy Of taxa
ton. The taxes in arrears December 81,
1872. were So 1SG, ,764, payable nearly
half in certificates Of past appropriation,
| ranging from Sixty-fve to seventy cents on
the dollar. .'Only S129,394 have been
collected in January and February. IN the
most pa't after Sui and DedyneM." The
REPUBLICAN explained that the advice to
refuse payment of particular taxes would
be followed by general objection to pay
! iC tl. nlSn Shn,vS
that these taxes can be collected with the
costs OF suit and penalties OF non-pay-
ment. incidentally. the depreciation of
city securities occasioned by the policy
of n-payment of taxes is made obvious.
Yet all these securities, degraded to sixty
cents on the dollar, must some day be
paid at par. The whole interest payable
in 1873 is s1,329, 313. The tax. 1.55. per
cen. on S130,000, 600. can not be relied
on to meet it. Mayor Wilt says:
We have reason to apprehend from the
experience OF the past ninety days that the
entire cash receipts from taxes will barely
suffice for this purpose. The expenses o1
December last were settled with certiti-
Gates. those OF January Were paid with
money borrowed for that purpose to the
amount of $4,000. bearing eight per cen;
and payable in jane. The cash receipts of
February have been SO small as 10 leave
nothing TO pass 10 the credit of this loan.
and the pay roll and other expenses oi :ta,
month are yet to b. provided for.
The licenses amount 70 more Chan
half million. About half OF this sum was
paid into the treasury. but only five per
cent. Or one dollar IN tMoa:y. was pad IN