The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-01-04
NEW ORLEANS.

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Unhappy Condition OF the Crescent
City-Busfness stopped and Money
Hoarded on All Hands-Taxation OF
$40 to 92s on the S1,OOO-How Carpet
Baggers Havo Nearly Ruined the
Great City OF the South.
NEW ORLEANS, La, Dec. %. 1874
TO THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD:-
Having been resident OF New Orleans since |
1885, with the exception OF four years which |
passed IN New York after retiring from business in
1858, have seen great many changes in the trade
ana commerce OF the city and in the condition and |
prospects Of the people, but my memory fails |
10 recall state OF things so disheartening SO |
utterly hopeless in all their aspects that which
exists at present. No trade, no rents paying no
osp's can be collected, for no one that has any |
money wants to part with q dollar and this pres.
ent month, December, ought to be the busiest of
'"o year. rms state OF hopeless despondency and
sIaghatioh mas been caused, as you are aware by
tne astounding action OF Judge Duren In subvert
ing the State government by the aid of United
states troops and with the sanction OF the national
executive inc constitution of 1868, although in
many respects the worst ever fastened by legal
| forms on American citizens, and Notwithstanding
| the fact that the laws made under 1t were the
! most oppressive and unjust ever enacted by n
| State Legislature left the people the SUBJ
stance Of State government, with the
elective franchise unimpaired, and they
peacefully succumbed to the oppression,
under the hope OF one day assuming control Of
their own AFFAIRS That day arrived with the last
election, when the people turned out almost TO
man, and, at as fairly conducted an election as
was ever witnessed, the opponents OF Senator
Kellogg gained o complete victory; and 80 deter
mined was the reform party-the largest in the
oity-t0 have nothing but fair election that it
Supervisors at every poll to remain ana see that
every vote was fairly counted. Even this was
done, ahd the returns gave the McEnery ticket
seemed satisfied about the fairness Of the election,
and even Carson Conway telegraphed to MIR.
stalled as superintendent OF Public Education.
Such was the state OF affairs when the unheard-
Of application was made to Judge Durell. Our
people had been suffering for four long years out
RACES and expressions from Governor Warmoths
bandit negroes, mulattOes carpet-baggers and seal
awags, including all the present Kellogg ring that
have succeeded IN ab0lishing what we had OF
State government, and all the hopes OF this OPP
pressed and outraged community were placed in
the inauguration OF an honest and economical ad-
ministrauiOn state and city.
AS an example OF the enormous Increase OF our
State taxes in fOur.years will state that In 1868
the tax was So on every $1,000; last year 1t was
increase to $2s co. There are over thirteen thousand
property owners in the city who could not pay last
years taxes, Notwithstanding the fact staring them
In the lace that the law imposes penalty OF $50
per cent on one years delay in paying taxes. I
know person who allowed S14 90 OF a tax to stand
over from 1871 to 1872. He was obliged to sell tho
property in October last and had to pay $34 80,
$40 penalty, on 81 90, for one years delay But,
In addition to the enormous State tax, we had
to pay city tax OF "a per cent, and as the State
assessors get commission on the amount Of the
rolls all property s assessed above its value in the
best OF times. AS an instance Of this three two
and hall story Baltimore brick houses, in good
order were assessed for s2l ooo and being lately
years. only realized the sum of $1l,275.
In order to give your numerous readers further
n a
Republican Of December j. This journal is the
| Of New Orleans and, may add, OF Senator KEEL
| logg, Judge Duren and the whole Custom House
parity
They are Of ail Sorts from the pa,aSe to the hoys
TSs9e No he q New oSIsans sSss
like @
No landlord feels safe In MS real estate Is
Ss man aSSs rs son 4 n s aS pA' on AZ
sorts Of PLACES announcing the disposition Of the
in places that arc rented Houses DO not pay interest,"
to rse aey
az 81 %e 1y o e
and they cannot be sold There no IN real
The condition q the real estate owners in New Orleans,
Ue se In s Gnsa ae asr hs
backing they get from nature and the laws Of trade
| When this truly descriptive picture was written
the editor, who was q candidate for Mayor, be-
lieved that their whole party was honestly beaten,
and wrote IL for the purpose OF recommending con-
citation and union OF all parties to assist in the
| work OF retrenchment and reform, and our COM
merclal community was then buoyed up with the
hope OF getting control OF their affairs again.
But since the Custom House thunderbolt has been
hurled against us all IS dependency and despair,
and every one is trying to collect all he can and
leave.
An eminent French physician, attached to life
insurance office, says OF those who are applying for
policies that he has never seen anything like the
appalling depression that has seized upon men. He
says you can see dependency IN their cOunte-
nances; and merchants In different parts OF the
city say that not one in fifteen Is making sufi-
cient to pay rent. Others inform me that numbers
have already failed, and that II change does not
soon take place large numbers are bound to be-
come bankrupts and be sold out, and their credit
ors will get next to nothing. Northern property
never politician, told me the other day that he
had two large houses empty In the best part q.
the city, and that ne would give O lease OF
them TO tenants who would pay the taxes he
agreeing to pay insurance and make repairs And
even tenants that have rented houses are not
paying the rent. such Is O glance OF the state
Of affairs here. and the only hope OF our
loved the Union, and almost adored the constitu-
ton Of the United states; and have such conf
dence in the love OF the American people for JUS
tice that am sure they will not allow one OF their
sovereign States to be b0tted out Of existence by
the mere edct OF an inferior judge OF an inferior
court In open violation Of the eleventh amend
ment OF the constitution adopted in 1897, to pro-
weak and powerful, against such assaults.
d. p SEAMAN.