New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-07-25
THE BRASS TACK"-TIClANa

granted, and IN that session OF the Legs
lature originated the phrase of bill wit
ssbrass tacks' in it. 1t was then that, no
being willing to trust "the brass tack
ers,'' the promissory notes OF tn
lobby were made payable on the ez
ecutive signature Of the bill. Thi
ingenious invention has been improve
greatly since that day, and the. "bras
tacker" has since rejoiced in purple an
fine linen, and some forbidden luxurie
procured by the sale of his vote or sigma
ture. 1: is very pretty business for Hon
B. Tack. He may come from parisl
in which there is majority Of peaceful
honest and laborious colored Republi
cans. They desire to give their votes 70
the good Of the country. They wish t.
propitiate those who do not believe then
fit fos suffrage. They live on terms o
harmony and usefulness with their neigh
bors and employers. They have bee;
certified as industrious and orderl.
people, making crops and closing ere
vases with universal approval. From thi
peaceful and useful people Hon. B. Tacl
sets out for the halls of legislation
On arriving at the city he finds himself
a person of importance. No matter how
obscure may be his lodgings, they are in
vaded at all hours by those to whom his
vote is of value; or his influence with tee
government can be made available.
There are jobbers of the lobby who
make the common appeals to his weak.
ness or his wants. There are associates
who tell him that ''if man is placed
where he can make money, he is fool if
he does not make it." There are those
who may show him the list of associates
who have taken the bounty, and advise
him to go and do likewise.
With such temptation and such ex-
ample Hon. B. Tack loses all scruples
on his own behalf.
1t has not, perhaps, occurred to him
that his constituent of the hoe and pillow
have any concern about it. He takes cash
or contingent stock for his vote or in
dorsement, and wakes fat and, for him,
rich. His prosperity breaks out in an
eruption Of gold watch and chain and
shirt studs, broadcloth and satin are his
daily wear, champagne an ordinary drink,
while the donation cigars, if they have
ever interviewed the Customhouse at all,
are each worth the cost Of horse shoe to
his laborious constituents.
Now, the pleasurable and humorous
reasoning Of Hon. B. Tack, il he ever con-
ferred with his constituents on the sub
ject, was perhaps this: "Yoa have toiled
all your lives without compensation. /
am now but reaping the fruit Of your
labor. I am only despoihng those Egyp-
tians for whom you made brick and bore
burdens. There is a fallacy in this
The constituent may have toiled with
or without compensation, but in what
does it benefit him that Hon. 3. Tack
wears all this watch and drinks all
this champagne, and impedes the conse-
quential utterance with these rega!ias :?
1t neither ornaments the person nor
gratifes the appetite of him Of the hoe.
The Egyptian example does not apply.
In that case ''every man" and ''every
was intrusted by God to borrow
Of their neighbors jewels of silver and
Jewels Of gold, and the children of Israel
spoiled the Egyptians. Thus, as all
the people toiled, all the people shared in
this divine device to get even on the labor
question. Any field hand will see that
The diamond studs and Principe cigars of
he Hon. B. Tack are no equitable equiva-
ent for any labor ever rendered by the
ield hand without compensation. But
question of much more serious import
comes up for decision. Messrs. the pluck
rs of the pelican have made that rather
stupid and imprudent fowl rather bare of
,lumage. Not to put too fine a point,
he very pin-feathers of the pelican are SO
ender and raw that the parent bird re-
uses the caresses of her afectionate
progeny, native and adopted
The combined enterprises and monopo-
les of the lobby and legislators had
argely increased the debt and taxes
# the State, while the opposition, in
barge of the city expenditures, have
made that corporation to bow like the ass
ssachar under two burdens. 1t is now
hat the constituents of Hon. B. Tack be-
i'm to notice their share and draw their
dividends from his exploits. The land.
wner murmurs, refuses, resists the tax
ollector, mounts his horse and loads his
ouble barrel. He unites in White
league, and will ride any distance to
,revent the colored people from going to
he polls. In vain their industry, and
Iuite useless to show by their poverty that
hey have received no part of this debt or
axes They comprehend very well that
he taxed merchant adds his taxes to their
and so only advances the taxes
or theirs. They know that the land
wner is the less able to pay their wages by
he excessive taxes imposed on him, but
Why shoot them about it?
In the meantime Hon. B. Tack is bent
N Reelection. He asked that he be fur
her empowered to enrich and adorn him.
elf at the cost of his constituency. In
ase of any trouble he can put the Poto-
nae between him and responsibility,