New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-08-14
new ORLEANS REruBLrJAS: FRIDAY, AUGUST Il, 1874

much in value, and what covers the State |
with ruins9 If it be not the Radical govern
ment we pray the REPUBLICAN to tell US |
what it is.
This question is put in relation to
property sold to pay taxes due the State
and city. We find that for five years Il
arrearage this property owed the state
s515, and the city s61O. Suppose we
admit that the administration Of both the
State and city have beesn 70 extravagant,
and ought to be reformed, is this an admis-
sion that the Republican government is
exclusively responsible?
The city of New Orleans has been under
control Of its own inhabitants with the
exception Of single term ever since the
commencement Of its debt of $23, OOO, GOO.
We might ask who has had the advantage
| of that expenditure The officers, en-
ployes and contractors, the bankers,
brokers and jobbers Of the city. Look at
the city currency-the corporate e1pendi-
tures-the floating extravaganza all fund
ed and constituting this debt. Remem-
| Der the batture and railroad stock sales.
Whose fingers have been creased by these
transactions? Under what authority has
the debt been contracted or the obligation
been imposed upon the taxpayer? The
Bee, as fair questioner, will say that all
this has gone to the credit Of the citizens.
If we analyze the enactments Of the
Republican Legislature we will find no
distinction in the politics of those who
voted for all money bills. The leading
monopolies Of the lottery, the butchers
meat, and Of some others, were granted
upon the mixed vote of Republicans and
Democrats, and all these monopolies have
long since passed into the hands IF our
own citizens.
But there are, besides these taxes SO
ostentatiously put forward as the reterrinaa
cdusa Of all our miseries, certain others
which Cypress and impoverish the people
We will cite among the most prominent
the fees Of sheriffs, clerks, constables and
notaries When the landholder suffers
from an excessive tax we hear great out
cry; when the poor and ignorant are taxed
in an inordinate, exorbitant and ruinous
manner nothing is said about it. There
is no sympathy for these helpless peo-
pie. Why is this +? We will do the
Bee the credit to suppose it did
not think of these exactions. But while
sheriff, clerk or constable, who could
not command two hundred and fifty dol
lars month in any commercial or profess
sional business, may collect off the people
Of New Orleans twenty, forty or sixty
thousand dollars year, we must confess
some surprise that the Bee does not insist
upon reduction Of these charges. Is
this abuse, we ask, the act of the Repub-
lican party? On the contrary. The sheriff,
clerk or constable is a Fusionist. His
excessive profts-his fortune in single
year-constitutes the fund and the
inducement to political strife. Does any
politician or political paper in New Or
leans demand this reduction and reform?
If so, we have seen no application to the
Legislature on their behalf. We are GER
tainly Of opinion: 1. That the Repub-
ican party is not responsible for the ez-
travagant taxation imposed to redeem the
improvidenv obligations of Fusion city
administration. 2. That it is no more
responsible than its opponents for an ex-
cessive State debt, which it has stopped
and reduced. 3. That the taxes imposed
by Fusion city officials in the municipal
and legal administration enter largely into
the causes which produce the decline of
property and cover the country with
ruin"