The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-12-12
NEW ORLEANS BULLETIN
NEW oRLEANs, DECEMBER Y. 1874
THE TAX QUESTION.

Editor N. U. Bulletin.
Sir There appeared il liz columns o
vour PAPER .: the 18th inst. very able ar
sicIc. headed The Duty Of the Council an
SIGNED Democrat He state.. in very forcibl
,anguage the hardship which . rigid enforce
,oent Of the collection of taxes would pro
.luce and his advice to the Administrators i
8. suspend for the present Ill collections 0
taxes through and by the forms OF law. II j
could be discovered how any government
NATIONAL, State or municipal could perform it
sunctions and its duties, without money and
without credit then would assent to all his
propositions and even 90 flrtl.ce and would
oppose the exaction Of an: a.. There arc
seciprocal duties the government should
protect the citizen in all his Just rights, and
Gle citizen for this protection. should pay
Just as much, and no more. rs may be re-
stuiste to enable the government ~ perform
us obligations. .
ANY sum beyond. the ace. ssaty amount
s,ould be an unjust imposition. admit and
must charge that our ruler. and nsurpers
have been ex.ortionate in their demands;
chat our people have been plundered, i'm
poyerished and oppressed, and that the new
council is in duty bound to give all the relief
shat is possible. We all kno,. that the usurp-
Ing powers are in authority. We know that
Che Supreme Court, with corrupt Chief JUS
.ice, is in accord with the usupers. We know
That m illegal Legislature created the Supe-
rior District Court and gave i: exclusive
Jurisdiction Of all cases arising between the
State and its citizens and between the city
and its citizens We know iii. character Of
the Judge of this court and we know that
until the usurping power Is overthroWn, the
Supreme Court remodeled, and the Superior
District Court abolished the people have no
hope Of redress.
We know that The Legislature, TO enforce
The assessment and collection of taxes, have
made it an imperative duty upon the Council
to impose certain taxes in December, declar-
ing all proceedings null and void if such
aaxes are not levied, and that the Admins
TRAITORS, III default, are liable to be removed
1t does seem to me that the Administrators
must conform to the requirement Of the laws
as they now stand, otherwise advantage would
he taken by the usurpers and a new set OF Adj
lninistrators be appointed.
Let me refer to three taxes, each UNI ust
which must be levied in December, to-wit:
the Park School and Metropolitan taxes
These three taxes were resisted by the Tax
payers Association, and each upon the
ground that the State, and not the city,
should pay. The Commissioners of the Park,
Che officers of the public schools, and the
Metropolitan Board are appointed by the
Governor; hence it was urged that the State
should pay. All in vain. The Supreme
Court declared all these laws legal, and that
Che people Of the city must foot the bill.
9hese laws and these decisions cannot be ig-
nored without a revolution ut this moment
OF time Il j. wisdom to wait while, and
when the people recover their lost rights and
their representatives are placed in power,
these odious laws can be repealed and corrupt
courts be remodeled.
AT present there is no money in the city
treasury-there are necessary expenditures
which must be made to keep in vitality the
city government. and the Admins traitors, per
force, must use all legal efforts to supply the
needed funds. 1t is not in its power to repeal
bad laws or to revise bad decisions. 1t must
collect Ill taxes imposed by law, however I'M
Just those laws may be, or by ingnoring them,
run the risk OF revolution and anarchy.
The collection Of taxes for the current year
III what the city now urges. The Administrators
AS prudent agents and sound inancicrs have
acted so far as to keep themselves within
the range Of law and maintained the credit
Of the city as il was on the list inst.
may have something further to say upon
this subject but / do think that any harsh
criticism upon the course resolved to be pur-
sued is premature. In my opinion the Ad-
ministrators should act up to the laws and the
people should have the patience to wait, at
east until The meeting OF the Legislature.
II the Returning Board decides sorrectlyo in
-ganuayv relief can be had.