The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-10-18
TAXATION FOR RAILROADS
Editor N. O. Bulletin :

That any portion of any community sho,ia
be unacquainted with the causes of H.
wretched condition of Louisiana, is greatly g
be deplored But that our Chamber of Con-
MERGE, presumed to embrace the best comma
cials minds Of the State, should be so ignorankl
of the laws of trade, the elementary principlesS
of economy. and the teachings of experience
as to asscribe our financial ruin to anythin.
but excessive taxation, almost exceeds belief
and is disheartening in the extreme.
This body persists in ascriblng our condi
ton to deficiency of railroads, blindly Z.
noring the fact, patent to everybody vio
some influence in contributing to the pubie {
wealth, are rather the effect than the cause 4
public prosperity. If the revenue of prop-
erty is absorbed by taxation, what avail, a.
restoration of property, would be all the NIL.
roads that ever were conceived by human
Imagination? How could a community prok
per by increased facilities for trsnsportatim
when ore than all its net yearly products
is annually absorbed by the ta1-gatherer?
Let taxation be reduced to the lowest poinf
consistent with the existence of governmcA
exercising only its legitimate functions them
labor will be stimulated, capital encouraged,
restored, and railroads will be built
as investment, and not for the purpose of
never can of themselves accomplish.
If the members of the Chamber of Com
MERGE, by their own unaided reflection, can
not see the absurdity of restoring prosperity
by an increased taxation to build railroads in
our depleted condition, let them, before they
become the blind leaders of the blind, devote
4 few hours occasionally to the study of politi-
cal science, and learn that of all the causes
hat tend to ruin people, the most rapidly
md surely effective, is excessive taxation;
md that wars, fires, earthquakes and inunda-
ions, however widespread and destructive
ink into insignifcance compared with the
orroding curse of taxation. The evils
Produced from these are in their nature tran.
lent, and are rapidly repaired by labor, en-
outraged by security; but taxation is peren-
lial curse, absorbing property, and crushing
industry into Incidence by the hopelessneas
# exertion.
These gentlemen may learn something Of
he incidence of taxation, its all pervading in
uences; how that its law is distribution, fall
ag proximately or remotely like pestilence
pom all, and under which all must eventually
erish, let their business or condition Of life
e what it may. 1t is doubtful if any commu. q
ity ever remained prosperous paying tax al
NO per cent on the marketable value of it
roperty. But the gentlemen of the Chamber
Commerce, oblivious to the teachiags d
cience and the signs of the times, would still
Id to burden that is rapidly producing uni
ersal financial ruin. In this city we IN
'xed at least twenty per cent on the real
slue of our property.
Then, would it not be madness to increes.
lis unparalleled burden? And would not IL
eople be justified in resisting, even by force
arms, ii necessary, not only any increase d
xation, but the present insupportable bur
N, as it is simply robbery, and should b
sisted as such.
We want railroads, although don't look
ION them as q panacea for all ills. Whm
e demands of trade will render them remun-
alive they will be built by individual enter-
Use; but it is neither proper nor expedient
r Government to build them under the plee
promoting the public interests, any mon
an 1t is right and expedient for it to build 3
ton factories under the same pretext. NJ
| reprobate this railroad mania, as calcu-
ed to divert the peoples attention from ths h
le cause of their impoverished condition.
dch is simply taxation eractinq, PLuNpID-
RING and ROBBING taxation.
As Buckle, in his history Of Civilization. IA
arly points out, that the commercial inteF-H
s OF England, under unwise restrictions
uld have been entirely ruined had
lot been for smuggling. So in this city and q
te utter ruin would have fallen upon all
1t not been for the great number of tax
inqucnts; had the immense sums alleged
be due by them been distracted from ind
ual accum1lations and the industrial Dur.
is OF the country, no imagination could
ture the misery it would have produced
crease, but let no consideration induce u
increase, on any pretext, our public bur-
IS, as they have already crushed us to nov.
7. Nautilus.