The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-11-13
THE WORK BEFORE Us.

THE WORK BEFORE Us.
The election in this State having resulted
in the success Of the candidates Of the Demo
cratic and Conservative party, or at least Q
sufficient number Of them to control tn
Legislature, provided we are not cheated o.
the Returning Board, it becomes all those who
are interested in the prosperity of the cit.
and State, to bring every influence to bear t.
effect such reforms as will enable us to lv
within our means, and to pay off such Of on
debt as may be adjudged to be legal and bind
ing
Either the success of cur party means re
}essn, thorough and aA-prvading, or it means
nothing. Either we are to address ourselves
with answering devotion and with unaag
ging zeal to the sweeping away Of all those
legislative encrmities which have consumed
the substance Of the people and rendered
Louisian one of the poorest and most forlorn
in the list Of States, or we fail in our high and
noble mission and become byword and jest
among all honest and well-meaning people.
We must not permit any mans interest to
stand tor one moment in the way Of the gen
eral good, and we must apply the Ak to all
such outgrowths of corruption and tyranny as
the Metropolitan Police Act, the Park tax, the
I.evee tax, the monstrous act creating an Off
oial journal, and all those acts providing for
assessing property and collecting taxes.
These are few of the many things to be
done. and done quickly, by the Legislature !;
and when all this is consummated, when the
police is turned over to the control of the
Mayor and the expense thereof is reduced to
one-fourth of the present amount when the
park tax is abolished; when the levee tax is
either abolished or the laws SO arranged as to
ensure the construction of the levees upon
some economical and proper basis when the
official journal is dead and such printing as is
absolutely necessary to be done is given out to
tho b,cest responsible bidder; when the compli-
Gated system Of assessments and collections
are chan yed and simpli6ed so as to render
altogetker unnecessary the vast army Of paid
retainers Who have been absorbing the means
s-A aealtL of the people, and to reduce the
ut to afeass - figure then we shall have
time tofGeathe freely and look around us for
ether wsak to do.
There is plenty Of it, more than enough to
engage the Legislators every moment Of their
time. and it is not any too soon for those who
have been called to make laws and to effect
reforms to be revolving in their minds the
vast problems that confront them, and upon
the proper solution of which must rest their
claim to statesmanship and integrity in the
future. It is no ordinary duty that is de-
manded of them. It is mightier and more
honorable work than any which Hercules was
ever called upon to perform, and will require
large minds and steadfast hearts for its sue
cessful acc ,mplishment
That they will address themselves man
fully tSthe task before them we believe, and
they will have in all their arduous labors the
consolation OF knowing that in every measure
Of genuine reform which they may contem-
plate or consummate the people are with them
heart and soul.
They will be applauded for every fetter
which they strike from the limbs Of our debt
manacled State. and for every effort they
make to better her condition. They will
legislate, We fe u assured, with discretion and
wisdom, and, while guarding with jealous care
the interests of tbs State, no nothing deroga-
tory to her honor and good name.
We shall, from time to time, touch upon
sud- measures of reform as are most pressing
and urge them with persistent zeal, keeping
always in view this truth. that the people |
desire good laws and good government, and,
if they are to be robbed, arc careless Us to
which party the robbers may belong.
And just here, q word about the BULLETIN. |
We have been informed, from various sources,
that the BULLETIN is to be made the official |
journal, and have been congratulated upon the
great emoluments in store for u.s. We desire |
to state low, that the BULLETIN is nota can |
didate for officiallhonors, and would not accept
the appointment of official journal even i |
ton iered.
We shall insist that the State printing be
done at the least possible cost; that it shall
be 6 ven to the lowest bona tids bidder, and
that no paper whatever shall be selected as
the recipient of official pap. If we cannot
live upon the legitimate profits Of our enter
prise. if popular favor be ever so Ear with
drawn from us as to render il necessary for
the BULLETIN to obtain public pap
o. die, we shall write as graceful
an obituary Of ourselves nc noss;blo oc1
leave the journalistic world to our more en-
terprising and prosperous contemporaries
This may be regarded as q little premature,
and perhaps It's. but we have been pressed
to &C ,ept the State printing by SO many per-
sons who have nothing whatever to do with it,
and by 80 respectable number Of those who
have. that we determined to define our status
quickly, to avoid any possible misapprehen-
sion.