New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-08-30

been crammed-we will not say with In
competent we will say with the ne
cessitous, who could in many cases com
mand no other employment
In attempting to make the colored ma
jority responsible for all the debt and
taxation which rests upon property, the
Fusion press advised the non-payment o.
taxes. 1t is true that at least one of these
papers suggested that the city taxes would
be necessary to maintain health and
order, but the taxpayers accepted the ar
gument in full, and as he was to be ex'
onerated from the payment OF fourteen
mills tax to the State government, be
could not see the justice Of paying twenty.
five mills to the city government. The re.
suit of this advice, only intended to stop
the supplies of the State government, has
been to fill the official organ with the
names of some ten or twelve thousand
delinquent city taxpayers. The conse-
quences of this stoppage of revenues, COM
bined with an avowed inabi lity to redeem
any expectations Of reform, has been to
bring about stoppage in the financial
functions of the white mans government,
while the government installed by the
colored majority is still in the perform
ance of its duties, and compliance with
its engagements.
When we saw the Administrator of
Commerce devoted to the personal prose-
cution Of men selling food to the people
for the protection of those who paid the
city for monopoly OF popular food, it
seemed to us that there must be some
great exigency; when that functionary,
whose duty it ostensibly is to conduct
and attract the commerce OF dis
tant ports to our own, goes to the
prison door in pursuit of the market
dues from the butchers stalls we looked
upon it as such an act Of desperation as
made Napoleon head last effort at Water
loo, or Marshal Concha fall in "a guerrilla
war" So the white man S government
has come to trouble, and, to judge from
the statements of its head, almost to
point in which nothing is left for its ad-
ministration but bankruptcy or-abdica-
ton.
One Of the first attacks on the white
mans administration came from the
White League organ. Says the Bulletin:
Painful as the acknowledgment is, it is
nevertheless true that the city admlnlstra-
ton has signally failed to meet the expecta-
lions of the people who elected it.
The Administrator of Finance has &C.
knowledged having committed "lrregulari-
ties" and Cancelled 1carTantS were found
upon the streets for sale that had been re-
issued by the administrator Of Finance. Our
italics.
City bonds have deprecated to such en-
extent that there can scarcely be said to
exist market for them.
Then follows the protest of certain en-
ployes who can not '!live on the amount
for which their salaries are Sacrificed
and then comes special meeting Of the
Council to consider the strike Of the en-
ployes.
The conference between the Admins
traitors was in the high est degree unsatis-
factory. The Mayor objected to helping
the employees on the round that the city
could not buy materials if it were under
stood that the officers had prior lien on
the revenues for their salaries. He said
that there was but one mode of relief.
This was by paying cash, and that
this was impossible. The Mayor
was unwilling TO pay the employees
ana leave the Firemen's Charitable
Association without funds Admins
traitor Sturcken is reported to have said
that he would resign rather than associ-
ate with men who would repudiate the
ordinance giving preference to the en-
ployes; and Administrator Calhoun
would prefer the amputation of hand
or two rather than repeal the ordinance.
The instruction of the pay roll was
appeased by the withdrawal of the pro-
test. The Council adjourned re infecta,
and the rate of time certificates on the
street shows little financial confidence in
the ability Of the Council to extricate
itself from the difficult ties which sur
round it.
We regret Se<y sincerely, and few per-
haps have more cause, the decline Of the
city credit and the reduction Of the city
revenues. But who is to blame? The
Fusion press, which exh orted the people
not to pay taxes, as an assured means of
the breath of the State govern
ment.
Who is not interested in the credit and
character OF the city Not single in
dividual who resides or does business
here, and ye: the politicians and party
paupers have made an issue of race which
throws all the blame of mal-administra-
lion on the eolored people. Here is a
case where pure white majority has in
stalled officers for years who have brought
a city government, with greater resources
than the State government, to beggary, if
not to bankruptcy. This proves that
color neither qualities nor disquali-
ies men from the honest and COM
petent administration of a. govern
ment. 1t renders it very questionable
whether reforms imperatively demanded
can be effected only by electing white
men unless these white men are more