New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-09-12
TIE BENEVOLENT BUTCHERS,

1
1t will be regarded as strange and
strong comment upon that love of the
people which is called Democracy, when
it is known in Europe how Democracy
treats the benefactors of the people.
Two respectable citizens, never dispar-
aged by any connection with political
Office, pursued their peaceful occupation as
butchers. They purchased cattle, slaugh-
tered and sold the meat at shops near the
homes of the people, at far less price
than the people were compelled to pay
men who were not butchers, but who had
monopoly of all the meat sales in the
market. For this offense these benevolent
butchers were chased by Democratic
city administration into the courts. One
court forbid these benevolent men to sell
any more cheap and good meat to the
people.
When the benevolent men, however,
saw the procession of poor people on their
way to renew their tribute to the arrogant
and triumphant monopolists, they deter
mined to continue their charities at any
risk to themselves. No sooner did the
monopolists- always enforce the
laws very strictly against those who inter-
fere with their proits-hear of this, than
they resorted to the peoples friends, the
Democratic City Council, and demanded
that these benevolent men should be
placed in prison. This was accordingly
done, and the market monopolists SO ap-
peased as that they were willing to pay
their monopoly bonds to the City Admin
istrators, that they might pay their own
salaries and the salaries of their employees,
and these should pay their friends, the
contractors, for sLe''s and plank fur
nished the city, all out of the peoples
meat money.
butchers placed in the same prison building
in which the worst felons were also con-
fined tLan another court granted to them
the writ of release, to which imprisoned
persons are entitled, and so the benevolent
butchers were enlarged" But then came
the fierce conflict of the courts The sheriff
Of one court seized the benevolent butchers,
and the sheriff Of the other court seized
upon him and "thrust him into the inner
prison." Then il was rumored that this
war of retaliation would proceed even to
the incarceration of one Judge by the
other judge, SO that the courts being in
jail and the benevolent butchers at large.
the people would have not only peace but
plenty.
Much of this strife was prevented by
the much implicated butchers, who with.
drew themselves quietly from the strife of
the courts, which they had innocently set
by the ears
We are gratiaed to learn that the pri-
vate markets are to be kept open and the
people of New Orleans supplied with
CHEAP food. 1t is their right, and it is at
once unjust and unwise that they should
have been denied that right.
The tax upon food is unwise if not un-,
constitutional. It is an indirect contribu-
ton which, like the duty imposed upon
some imports, is paid by the consumer,
and is thus an unequal contribution. The
city administration derives in good part
the money employed in the support of
the city government from the lease of the
markets. Suppose one hundred thousand
dollars thus collected from the people
Is 1t an equal taxi The landlord has
family of three, and is in Paris OF New
York. The tenant buys food daily In
market for q family Of five. Here
the poor consumer Of market food
may .be required to pay. more
than the rich capitalist. The effect
Of The monopoly created l. much worse
thnn even thu tax Of fhA usrkat laasa A