New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-05-22
TEE CITY TAX LIST.

1
spreads itself all over our paper this morn.
ing It is the largest publication of the
kind ever made in this city. The delin-
quents number close on to twenty thou
sand, very large proportion of whom are
believed to be abundantly able to pay.
But they have held back under one e1-
cuse or another and been RENTED to en-
Joy singular immunity from loss OF pelf
or character in consequence. In that list
those who have control of the municipal
finances for the time being may read the
secret Of their embarrassments. There
all the trouble lies. The taxes have
not been collected, and the financial
power OF the corporation is par
alyzed in consequence. There are, no
doubt a few thousand persons who to-
day stand on the books as delinquents
that might have been induced to pay if
the peculiar style of conducting financial
affairs at the City Hall included little
energy and perseverance. In conducting
private affairs, good business men are in
the habit of employing young men and
| boys Of pleasant manners and gentlemany
| appearance as collectors. The city Off
| GERS do not do SO. On the contrary they
limit their efforts to languidly waiting in
the Hall, waiting for the people to come
up to be taxed. No business will succeed
when conducted on such inert principle
The baker, the milk man, the grocer, shoe
maker, even the charitable, or those who
take charge of the affairs Of the poor,
look after their interests better than the
city agents do, and persist in their impor-
tunities for money until they succeed.
The plea Of inability from poverty is
doubtless a good one in many cases.
Others, doubtless, have good offset to |
plead in what the city owes them. But |
there are delinquents advertised who are |
neither poor nor creditors of the CITY,
The majority Of the small sums adver-
tlsed as due could have been collected long
ago if the Council had authorized to send
collectors after the debtors, the same as
the gas company or waterworks depart
ment do. Besides, the admitted poverty
OF one unfortunate man is no excuse for
another who can not truthfully plead it.
But the politicians and the opposition
press have succeeded in popularizing the
practice of non-payment as means Of
starving out the Republican government.
1t has now become highly popular, but,
like other wrongs, it reacts upon the invent
ors. The State has succeeded in collect
ing "a larger proportion Of its revenues than
the city by employing the means afforded
by law, while the city officials have been,
to great extent, hampered by being COM
nitted to the tax resisting policy. 1t is
true that as soon as we had a Democratic
city administration elected, the papers of
hat ilk mildly suggested: "Now, that we
have o government in which the people
have confidence, every good citizen ought
10 come promptly forward and discharge
MS debts to the public and bear his share
If the burdens" But the good citizens"
lad read in the same papers so many
.bie reasons VII. they could not and :
should not pay their taxes, that they did
lot respond favorably. Delinquency be-
:ame chronic under the advice to starve
,ut the Flanders administration, and
Messrs. Wilt and associates suffered from
he effects Of the bad advice of their polit- {
cal friends. That it is no better for their
successors is seen in the immense lists of
lelinquents presented to-day.
The finances are the breath of the goy-
rhment. Unless there be inspiration
here can be no respiration, and the body
corporate suffers in proportion to the
toppage. Unless the money comes in,
here will be none to pay out, and no
inancier ever lived who was able to sue q
eed with nothing to go upon. Nor will '
Iessrs. Leeds, PiIsbury, and their asso- !
iates be able to run the machine if they ?
eglect the essential part of their duties 8
nd depend upon selling out what little '
roperty there is left standing in the citys
anne. The receipts from such sources will e
Don be absorbed in paying salaries, and b
aere will be nothing left to fall back 81
pom. p
The Indianapolis Journal wants to know
10 oar not fOrCi 20 rehols v;,hor% a1ao%;r. |