New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-05-01
TEsTIrYING AGAINST OURSELVES.


TEsTIFYING AGAINST OURSELVES.
Superficial and partisan thinkers may
endeavor to impress distant readers viii
this opinion:
Owing to the corrupt Stats and city gov
ernments creating laws and passing ordl
nances with a view of peIpetuatiDs then
power, the value of all real estate anC
securities has so deprecated that the cOrpo
rate mOneyed institutions, as also capital
lists. have sustained a shrinkage of values
frightful to contemplate.
These expressions are as %imprudent as
they are ~fallacious. Grant the indebted
ness of the State under Republican, anC
of the city under Democratic administra'
tons. The amount of public debt, or the
rate of taxation, can not account for the
stagnation Of our trade and the decline in
our property values. W. prove this pro.
position by negative evidence. Chicago lost
5000, 900, 900 property by fire. 1t neither
produced %stagnation nor decline. She is
more wealthy and %populous than before
her calamity. If total destruction of a
value greater than that Of all New Orleans
does not of itself cause decline, then a
misgovernment which can only effect a
percentage of the taxed values can not
account for the admitted embarrassments
of III people. Again, New York Is ad-
mitted to nave been-she is even now adj
mitted to be-under the control of as dis
honest politicians as New Orleans.
Tweed and his gang, Lord and his ring
can compete in iniquity with any public
robbers since the days of Nerres. New
York has a city debt of Sal, 900, 900. She
imposes an advalorem tax of two and a
half per cent, The city of Charleston, i'll
ment that is regarded as equal in i'm
providence and oppression to any. These
cities grow and prosper in spite of the
political abuses admitted to exist. New
Orleans, which has a debt less by the
head than that Of New York, and a rate Of
taxation just the same, suffers a chronic
decline of trade. Now if two men, or
even two mules, suffer from the same
disease, and in the same degree; if the ne
maintains his strength and flesh, while
the other loses in both, would any reason-
able person attribute the decline of the
weaker exclusively to the disease: Would
not those really interested in the recovery
Of health in either case seek to find what,
beside the disease, affected the weaker,
md what enabled the stronger to resist
The enervating influence of the disease
common to both? Thoughtless per-
ions sometimes say New Orleans
from the war, while New
York, Chicago and st. Louis proited
~ the war. This is very true. Yet this
,ain can not account for rebuilding Chi
ago, because it was not rebuilt from the
profits Of the war. On the other
land, New Orleans suffered an Interrupt
ion of her trade by the war, but she did
lot suffer from the destruction Of her
buildings. Chicago was burned up. Char
eston, South Carolina, was invested by
md and by sea; she was bombarded
nth the heaviest ordnance tor more than
hree months. Other Southern cities, as
and Atlanta, suffered from sim
causes. Yet these cities prosper,
,hile the city least damaged by bombs or
re is the only one among those named
rhich has steadily declined ever since.
We do not argue that either fire Or po-
teal ~iniquity promotes the growth of
We do not except to such share
f the public debt or taxation as may be
assigned to the Republican
arty.' But we do say, and have proved
nat the stagnation and decline of New
are not attributable solely to
re political abuses of either the State or
ty administration. We affirm that it is
ue to the diversion Of trade from our
ort to those ports which are now pros
ering upon the very trade which was
nee ours and is now theirs.
1t is proper that u political antagon-
is should cease to attribute the trade
spression to political causes. 1t does
lem no good. 1t excites no sympathy.
brings no relief. 1t would even raise
e value of property in, and attract i'm
to the rival cities. To prove
e decline of our city, the testimony of
If own press and people who denounce
e depression of values, and discourage
Q immigration of industry will be at a
'emium with all the vendors of town
is and all the runners" for immigrants
and On behalf of the rival cities who
we gobbled our trade.
There is a single sense in which poll
causes have retarded the restoration
New Orleans. 1t is that political in
has refused cooperation with ,
epublicans and has thus deferred or
iven away Republican immigrants and
pital. We therefore rest this subject for {
e present with the demonstrations: l. /
lat the decline of New Orleans is not |
lely attributable to politica. z. That
e continued publication OF party edito-
is anu exaggerated exposures Of the
preston of property and industry tend
keep aloof abe Very relief ghicl se l
luire. 4
q