The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-08-31
THE REAL ISSUE.

There are many interesting question
crowding into our local and national polite
for decision in 1876, which can not be easil
be kept out, and whose importance can no
be disputed. The country is in a restless
feverish condition, and i. may be said that 81
classes and interests are discontinued an,
irritable. The recovery of business from tn
calamitous prostitution of 1873 has not BEEF
as rapid as was predicted; the prostratiol
continues, and some departments of trad
seem not even yet to have touched bottom il
their continued descent.
1t is not surprising therefore, that the
money question, the tariff, the national banks
the national and local debts, cheap transpor-
tation and all other economical questions,
should attract attention and inquiry, in the
vague belief that some one OF them, or all OF
them, contain both the disease and the
remedy. And yet, while the tariff, the money
question, the banks, the public debts, wages,
prices and trade deserve earnest considera-
ton, there is one subject more serious than
any, or all Of them, that must sooner or later
be erappled with the strained tendons and
anxious faces OF men fighting tor their lives.
1t is the question of fraud in the disburse-
ment of public moneys and in the manage
ment of public trusts. Ii we turn to Wash
ington we see one important bureau Of the
national government striving to cover up the
misrepresentation of 1000, 600 expended on
the Indians, and another still more import
ant bureau carrying ON doubtful war with
half hundred of ITS own corrupt officials.
If we turn to the great State of New York
we see an honest Governor endeavoring to
bring to punishment canal ring that steals
half 4 million dollars year from the State.
If we direct our attention to New York city,
debt of S123, DOC, 900, annually increasing at
the rate Of ii per cent, and police in part
nership with criminals, arrest our attention.
If we contract the area af observation, and
look into our own city and county affairs, we
see enormous taxes hardly wrung from the
people fippantly voted to rings and contrac-
tors, public works breaking 10 pieces from
utter worthlessness, money squandered by
the half million, without leaving any perma-
nent product to show for it, and commu-
nifty of taxpayers, after two or three unsuc-
cessful attempts to protect themselves, sink
ing into apathy and helplessly awaiting the
the time when property will not be worth the
taxes exacted from it.
The evil grows every day, and almost every
hour. Where is it to stop? When will the
point be reached at which it can grow no fur
ther In 1870 the entire taxes levied and col
lected in the United States amounted to
$676, 500, 0O0,u viz: National 1896, 600, 900,
totaIe 9Uo,UUU,UUU, county pff, fUU,UUU, tOWn
and city S135 1000, 600, the aggregate being AZ
per cent on the aggregate valuation of proper
ty in the Union. The Federal taxes have been
slightly reduced since then. but the other
taxes have been largely increased, SO that the
rate can be held at about the same.
When property is taxed AZ annually, its
value is materially impaired, and if the rate
is steadily increased it will ultimately destroy
that value entirely. Is not this process actu-
ally going ON at present? Is it not the ex.
PLANTATION of the universal unsalableness of
tangible and taxable property that is COM
planned of, and the universal desire to invest
money in bonds and mortgages that can not
be reached to be taxed? commission ap-
pointed by the President in an elaborate re-
port on the subject, expressed the opinion
that one-fourth the total Federal revenue was
annually stolen; the same proportion of the
State, county and city revenues, no doubt,
disappears in the same way in other words,
$170, 000,0 900 per annum is stolen from the
people of the United States by officials and
their favorites who grow fat and sleek in the
midst of universal suffering How to arrest |
this intolerable corruption is the real issue |
before the people-an issue that surmounts |
Ill party questions and considerations. There |
Are serious doubts about our ability to master |
It, for we have tried repeatedly and as re-
peatedly failed but one thing is as plain as a
Unconstitutional if we do
not master it, it will master us, and plunge |
is into bankruptcy and repudiation.- |
Louis Republican.