New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-04-30
AN EXCESS OF Observation-Disclosures.

do to run the State government upon
10 the poor and unfortunate, to the re-
pentant crimin& it may be proper to ex
tend charity and mercy; but the idle and
prohigate and the unrepentant sinner are
apt to be confirmed in their bad ways by
a periodical visit of the extolled virtues
The vagabond who would rather beg OF
steal than work presumes upon the ben
evidence Of the charitable as the thief OF
murderer does upon the mercy of the
State to shield him from the natural con-
sequence of his transgressions.
The tax resisters of New Orleans have
! been preaching the beauties of the for
giveness of sins and debts, especially
those due the State during the past three
or four years, with zeal and vehemence
altogether suspicious. A proposition
which was made in the Senate to remit
the penalties incurred by delinquent tax
payers on overtiowed lands was at once
freighted with an amendment to forgive
everybody else on the same terms. This
species OF reform, once set agoing, soon
eliminated in a separate act which re-
quires tax collectors to not only remit all
penalties, but to receive in payment for
the principal all valid warrants, scrip and
bonds of the State. This little act, inno-
cent as lamb in appearance, was framed
for the purpose of letting the tax resisters
off easy. They have succeeded in defying
the tax collector every year since the in
augrration Of a Republican State govern
ment, for the avowed purpose of starving
out the Radicals. Now that this thin
pretext will no longer avail them, and the
time approaches when a settlement can
not be STAYED off much longer, they have
been casting up the accounts to see how
much they owe. There are two or three
parties in this city who belong to a sort
Of ring, but who owe the State about
$50, Senate bill No. q, to relieve
delinquent taxpayers from penalties and
permit them to pay in chips aud whet-
stones. though purporting to be general
measure, for the benefit of poor people, is
N fact disguised donation to large prop
erty holders who have neglected to gay
heir taxes for five or six years.
There is neither justice equity nor
honesty in collecting the taxes of the
Door and willing people in cash and per-
hitting law resisters to go free year after
rear and then obtain quittance by hand
ng in evidences Of debt which have been
impaired in value by their own laches.
The tax resisters who now owe something
ike $4,000 to the State, and have been
delinquent long enough for the money |
which they wrongfully withheld to earn
nough to buy deprecated securities with
7hich to pay the tax, will thus virtually
scape taxation altogether. Warrants,
Grip and bonds can be had in the market
'r from thirty to forty cents on the dol
sr-say forty. This would reduce the
ebt to about 1872, 900. In the meantime
interest at twelve per cent has earned
$500 per annum, and they have been de-
nquent quite long enough to cancel the
hole obligation by usury alone. Those
no pay cash on demand naturally feel
with this legislative discrimi.
alton in favor of those to whose wrong
Il conduct is due so much of the financial
nbarrassments of the city and State,
ad so many Of the burdens growing out
the depleted condition of the treasury.
1t is no doubt proper to extend relief to
lose who have actually suffered by the
7ertiow, but the remission of their taxes
not the proper way. The door being
oened little for their relief, invites
hers, who have no sort of claim for char.
:, to rush pell nell and enlarge the
'ening. So far as the people in the af-
cted districts are concerned, there was
} need for haste. The tax collectors
ere not pressing them. No forced sales
ere contemplated, and no apprehension
listed among the people that they were
'out to be distressed. But these things
d not prevent their case being seized
ION as the occasion for passing law to
Indicate our New Orleans tax resisters in
cir long career of delinquency, and
stify them in their partially successful
tempt to starve out the Republican State
The holders of certain tainted bonds
d scrip, worth now about five cents on
e one hundred dollars, are anxiouslv
'aiting the Governors decision upon
is act to vind:cate the conduct of tax .
sisters and create discomfort in the
nds Of those who have been guilty of
e folly of paying their honest debts.
it become law they will manage to
at million or two into the State
asury at par of fraudulent claims which
lerwise would not sell for Confederate
ties.
This bill is a sample Of many of the re-
I'M bills, and was the only one which
ssed the Senate. We hope by the time I
is through with its struggle with the c
'vernor it will be about as full of life as l
Chattanooga bond is without it. {
THE CORRESPONDENT NUISANCE.
The wonderful capacity displayed by
:. Carl Schurz for penetrating the in
cate PRINCIPLES of our political system |