The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1875-12-26

hiuk The Mayor says:
/. is evident to any one at all conversaut
with the pecuniary condition of this COM
munity that q tax adequate to meet the de-
mands of the public creditor, the requirements
of the laws in relation to the public schools and
Povernmen. o @ cannot. ifie1ied Be collected from
this impoverished people
1t is evident that unless immediate relief be
given FROM the oppressive taxation, "hicn Is
DESTROYING the value of all property, and pre-
venting any recuperation from our present
prostrate condition, the inability of the people
must eause eventually, from utter exhaustion,
. repudiation of the debt.
With this general enunciatiOn of principle
the press agrees. There is no doubt of
present and increasing exhaustion. The
demands referred to would require tax OF
s or per cent, and its payment would be
simple impossibility. Something, there
fore must be left out But whatf Don't
touch the sacred school system, says the
TRss. The recommendation az to schools
is more open to criticism, says the Picdy"ne.
It can't be done at all, says the BalletHn;
it would call forth some compulsory process
of Court We presume that the Republican
chimes in with the Times, the Picayune and
the Bulletin in this song, but We cannot say
positively.
Our only daily paper in the English
language which has come out squareiy for
the people in this issue is the Democrat,
new journal edited, and very ably edited,
by Mr.. Robert Tyler. The Democrat sup
ports the Mayor in all of his recommends
tions including his references to schools and
police. We can have no doubt that the
people of this city will stand almost unit
in approval of the Mayors measures. They
bnow that they cannot pay the tax and are
willing to risk the threatened process OF
court.
We presume that a Democratic Conser-
yatiye House can have some control over
unreasonable judges.
If there were no Democratic House,
however, a unanimous move by the tax
payers of this city would override the ac-
ton of courts. Even as complete despot
ism as Russia has to respect the unwritten
constitution of the popular will. But in
such perilous emergency unanimity is OF
the first importance. A firm and solid front OF
opposition must be presented to despotlc
usurpation and in that point of view the
open or tacit opposition of local press
is very unfortunate. 1t is always pre-
su med prima .facie that that institution re-
fleets the views of large sections of the peo-
pie, and, though in this instance the pre-
sumption is, we believe, unfounded, it may
i72duce untoward impressions abroad
! The question is presented in a short
compass in the Mayors message through
quotations from judgment of Mr.. Justice
Cooley of Michigan. He holds that in Re-
publican governments, not only the whole
people have right to govern themselves
but every separate locality has right to
control it's local affairs without being die
tated to therein by the more general gov
ernment, except through laws equally al
fecting all localities under that government
In New Orleans, for instance, the LegIsla
ture of the State can have no control as re
CARDS its local affairs, its drainage, its i'm
provements, it's taxation, etc., excep
through general laws applying to all muni
cipal CORPORATIONS in the State. Thus tn
action of the State government in appoint
ing city officers through it's Governo
E would be characterized by Judge Cooley
| an outrageous usurpation, because the PEI
8 pie of the State at large have no right
8 administer the local affairs of any one sP
e or neighborhood, through the appointees
g their Legislature, or Governor, or Otherwi'
's Thus, also, the imposition of any fixed ra
y of taxation upon the people of this city
y Legislative enactment, for Park OF Schc
or Police, is an act of despotism accor
st ing to the same authority and accor
re ing to common sense, even thou
tn the proceeds of the tax were to be
II pended under the administration
ey officers chosen by the people. But Wit
on as in our case, the funds thus arbitrar
nr assessed upon a selected locality, with'
lal its consent, are to be handed over to o
10 cials appointed also without it's consent
lat knowledge, the outrage becomes sim
'ul confiscation. The pretense that it is M
as by virtue of the sovereign will of the p
Ich pie of the State at large is a mere pettif