New Orleans Republican., 1875-12-29
LANDLORDS RELIEF MEETING.

stated the object of the meeting thus
The question is what brought you here?
and to have answered, "Not to hear
political speech or discuss some strang
, doctrine"
We think the presiding officer will hav'
found that the action of the meeting in
cluded both these predicates, thus dis
claimed in the programme.
, l. The speeches and resolutions heay
opprobrium upon Republican officials
The School Board has 'srecord of in
fanny" There is ga despot at the State
House" ''The disgraceful ignorance and
corruption in public affairs" is exclusively
attributed to Republican authorities
chosen by the people. Of the city debt
and taxes-almost double that of the
STATE of the expenditures and salaries Of
the city officials, administered by Demo-
Gratis, there is no complaint and no notice.
From this we assume right to say that
the presumed pledge given to the gentle
man who presided over the meeting was not
redeemed in this particular. We may add
further, that we infer political purpose
from the fact that the resolutions and the
principal argument in their support was
moved and made by jealous and promi-
nent Democratic partisans. These gen.
tlemen moved to pledge ian unqualified
support to the Mayor, 'let the conse-
quences be what they may"
We do not suppose that the meeting
considered itself bound by this proposal
to support a palpable refusal to obey the
laws, because Hon. j. S. Whitaker said
'there were difficulties in the way. Laws
existed that must be obeyed until re.
| pealed or amended" and we may pre-
sumo there were others who thought as he
| did. The issue is then made up:
If the Legislature doesenot suspend the
tax on real estate and bestow upon the
City Council the control of the police,
schools, park and drainage systems, the
meeting, with Lear
will do such things
" hat they are, vet know not; but they ehall be
The terrors of the earth.
We rather think these gentlemen differ
rom Lear in that they know very well
what they would do-if they can find
people enough to help them.
2 The proceedings of the meeting were
filled with strange doctrines" only i'm
portant IN this that they are made the
basis of the demand upon the Legislature.
MIR, Ogden insists upon calling his speech
an argument, and it is in all respects the
argument of skilltul advocate made
as such should be, upon the basis of as
sumed facts. The theory of Mr.. Ogden
is, that there are inherent and original
rights in community endowed by the
sovereign with certain powers of self
government. We will agree with him
that vested right, without reservation
and control by the sovereign, may
not be resumed by the sovereign. Tue
whole history of municipal grants referred
to acknowledge that a municipal govern
ment is creature, not sovereign. There
is not power possessed by any munich
pal government of any city in England or
France which has not been granted by the |
sovereign of the one or the other country.
II, then, these powers be derivative and |
not original, in what consists their inde- |
pendence of the sovereign? Such is the
law of these European countries, which |
is not and can not be, even by analogy,
applied to any American municipality,
whether township, county, parish or city. |
We have heard much said of the in
herent right of people living within cer-
tain districts called towns and cities to |
exercise powers which those living with |
out those lines may not do. We may turn
to the constitutions of the principal States
of this Union, and we fiud the principle |
affirmed that all power is in the people. |
They recognize all vested rights of prop.
erty in corporations, but none chat are re.
pugnant to the political omnipotence of |
the whole people. Some of the modern
constitutions contain restrictions upon
municipal powers, and some Democratic |
States, inheriting the hostility to corpora
tions which was once manifested in the |
fight between General jackson and the
Bank of the United States, would scarcely
incorporate railroad company without
right reserved to alter, amend or repeal it.
This theory of popular political ON
impotence regards the education of the
people and the preservation of order as
maintained in all these States. They have
delegated to communities living within
certain distinct boundaries called town.
ships and cities the subordinate duties of
enforcing public order and OF educating
that portion of the children in the State
which may be within their corporate
jurisdiction. TO aff-m any other higher
or independent powers in these corpora
tons per Sc is inconsistent with every re-
publican principle. Indeed, it astonishes
us to see men who claim to be State rights
Democrats praising corporations and in
sisting that they are Independent of the
State itself.
As to the reforms proposed by the land
lords and their highly intelligent at
torneys, we are perfectly willing the
Legislature shall consider them, but as a