The New Orleans Democrat., 1876-08-12

morazing influences OF this cnrpetsbhg
iaiaulty, the morals ~ the people have
become 10 n certain extent corrupted
But tho government which has done
tbia and disorganized our indnstraeA.
was forced upon us by conquest. aud
hns been maintained by a force that
could not be resisted. ..,lss,.f,f.. osIi.
However, we do not care 10 dwell
upon this exception 10 the Bn'icfins
proposition. What we do. object ", u.
that our noighbor does not adhere 70 lts
very clear and truthful declaration that
bad government and disorganized In
dustries arc concurrent ci,lamities. IL
assumes this ground In common with
tho DEMOCRAT, and then proceeds TO
contradict IL by saying that "some of
the most prosperous people have devel.
oped their wealth under the most odiotis
and oppressive governments. We can
designate number OF nations with the
richest natural resources. which. Mt
ono period OF their history, en-
joyed splendid prosperity. but
which, under bad government
and excessive taxation have become
wrotchedly poor. miserable and con.
temptible. But we know of no people
who have nourished under nlsrulo.
rapacity and oppression. There Hrc M.
merous instances Of nations which have
grown rich ana great under desl'otic
rule, and of others which have advanced
In prosperity and civilization though
tho personnel Of the government WINS
bad aral It's Internal administration to
certain cxtent corrupt, but we have
read OF no country that advanced In
material wealth which was run in the
interest Of individuals. which failed to
enforce the laws, and which was the
scourge Of It's people. France, under
tho wretched despotism Of Louis XIV,
supported splendid aristocracy and
the most magnificent court In the
world. TO tho superficial observer. tho
sntion seemed rich and prosperous.
But the accounts given MS Of the condi-
tion of the people by tho historians OF
tho period, even now harrow our hearts.
The B,,iletin quotes Montesquicn
against Junius. as quoted by the
DEMOCRAT, to show that bad govern
Inent and excessive taxation are not the
causes Of national decay. We do
rot find that the quotation from
Montesduieu Is at all in conflict
with the quotation we gave from tho
great English writer. But II 1t be.
tho weight Of authority Ia certainly with
Junius. who was ono Of tie ablost poll
tical writer's Of his time. while Montes-
quieu. though man of splendid
genius. was rather n speculative philos-
opher than practical statesman.
The DEMOCRAT hns never held that
high taxation was in every case an evil,
or that the arts. manufactures and in
dustriea are not essential to a peoples
prosperity. Low taxation is always to
be preferred TO high taxation:
but undoubtedly there nre times
under the best and purest ad-
ministrations. in which the public
interests require IL high rate OF taxation,
and when the revenues thus raised arc
honestly applied to legitimate purposes,
it is only narrow sclfishDess which
proans. Tho taxation which bltghfs
and prostrates property, trade and In
dustry, IL that which is levied and
gathered by rapacious and corrupt ad-
ministratiou and squandcred orBtolen ny
corrupt officials. Indeed, under this sort
of taxation the sort we have had In Lou
isiana- accompanied by naladministra-
tions Of all descriptions, property de-
preciates In value, the people are impov-
erished, and often the oppressors are
forced to illustrate the observation ol
Montesquieu, that IL Is necessary to re-
duce taxation In proportion to the IN.
crease Of the degradation and ruin OF
the people. The people become too
poor TO pay the higher rate; their prop
critics and industries fall to yield reve-
nues, and the rate must be reduced to
the capacity OF tho wretched people or
slaves to pay. This has been the case
In this city and State. The rates OF the
city tax and OF the State tax have been
reduced, IL IL true, but at the same time
the property Of the people have de-
preciated to less than halt its value,
and much OF IL has failed to yield
any revenue whatever; therefore the
present lower rate Of interest js actually |
a heavier burthen upon the taxpayers
than was the former higher rate. Bad
government and excessive taxation are
evils under which no State can flourish,
and Montesquieu does not contradict
Junius on this point. saa,.. al.
We are not less pronounced than our
neighbor In tho opinion that tho arts,
manufactures and industry are essen
tial to the prosperity OF the people,
and we desire that "a governmental sys-
tenn should be established in Louisiana
which will give them ample protection,
and under which they can thrive and |
flourish. We desire to see the fallow
lands OF the valleys Of the Mississippi
and ira tributa rias opyered with wall |