New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-07-19
OUR RUIN0Us TARIFF.

| CO0t11OutlOO EXCESSIVE 8uO OA6PAOPVASAOAA
ate to that paid by property for the same
purpose. He who supports his family in
chief part upon supplies of food. clothing
or other material imported under an i'm
post tax pays more in proportion to
his interest in the government than
he who cultivates his land and sub
sists his family in chief part from
the untaxed product of the land. It was
also objected by the Republicans Of the
South that this system of indirect and I'm.
equal contribution could not be estimated
or, indeed, felt by the people as if
it were directly imposed upon the prop
erty of the people. A government might
thus exact sums of which the people
were unconscious. A community might
thus suffer from indirect taxation as from
internal hemorrhage. 1t might be found
reduced to extreme weakness by cause
of which it was ignorant. It was as the
young man dying Of night sweats, until
it WAS discovered that he was uncon-
sciously sleeping over bakers oven.
The strength Of this Republican argu-
| ment against indirect taxation has been
made manifest in New Orleans. There
| is direct tax on real estate and on the
license to labor. Every proprietor of
shanty and every agent for the Pontal-
bites of foreign lands can feel the
weight of this tax. Every mechani-
cal workman is aware of the pen
atty imposed upon his humble in
dustry. When, however, every resident
of the city comes to know that somehow
or other, do what he will, pinch himself
and family in their supplies, he can not
realize enough from his industry to stand
a months sickness, these people can not
tell what is the matter with them. Labor
and economy do not result in competence
here as elsewhere. The anti-Republican
politicians rush forward and tell these
people that republican form of govern
ment is the cause of their disappointment.
We will explain to them the source of
these evils. It will be easy to show them
whence comes this exhaustion of their
industrial vigor and vitality. They have
been sleeping over the oven of indirect
taxation. The bakers in this case are the
Democratic Mayor and Administrators
The sentiment of this distinguished
troupe is known to be adverse to the
imposition Of taxes upon property. It
has effected grand economy by with
holding the tax levied in payment of
debt interest and converted it into a
premium scheme. Its great financial
resource, however, consists in the collec-
ton Of indirect taxes from license to
labor, to sell goods, exhibit shows, use
water, or eat victuals. These are all in
direct taxes, not regulated by any princi-
pie Of equality in the contribution and
participation Of the citizen in the bless
ings of government. It is this system
Of indirect exaction which sweats and
depletes the citizen who owns no
property. 1t is this insensible per-
spiration of the purse that sends the
utensils and the keepsakes of the poor to
the pawn shop; that hounds the tenant out
of his furniture into the streets of some
other city; that fills the club houses with
aspirants to Office and expectants of poll
teal pay. Not only do these poor people
pay every cent of the merchants license
and the landlords tax, which can be in
directly packed into the prices of their
goods, or the rent of their dwellings, but
they pay an enormous indirect tax in
their food. Here is the evidence:
1t was thought that if the efforts now
being made to close up the private markets |
be sold for 100000 for two years. The |
revenues are pledged for only 5000, 900, and |
after paying this amount there would be |
left $500, 900 to be used in carrying on the |
city government.
Why should the private markets have |
been closed? Who, in an American |
country, ever heard Of law prohibiting |
the farmer to sell his produce to whom he |
pleased? Here he is placed in the hands |
of the market monopolists. What can be |
more plain' efforts are now being made
to close up the private markets" This
competition excluded those to whom the
city sells the sole right of food supply,
may put any price they agree on among
upon meat, vegetables and
fruits, and the citizen is obliged to stand
it. The city anticipates half million of
dollars. For what do the purchasers
pay? For the right to reimburse them
selves for the half million paid to the
city, and then to make any further profits
that may be exacted from the popular
Is it excessive to say that
the revenues collected from a sale of the
right of taxation will cost the people from
of a million to million of
dollars? This is indirect taxation. Taxed
in their labor, assessed, IN fact, with a
share of the landlord and merchants tax;
then taxed Indirectly in their food, the
aon-property holder of New Orleans bears
IN undue and excessive proportion Of the
burdens Of government This is done in
he name Of Democracy, which ought to
signify those who protect the people, and
vho are in effect the people. These
take that sacred name, and
hus disguised perpetrate political enormi-
les which have carried kings to the
caffold.