New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-03-30

ssAs"1 u LOUISIANA Is devoted 70 the
Union, and does not intend to abandon
the Union, while Democracy openly de.
nounces the Union as it is and proposes
to bury the present Union principles,
md take whatever form of government
may spring from its grave.
THE POWER OF EQUAL SUFFRAGE De
MED.
The Legislature at its late session
passed an act directing the Common Coun.
Gil OF New Orleans to submit to popular
vote the question whether a certain tai
should be imposed upon real estate TO,
the construction of a railroad. The RE-
PUBLICAN has expressed the opinion that
such an exercise of legislative authority
was proper, but has offered an argument
that such q work, not being indispensable
to the public welfare, did not constitute a
just cause of taxation.
The Legislature, however, has ordered
this question to be submitted, and ap-
pointed the Common Council Of New
/ Orleans an agency to execute the order.
As this is the command of a superior to
an inferior, while we may see ground to
apply to the courts for a construction of
the power exercised, We can not see on
what plea of e~xecutory discretion the sub
ordinate authority can justify its disobedi-
ence to the order.
It seems difficult, however, to convince
the chief executive Of the corporation that
the government Of which his Office is q
component is not an independent sover-
eighty, a. commended for in print and
speech by some baronial commentators on
Magma Charta. The Common Council,
however, has dutifully enacted an ordi-
nance in execution of the order. It was
submitted to his excellency the Mayor,
who returned it with a message explana-
tory Of the reasons why he could not sign
the enabling ordinance.
The Mayor urges n objection which,
if well founded, would render others un-
necessary. Unless, indeed, under his own
claim of an exclusive power Of corporate
taxation, the Council should be held
bound to provide the means which he
says are wanting. The objection is this:
1.-The act imposes a duty without furnish
ing the means to carry 1t into effect"
A man importuned by his friends to
play poker, said he had "a thousand
reasons for not playing. When he ad-
vanced the first. that she had no
money" his friends never troubled him
to complete the category. His excellency,
the Mayor, proceeds, however, to give the
why if the Council had all the
money of Rothschild it should not devote
any Of it to allowing the people to vote on
this question. He thinks that the Leeis-
lature had no power to devolve this right |
Of taxation upon the voters. If the OBJ |
~jections that this tax will violate the fnan- !
,ial restrictions imposed by the constitu-
ion should have occurred to the Cover
aor, or be regarded by the courts, it
would be very well, but seems wholly out
# place in the present message. An
'ther point might have better been made
n the last convention, but comes a little
ate at present. 1t is conveyed in the
GLOWING extract.
If it be maintained that this is a local tax
evied by the majority of registered voters,
submit that, this being by the constitution
representative government, the powers
must be exercised by those duly
elected to perform the respective duties
imposed by it, and that the mass of the
eople have no more right to make a law or
svy . tax than they have to exercise the
xecutlve on judicial functions which have
cen conferred upon other departments.
ee no more rightin q mere majority to vote
way the property of the minority, than to
ote away the liberty or life of an 0bnOx.
'us individual. All such violations of the
ghts of person and property are alike re-
ugnant to the principles of our American
Tstem of government.
Here we have repeated the same doc
inc that the voters should not be al
wed to vote on a question of taxation,
hich the the REPUBLICAN lately COM !
tied with such force of logic and learn
G. We are bumilated by the fear that
S honor has not perused our lucubra-
IN, or that they have failed to produce (,
q same conviction which we claim :
at they produced elsewhere. :
In considering this doctrine, we can not =
lip being struck with the singular in ,
nsistency Of those who call themselves !
smocrats. They call upon the house q
IS tenants to execute their will, even to :
overthrow of the State government; Z
t they fatty refuse these men the right 1
vote upon questions in which the tax a
on of property is involved. y
We have become, however, accustomed :
the total disregard of all consistency. l
mocracy once meant universal suffrage. y
meant a catalogue Of principles of :.
ich re now see Democrats take either =
e. In the cosmopolitan population of ',
great city there must be monarchical, >.
communistic and ecclesias- O
ideas, but to any American, compre- l" a
what Democracy really means, y
is astonishing to see such doctrine as
oh of that embodied in the message of r
Mayor, emanating from a Democratic +,
ctionary, and published in the English n;
guage. !,
SUPREMACY ACKNOWLEDGED.
he Supreme Court has decided that pa