New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-04-06

selfish motives, and then affirmed that
the exercise of this right is doubtful and
dangerous. The baronial ideas advanced
at public meeting some months since,
with the protest against tax by suffrage
which we have quoted, have awakened
the apprehensions of at least one real
Democrat of the Jefferson school. We
find in column of the Democrat, almost
parallel with that in which is found the
doctrine above quoted, communication,
from which we take the extract that fol-
lows:
Allow me, as an ancient and for
thirty years unswerving Democrat, to in
quire when the doctrine that only taxpay-
.ers had the right to vote on the question
of taxation, and those only are taxpayers
who own real estate, houses, ETC., became
Democratic ideas and principles. We re-
member that under the old constitution
of 1872 the right Of suffrage was limited
to this class, and not being Of them the
subscriber was debarred of the right
of voting. together with large number
of mechanice, artisans and professional
gentlemen. They were turned away
from the polls. to make way tor the aris-
tocratic class of house owners and specu-
latOrs in swamp lots. But the honest
masses, whose skill and labor had produced
the money with which these lots were
bought and these houses built, did not long
rest under this eystem, and accordingly
convention was called in lS45, which abol-
ished the property qualification, and e.
tablished universal or manhood suffrage.
About this time it was discovered what,
In al p1afr
cratic class, we imagined was fundamental
idea of Democracy. that it was labor which
produced money. with which the landlord
and capitalists paid his taxes, and that it
was false in fact III politics and in political
economy, that the owner of real estate was
the only and real taxpayer in this and in
other communities similarly composed
We are amazed to find, however, this
long exploded and obsolete doctrine has
been suddenly revived, and it is regarded
az great injustice to the owners OF houeee
and lots that their tenants and the labor
ers who produce all the wealth and create
all the values taxed, should be invested
with the right of voting to tax themselves,
and thereby contribute a portion of the
prod ucts of their skill and labor to the ad-
vancement of the prosperity of the city and
the general welfare.
This comes with great authority, and it
is a commendable evidence of fairness
that journal should publish in all the
prominence of loaded brewer document
which not only controverts the argument
of the journal, but imputes to many who
bear the Democratic banner en- utter
abandonment of Democratic principles.
We have said the same thing as this
Ancient Democrat" because his Democ-
racy is our own, but we were scoffed at.
We could remind this ancient Democrat
that the Democracy of the Calhoun school
was never that of jefferson. The first
concentrated tho representation of the
people in the State. 1t sought to limit
the power of the popular majority. JEFF
ferson believed that all power resided in
numerical majority of the people, limited
so far as they might choose to limit by
their representative agents by constitu-
tional provision.
''The gentlemen of Louisiana" as the
Picay1ne is fond of calling them, and
'the minority" as the property holders
and their organ style themselves, repre-
sent the ingenious apprehensions with
which Mr.. Calhoun regarded the numeri-
cal majority, sometimes styled the ''rab-
BILE The true Democracy of Jackson,
in his celebrated reply to the
sentiment Of Mr.. Calhoun, still slumbers
in the memory of such ancient Demo-
Gratis" as know what Democracy really is.
The danger of Southern social and
property institutions, the prejudice against
Radicals" and yankees" negro suf
frage and reconstruction have presented for
years past questions so paramount, that
the true principles Of republican govern
ment have been neglected. When, however,
the right of the whole people who
fight battles, and put out fires to vote
on any and all questions affecting the
welfare of society is denied; when brick
and mortar are proclaimed more precious
than soul and brain and Drawn, the sepa-
ration Of "the aristocratic class of house
owners and and spectators in swamp
lots" from the hard-handed ''tenants and
laborers who produce all the wealth and
create all the values taxed" is too palpa-
bic to escape the observation or the just
censu-e Of can Ancient Democrat.