New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-01-29

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ASSISTANTS must be abolished. The office
of justices and recorders should be ab0l
iehed, and two recorders with moderate
salaries should be appointed in their stead
All contracts must be advertised by thu
Council and subject to open bids. No con
tracts OF purchases are to be made, N
salaries to be drawn, no promises to pay is
sued except against actual cash in the treas
ury, and on no account shall the city reve
nues be exceeded under severe penalties.
The park tax should be repealed, and th.
lands sold by the board of liquidation. TIT
drainage act should be repealed. The Laws
regarding the civil and criminal sheriff!
should be repealed. go far as they affect tht
| city, as also all other oppressive laws tina
were entailed on the city government by
the Legislature.
An equal assessment must be made Of al
city property, and all exemptions repealed
with the exception of churches and char;
table institutions. The tax for the reGenp
ton of bonds, and the payment OF inreres'
reduced to one-Guarter per cent. The jails
houses OF refuge, asylums and warehouses;
shO2.d be placed under the control of the
city, and might be made selfsustaining
The school tag and police tax must be mod.
lied by the reduction Of twenty-five pei
cent on ali salaries, and the employees re.
ce;ving cash regularly would be in better
condition than they are to-day, when CON-
| p6IteU 10 etil L0elT ccctlucAlc6 1OC ISES IMAM
fifty cente to the dollar.
The revenues Nigh: also be aided If the
many charities-Giro1, McDonogh, Mills
and other dOnatlOEE-were applied Dy q
| legislative law TO the relief OF the city rates
| for schools.
The wharves and waterwo,ke, being in
private handle, would be taxable and the
assessment rolls increased thereby.
TIE contract between the city and the
.%n1f
shortly expire, when it might be rene wed
on terms less onerous to the city. 1t IS the
duty Of al! good citizens 70 unite in -el:ev-
| ing the burden OF taxation.
| The method OF levying taxation is, to my
mind, a subject demanding serious consid-
Grafton. l. would take up TOO much time
TO enter upon full explanation here.
Taxes should be levied equally, 60
that the burden may 10: fall heavily
should be adopted TO prevent evasion.
There is a difficulty in uprooring the pres
| ent eyetem of levying city taxes. 1t has
been IN operation among rs for number
Of years. l could sugges: a system more
productive, and tightly spread over al, bu:
az It is not easy TO subordinate old pre-
1dices to new ideas, shall refrain from
introducing the subject tonight. lie: us
first turn our attention ac this time 70
new Council. and when that step is taken
We shall be able TO sugges. other measures
OF in :erest.
Let us Southern Republicans enter Zasl-
o1sly into this question of reform, noc only
as regards the city, but in all that concerns
our State. when doubtless our fe1low-citi-
ze0s outside Of this organization vii learn
20 respect Us.
There are various opinions regarding the
character OF our organization. There :s q
n, nj -ONy w Sajr NO yro
are Radicals; Others declare tina: We are
organized for the especial purpose OF sup
porting third term, and that we are sec
ton Of the American Union Club. Some
asser. tha. we are a Democratic organiza-
ton. while others boldly state that our
secrecy means mischief. Il is as well
for ne to proclaim aloud, what all in this
assembly well know, that we are not
Radical Republicans, nor are we Radical
Democrats; we are certainly no. tini3 Cor
servatives. We are simply citizens of the
United States, determined 10 support the
policy best suited to the advancement, of
Louisiana and in TO way tied 20 the chariot
wheels OF any party.
Il is with Us Louisiana IRIS, and party
atterwarG"-this motto can be applied 20
any one of the articles Of our platform.
The term Republican is one that ought TO
be hono,ed by every citizen O. the Uni.ed
STATES. We have adopted it in i.s general
sense with the affx Of Southern. We are
N no way entangled with any party, ba.
srard alone as Southern Republicans,
strong in our independence, strong in our
numerical force, and strong n our de-
termination to use vigorously all our power
20 secure reforms; to hurl out of Office oor-
rupc men, to put the bes. men into power
regardless of party lines; yes, party lines,
that are sustained by venslity, pref adice,
an;mosities and feuGs. There are nen who
have been in ctice. and have proved them
selves unreliable, and who are this day seek
ing return to power. We say TO these
mer, stand aside; We say to ali corrupt and
incapable men in office, step down and out.
/. i: means mischief to hurl out OF power
ignorance and vice, then let me tel. these
men plainly, we do mean mischief.
Reason, that divine spark which can not
be entirely extipguished even by the most
violent party strife, must prevail at last,
ana guide US to better state OF things than
has heretofore existed and still exists. |
There are those around Us who were moved
with indignation at the m;ecuie and dis
honesty practiced, but who were restrained
by party considerations from decryiEg the |
evils they lamen.ed. Let them now, cast.
ing aside the trammels of the past, come |
forward and unite their efforts with ours IN |
the great struggle for reform. Catetcered !
as We are by party ties, We invite a.. good |
citizens to unite, and by steady ard con- |
bined system OF action agi-ate. and continue |
TO agitate until We secure the triumph OF |
honest principles over corruption. and over
those fallacies that have helped TO bring |
our city affairs to utter insolvency. l ask |
the whole people to unite as one man and |
shoulder this question OF reform, of too vital |
an importance to be abandoned TO the weak |
efforts OF few.
In the remarks and statements ! have |
made tonight, amid the facts that crowded |
upon me in connection with city affairs, ]
have doubtless omitted large number of |
important truths pertinent TO tie theme, |
for i. is no. possible to say all that might |
be said on our municipal government with
out p-olonging this speech beyond the |
limits of your forbearance. / have en-
deavored to show that the structure OF past |
corporations, and the want OF faithfulness
on the part of men entrusted with public |
affairs, have brought about insufferable |
evils; that to secure better condition of |
things for the future, it will be necessary to |
uproot the existing evils, and in their stead |
reconstruct a city council with men Of NO
ordinary stamp, and municipal system |
based on the truest principles Of economy. |
The propositions l have set before you /
will, / believe, essentially reform our city |
government. have thrown some on light |
the dark pages of its financial history, in |
the hope it will force US to adopt more |
virtuous course.
We have slept over city affairs; let us |
show at this time that it was not the sleep |
of death; that we are aroused from our |
apathy and appreciate the danger; and |
waking up to an honorable activity, We de- |
mand relief for our bewildered and embar- |
raised citizens, that in the end we may o. |
tain the revival of the public credit, the re-
duction Of public expenditure, iudicious |
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