New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-02-25
THE LANDLORDS AGAINST THE RAIL
ROAD TAX.

-.
of wisdom and justice in demanding .
reduction Of taxes upon their houses with
out reducing in the same proportion the
taxes upon the tenant. 1t was ingenuous'y
argued by Mr.. Archibald MITCHELL on be-
half of the landlords, that reduction OF
the tax upon that brotherhood would be
attended with an increase of the tenants
ability to pay from the large capital which
tho landlord would be encouraged to
| launch into the mechanic arts This
| nroposition he has more recently restated
thus:
If this lost SO, 600, 900, consumed unpro-
duetirely, had been employed productivity
as capital, it is not saying too much that
the additional wealth used in bueinese
would be now 100000. 600. This capital
would lave necessarily found Its invest
ment in railrO ads, manufactures, and IN
stimulating the agricultural industry OF the
State.
The ''unproductive" consumption, we
may state, has been the tax paid by the
landlord, which has been expended chiefly
in labor services and supplies among the
citizens of New Orleans.
1t would seem, however, that this pros
pective and predetermined increase Of
wages, though fortified by the authority OF
Adam Smith, does not satisfy a "bold
tenantry, the country's pride, at all. They
have reasoned upon the license imposed
on them for the privilege of labor; they
look with an evil eye upon the lordly
butchers who raise the price of Texas grass
beef from two to twenty-five cents; upon
the gaslight graudees who have made
them raise million to pay for monopoly
they gave away, and also upon the knights
of the golden drawing, all of which con-
stitute tax upon the tenants and con-
sumers of this commercial capital.
Among the numerous European author
tiles on the nature of capital, rents wages
and labor, we had no reference to fine
old American maxim, all of the good old
time. l. is that representation must be
based upon the number of the people, and
not upon the value ofthe property. 1t is just
here that the European authority cited for
the landlords weakens, and the rights OF
the American tenant come in with great
force.
The decline of our commerce, and the
consequent want of employment for our
people, impressed itself upon some OF our
mercantile tenantry. They could not
bring themselves to pay the landlords
two hundred and fifty dollars month un-
til the arrival of the Democratic shotgun
millennium, when no man shall be allowed
to live in the city unless he shall be
member in good shooting of White
League club.
Some of these merchant tenants, headed
by one of the largest druggists in the
South. came to the conclusion that as
railroads had diverted trade from our
city, railroads might bring it back. So
they organized company for the purpose
Of connecting with the Texas system, and
instead Of going to Wall street to sell
bonds, they commenced to canvass, and
with signal success, the city and coun-
try interested. One has but to look at
the extended list of subscribers to this
stock to see the zeal with which the
tenants have taken up the enterprise.
The tenantry have gone little further.
Not finding the landlords, perhaps, as
deeply impressed with the Importance of
this work as could be wished, and aware
that very many millions of this real estate
was the property of persons living in New
York, Paris or elsewhere abroad, the ten
ants were not altogether content to main
tain the gaslight and butchers meat no.
bility at home, but must strain their
narrow incomes to build railroad which
would enhance the value OF real estate.
The Democratic House Of Representatives
has passed an act imposing a tax upon the
real estate Of the city in aid of the
same, subscribed by the tenantry of the
city, and thereupon Mr.. Mitchell,
on behalf of the landlord, domestic
and alien, lays down Adam Smith,
Ray and Condorcet with heavy thump,
and proceeds to protest against any such
act. He proves by these authorities that
there is but one thing the matter with
New Orleans-it is Kellogg-and consid-
ers it extremely absurd to build railroads |
until this disqualification to progress shall
have been removed. As the Shreveport |
exterminator showed such state of |
theft and arson in our State |
IS to scare away every sane German, so |
Mr.. Mitchell and the Democrat pre-
sent such misgoyernment and corrup- |
ion as to make the most speculative capt. |
alist button his pocket at the approach |
If President Wheelock or any Of his sub
,cription solicitors.
Having assumed that the railroad can
not be remunerative because of misgov-
it is argued that the failure OF |
capitalists to subscribe to its stock is a |
proof that it will not pay, and from these
premises it is inferred that the road will
not be Of public advantage. The far
holder position is then taken
That if this road was completed and rum
ming into New Orleans although certain in
terests would be promoted, no sensible
advantage would result to the people in the
aggregate.
know that the advantages claimed for
this road are utterly fallacious, and am
prepared to prove them SO.
L Ah;.lz 4ha4 nanaral 0ninion rhial |