The New Orleans Democrat., 1876-04-19
THE PROPOSED TAN.
And the Independent Press.

Editer Democrat There are not n
few honorable citizens of this unfortu-
nate city who will feel obliged to you
for publishing yesterday the able argu-
ment Of counsel before Judge Hawkins.
on tho subject of taxing property holders
by vote to build tho New Orleans Pacific
Railroad Truc. in doing this thing. you
only performed plain duty of the just
and conscientious journalist. but, inas-
much as such conduct IL the exception in
thcse degenerate days. some Of US can
not rcpress D lifting obligation.
The course that has been pursued by
the so.callcd ''independent press on
this important subject of taxing capital
to build railroad. during the past few
weeks. Is simply shocking, and only u
harvest of evil can come from such seed
sown in the hearts of the unthinl,ing
mass.
One would suppose that when great
subject of this kind Is brought before
the people. involving. rs IL does. inter
ests aud principles or the greatest mag
nitude. that the man who claims MS u
special journalistic virtue that quality
called independence. would be sure that
his readers were. to the fullest extent
that his own pen and the legal contro-
versy permitted, equally informed on
both sides of tho question. If u
newspaper IL strictly independent"
on any subject at all. it can
assuredly be 50 on such subjects
outside the domain of unmixed
politics, as involve tho great general
interests OF society. If it is not indie
pendent enough to give It's readers both
sides of such questions, then IL is to that
extent fraud on the community from
which il derives its support. Beyond n
question such journals sail under false
colors, and they must. in the end sap
the foundations OF society.
A set Of men put their heads together
hero to build railroad TO Texas. they
appeal to holders OF property to come
forward and contribute to the enter
prise. to certain extent the appeal Is
favorahly responded to- and they com
mence TO build But the amount sub
scrbed is not sufficient. and they lobby
through mongrel Legislature bill TO
force those who will not subscribe will
lingly This is the plain statement Of
affairs.
Controversy arises. and we look to the
light general light We look to them
to illumine the whole subject. so that
each man shall, as fully as his intell-
gence will permit, vote with his eyes
open. But what have we seen instead
Vituperation. denunciation, misrcpre-
seniation, ridiculc, and-worse than
all-more than covert appeals to the
agrarian spirit to vent itself on prop
erty II only a few crazy or uninfluential
citizens are opposed to the principle on
which ii is proposed to build this road,
why these ceascless, herculean efforts
with poisoned weapons If the correct
ness of the principle oftaxation of prop
erty for private enterprise is so plain
that only few selfish and blatant fool $
oppose, why this disregard OF argu-
ment to disprove the Legitimacy OF their
position? Why this studied suppression
Of one side of the question, and this re-
sort to spasmodic effort to support the
other? II the question Of extortion by
taxation is so plainly right and just that
he who reads must understand, why not
let the people read.
Alas the men who are at the head Of
this taxation movement are driving an
unfortunate wedge into this commun-
ty. For years the white people Of
Louisiana have been struggling against
the fixed implantation here Of princ-
pies which invade the dearest rights Of
man and render property the legitimate
spoils OF the ballot box. BY the asser- |
tion of such principles on the part of the |
worst class Of men foisted on us by des-
potism we have been sunk almost into
We had hoped for some
thing better than that on the first dawn |
of our redemption our own people could |
be found attempting the completion of
their own ruin. But it seems that such |
an end is threatened. Let us still hope |
that the struggle at the polls on this |
vital question may be averted. At such |
q time as this of 1876 it looks like sin
that such a struggle should come. The
wedge will be fatal and there is sure |
day Of remorse for him who drives it.
LAST DITCHER,