New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-08-02
CITY SUBSCRIPTION TO THE TEXAS PA
CIFIC RAILROAD.

] eees~s
Orleans shall submit to popular vote tn
question whether an annual tax of fiv'
mills shall be levied and collected on eacl
dollar of ''taxable property and othe
subjects of taxation" within the city.
While this tax is not limited to rea
property, We have seen an association o
property holders protesting, in right O
their houses and lots, against the execu
ton of this act upon various grounds
which we will state, as they have ap
peared in the speeches, resolutions ano
bills of injunction emanating from tina,
body;
l. The tax would be unjust in view Of
existing burdens imposed upon the prop.
erty of the city.
2. That it controverts the sovereign
corporate right of the city to direct such
vote without the approval Of the cor
porate authorities.
3. That it is wrong to submit this ques-
ton to the vote of men who among others
have no property to be taxed.
4. That the previous subscriptions of
the city to railroad construction has been
total loss, and is now to the extent of
that subscription burden upon the prop
erty of the city.
We have discussed and opposed these
grounds of objection as they have sever
rally appeared, and do not now propose to
repeat our arguments. We will say, how
ever, that in every other Democratic and
Republican constituency in the United
States the right of men who bear arms
and run with fire engines to vote on any
question affecting the interests or honor
of the communities which they protect
has never been in modern times contested.
We may add, moreover, that while the
landlords pay undoubtedly the larger part
of the taxes, the tenant contributes good
deal in capital invested in trade, ships,
steamboats,, carriages and horses, and in
household goods.
We confne ourselves to the policy
proper to be pursued on this question by
the taxpayers of New Orleans. We do
not propose in the face of all modern ex-
perience to argue the effect of railroads in
the growth and preventing the
decline of cities. We assume the ground
that New Orleans can not arrest decline,
nor institute improvement except by this
railroad and others. To do this it is only
necessary to relieve the existing railroads
of New Orleans from the charge made by
the real estate association, that the city
to their stock has been at
tended with loss, and should warn the city
against any further waste Of money for
similar works of commerce.
A Mr.. Tebault has occupied himself
with accommodating the expenditures of
he State and city as they appear in docu-
nentary reports open to public. We do
aot perceive what this accumulation
proves, except an improvidence which
1as been common to other cities. The
exhibit is coupled with the decline Of the |
axable values of the city, and it is assumed |
hat this decline has been caused by the |
lebt and taxation. We do not assume |
ny party responsibility for this State
lebt, nor impute at this time any respon-
Utility to our political opponents for the
ebt OF the city. 1t is sufficient to say
Lat if this financial oppression has the
xclusively ruinous effect assumed, then
he reduction of the State debt by the
unding system should have arrested
be decline pro tanto both of the
tate and city property. The city of
lew York has paid the same rate of taxa
ion with New Orleans, or nearly the
anne. 1t has an illimitable city debt
'hich has arisen to more than one hun
red and forty millions Of dollars. New
ork has gained in the assessed values of
er taxable property as much as forty
lillions of dollars per annum, while New
rleans has lost the taxable millions
lourned over by Mr.. Tebault. We have
lown also that Chicago lost nearly
ouble the value of our whole taxable
roperty by single fire, which was at
asst as injurious calamity as bad gov
Yet this immense destruction
as replaced with a gain of forty thousand
'pulation within two years. Chicago is
w richer than before. |,
We dislike to repeat these incontro- !
rtible arguments disproving the propo-
ion that debt and taxation constitute
e exclusive cause of commercial decline; |
IT II violent partisans persist in the alb t
rdity of insisting upon cause So in t
mpetent, we are compelled to contrvert I
ch erroneous doctrines. The deduc- b
N from the doctrine of Mr.. Tebault is E
1t any further taxation for any further 6
rpose will accelerate the decline of our U
y. He afirms that nothing but the il
Instruction of such ways as have cut c
ay and carried off the commerce of c
W Orleans will replace that commerce Il
d arrest that decline, and that nothing a
e will.
We proceed to vindicate the only two II
1Sttucted railroads to which New Or G,
MS has subscribed from the iinputation e:
having by the burden Of that subscrip-
u produced the decline Of the city. Il
We take first the Opelousas railroad. et
the capital stock of this work New
cans has subscribed 81, 100000. The "