The New Orleans Democrat. (New Orleans, La.) 1875-1876, 1876-03-19

"
y means" The character OF the presen
. State administration is 50 we'll know
o that the whole country is astonishe'
9 and shocked at its Identification witt
( the business and property interests Q
Louisiana. Have the merchants 0
alization," asks one. 'that they hav
become the defense of the Kellogg gov
ernment?" "By what hideous mora
! and political process" asks another
"have the commercial and property in
terests Of New Orleans become iden
} titled with the foulest, most corrupt ane
infamous administration which dis
graces civilization"
In assuming that the Radical party |:
the refuge OF the business and propert,
interests Of louisiana, the Republican, ane
Mr. Kellogg insult the common sense
derision and contempt Of other com
munities. Nevertheless, it Is unfortu-
nately true that there are many men OF
business and property among us who,
II they do not accept the patronage OF
the Republican and Kellogg, still act
as though they believe that the mate
rial interests OF the State can be better
subserved by acquiescing in Kelloggism
than by fighting it to the bitter end.
These persons can appeal to nothing In
the eight years of Radical domination
In Louisiana to sustain their
extraordinary opinions; and they
only meet us with vague and
impracticable ideas Of the policy Of
defeating aggressive wrong by acquies-
cnce in 1t. These business men and
property holders, who hope to pacify
the State and restore the era OF pros
perity and wealth, by ceasing the war
fare upon Radicalism, before they can
make their position defensible must
show that the impoverishment OF the
State and the prostration Of all its in
dustries have resulted from the Demo
cratic and Conservative party antago-
nizing Radicalism, and not from the
corrupt practices Of the Radical Off
cials g. g.i. rs
TO show the utter fallacy Of any
policy Of relief, based upon acquies-
cence In Radicalism, it is only necessary
to discover the processes by which the
State has been FRUSTRATED and ruined
II Is notorious fact that, in less than
four years. the value of the property of
the State has deprecated fully one hun
dred millions Of dollars. It Is equally
notorious that our cities and towns In
the last eight years have been on the
decline. and that throughout the par
ishes evidences of poverty and decay
exist everywhere. Our<soil is as pro-
life, our climate as temperate, and
the seasons have been as regular as in
the time when prosperity was the order
of the day In Louisiana. and each sue
ceeding year added to the wealth of the
State. What has produced the change
Who is responsible for the poverty and |
decay which surround us The chief
cause, we think, Is to be found in the
excessive taxes which have been col
lected under the Radical regime from
the property and business interests Of
the State.
In the past eight years, the Radical
have extorted from the
tax payers Of Louisiana fraction under
the enormous sum OF $4,000, 900, and
the municipal and parish taxes have
to probably as much more.
This money has been collected from the
people and made away with, and for
what? We have no railroads, no public
no secure levees, no canals,
10 bridges, no decent school system.
Dur charitable institutions have suffered
or the want OF adequate support, and
he insane, the blind and the sick have
,een disgracefully neglected. At the
anne time property values have been de-
troyed to the amount OF one hundred ,
Millions Of dollars an enormous State
ebt has been created, and the people ,
re to be taxed for many years to como ,
9 pay the interest, and finally the prin-
ipal Of 1t. Thus, two Radical admins
rations have cost the people Of Louisi-
ma at least $75, 1000, 900 in cash, paid as :,
axes; 500, 00O, 600 in the depreciation of !
and saddled them with debt
bStNCCH ultCou anu CWcuJy ulllilOuS.
II this has been extorted from and put {
pom the people Of State the Z
hole property Of which in 1870 n
as but 1915, 100000. Far more than 4
alf of the value Of the property Of the \
tate has thus been absorbed and stolen i
y the government of the State, and .
by its wicked and proflgate :,
iministrations. !
Any sensible merchant or property Il
older who recognizes these astounding 9,
cts need no longer puzzle his brain to Il Il
scover the cause of the decline Of his 4
AIDE or the depreciation Of his proper b
;. Any mechanic who perceives them o.
N tell why he has no contracts, and a
e laborer who understands them can
count for his being out Of work and
ing reduced almost to the necessity of :,
'gging to keep his wife and children :.
ON starving. The needs Of the masses =
mankind in the most prosperous y
'untries constantly press upon their ~
innings, and the richest country on earth "
ould soon be impoverished bv such
rate OF taxation and such govern n
entail policy as have afflicted Louis. cs
Ma since it fell under the curse az ~