The New Orleans Democrat. (New Orleans, La.) 1875-1876, 1876-07-03
THE EXPLANATION.

4
Then the mechanics murmured and went away
| swearing vengeance against tho municipal
ass py hs Ds
We do not ask. were aims given them2 They
would have despised such degrading dona:
Did tho Administrators call together the capt
| tatiss and property holders. and ask them to
assist these working men by establishing some
| industry which would bring bread and pay rent
! On the other hand, the baronial element formed
an association OF property holders
The above is the pith of an article
which appeared in the Republican Sun
day morning. The article is in the Re-
pubHcans best style-full of misrepre-
sentation, sophistry and malice. The
hard times, which weigh SO heavily not
only upon the mechanics but upon all
classes OF the community, are due to
causes so widespread and powerful that
the best city administration possible to
be wrought out of human nature could
do but little to give prompt relief.
We have shown before that the taxa
ton Of the country during the last
eleven years has amounted to larger
percentage upon the property and trade
Of the country than the revenues yielded
by property and industry in the most
prosperous nations in the most prosper
Gus times amount to. This simple fact
explains not only the distress of the
working men of New Orleans, but the
distress Of those Of all the great cities
in the Union. 1t also explains the
cause of the distress of the property
holding classes and the decline Of trade
throughout nearly every State in the
Union. Let the working men note the
following fact 50 clearly set forth in the
Democratic platform. Before the war
the Federal taxation amounted to but
SIG, 100000; it is now $450,000,000 1t
seems TO us that any sensible
man can promptly realize the
vast difference the extraction from
the business and property Of the coun-
try of $43i ,000, 200 for the benefit of
officeholders, revenue swindlers, ring
thieves and Washington real estate
rings, must make in the capacity of
holders, business men and
others to employ and pay for labor.
The Republican itself must concede
that Ii the Government absorbs u
large portion of the revenues of these
classes, they are less able to build |
houses, improve their properties, extend
their trade, sell cheap goods, subscribe
to railroad stock. and contribute to other
public and private works which give
and wages, and, therefore,
happiness and prosperity to the working
classes. Will the working men Of New
ernment, since the war, has squand-
cred over seven billions of the
peoples money, and that three
'ourths of this vast sum, sufficient
o pauperize almost any country on
earth, has gone into the pockets
)f politicians and thieves? This
act also tends to explain why
he working men all over the coun-
ry are In need Of money and cannot
ret employment, and it explains how
Tim Blaine the schoolmaster is now Jim
Blaine the millionaire how Babcock,
With the pay of an army officer, &C
Iuired whole rows Of marble build
ngs in Washington; how Boss
shepherd grew to be prince; how all
he whisky thieves and hangers on of
he Administration became wealthy s
zen; how Kellogg and Warmoth, and
II the fat carpet-bag rascals, who came ..
D Louisiana with scarcely a change of
men TO their backs, are now the only :
ich men in the State; and how the t
lew Orleans Republican lives and -four
'hes to revile and perseeute the people
mong whom it exists. s
All the wisdom Of the public men Of |
ne country have sought to remedy this 2
vii, for it exists from one end Of the !.
ountry to the other. The Democratic !
-ouse is now engaged in an effort to I
1T down the appropriation bill $780, Z
10000; the Republican Senate and Y
resident are resisting to the bitter end. y
ov. Tilden has Topped $s,OOO,O0O off ,
he cost Of running the State gov 6
'nment Of New York. But there can be b
} general relief until there is COM T"
etc change Of Federal and State adj
istrations, and a general reform and ri
duction of governmental expenses, Il
hich will emancipate property and is
and, as a consequence, leave -
em free to employ labor. r.
What the present city government a,
uld do for the relief of New Orleans. W
has done. The distress of the work pl
g people cannot be relieved by i
lolesale and reckless system of i'm ar
oyements. There is no money to pay
r the work, and if new taxes are i'm fr
'sed, the relief would only be tenn tu
rary, and the evil, in the end. = =
dly aggravated. The way to re- ra
we the distress Of the workmen
1t to relieve property from it's bur- y,
MS and give new impetus TO trade by or
Sc administration. The present city ST
has reduced the city W;
bit over two millions Of dollars, and tif
economy in the conduct of affairs ~ ~