New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-04-28
THE PEOPLE PAY MORE TAX THAN THE
PROPERTY.

/ NV" S0A AoOs SAAVuSA P1ejuuAcos A0oc
1.-The people for whose interest it is ir
. tended. We regret still more that anon
the journals calling themselves Demo
cratic-with the public authorities assum
ing the same appellation-there is no on
that will take the side Of the people an
demand fair apportionment Of taxation
between capital and industry. Upon on,
selves, denounced as Radicals, is impose,
the duty, always offensive to wealth, Q
defending the rights of the people agains
the arrogant assumption Of those VIII
claim exemption from the equal burden
of peace and war.
Are we asked for proof Of a charge 8.
| grave? 1t is to be found in the Demo
cratic claim Of ''sanctity'' for property
in the veto Of the Democratic Mayor de
nying the right of the non property holder
to vote tax on property, and in the &C
ton of the property holders themselves.
This self-constituted department of gov.
eminent asserts that it
Was formed to protect the property Of
the city from total c0nfiscation, threatened
by the plundering Of political banditti,
which has had control of the State Legisla-
ture for years, and lie utterly opposed to the
imposition of any and all taxes by popular
vote a. teing the very worst sort of com
munism, and calculated to destroy all rights
OF property.
The ''sanctity of property" and its ex-
emption from taxation by the people is
thus affirmed by Democratic and nom
political authorities-never by Repub-
licans.
The REPUBLICAN has heretofore con-
tended that the tax imposed upon the in
dustry of the people is greater in proper
ton to their interest in the welfare of So
ciety than that to which property is sub
jected. The tax on property is direct,
and fixed by law. The tax on the nom
property holders is indirect, and is even
increased by portion Of the tax on prop
erty devolved upon them.
l. The tax on the license to sell goods,
wares or merchandise, or to practice pro- :.
fessional or mechanical industry. There
is no wholesale or retail dealer in the
city, there is no man OF woman working
at any lawful or licensed trade, who does
not daily protest against the rate Of IL 4
censes imposed by the city as out of pro-
portion to the profits Of his or her bust |
ness. There is no one who pays this |
license that does not, as far as foreign |
competition will permit, charge the
license in the expense account, and so
devolve it upon those who buy their goods
or employ their services.
2. The tax on real estate. We suppose
no one will question that the landlord
devolves upon the tenant as much of this
tax as competition and the ability of the
tenant will permit him to do. The tax is
IS much an item in the expense account
IF the landlord as the interest, insurance
md repairs upon his property investment.
3. The tax on food. The system of de-
living revenues from the sale'ef the mar
zets is of great antiquity. We have no
expectation that anything we could say
viii effect it. . 1t is, in fact, farming
ut the public revenues. What is this
ractice? To sell to the highest bidder
be exclusive right to sell food to the
eople. These food contractors NAV
id up for the privilege of selling food to
he people, as other contractors or suffers
hight contract to sell government teef to
le army or to the Indians. The bid is
,gulated by experience of the value of
'od consumed in the market. The city :
mits the rates to be charged by the con-
actor for the market space employed by
10 vendor. Let US examine somewhat
le tax imposed on the consumer by the Q
lie Of market contracts. A butchers P
all pays twenty-five. cents a day, or 0
u % per annum; fish stall, three u
ct by four, pays s54 rs; fruit stall,
sumed at six feet by four, at two cents II
superficial foot, would cost Sl75 so a 81
ar. T.
We need not work out the total cost OF e
these items Of Indirect tax upon the e,
nsumer. Enough has been shown to ci
tisfy any impartial mind, that the sane 81
y Of personal right has been invaded, o,
d so far from the property holder pc
living any right to demand the limita- tn
n OF his own tax according to his own th
innate, the tenant who owns no prop te
y, save his own industry, pays much nj
eater od ra'orem tax than is paid by the ce
operty holder. Besides the share of m,
tax on property, sales and industry an
'olves upon the tenant, and the obliga- th,
Us OF military and fire service. TO,
When, therefore, we have seen Demo-
tic Mayor maintaining the sancti.y of +.
perty, denying the right of the citizen
D owns no property to vote upon the | in
es upon property, we certainly have a COT
1t to have expected veto on the food evi
which the market contractor is author out
to collect from the consumer. gui
here was once Democracy in the org
th based on comprehension of prin- dis
es. Its great hold upon the people ing
sisted in its gift Ct suffrage to ill per inf
} who could, under institutions gre
| existing, enjoy or exercise this OF
t. This. Democracy defended the flag
Die by resisting the tariff as lam
indirect and unequal tax upon the itse