The New Orleans Democrat., 1876-07-16

Denses OF that year remained unSetJlsu.
Mayor Wilt and his Council left 70 their
Successors unpaid taS bills OF 1874 ana
preceding years amounting to three or
four millions Of dollars. These were
the assets by which the unpaid expenses
OF 1874 were TO be settled. It was not
the fault OF Mayor Witt that the Coun-.
eli was unable to collect the taxes OK
1874, any more than 1T Is tho fault OF ms
successor that tire overdue and unpaid
taxes Of 1876 and previous years cannot
be collected and applied to the debts
| and expenses of the city. But "Citizen,"
/ with his customary Inconsistency,
blames Mayor Wiltz for urging the
collection OF city taxes, and then blatnes
| him for not paying tho city deots.
The simple fact is that the tax debtors
Of the city were poor in 1873 and ~, and
are still poor. Many OF them could not
pay at ali /; many could only pay by great
sacrifices; and q great many others
are and have been for years unwilling
to pay. il able. Taxes in this city
have been exorbitant but they haye NOT
been imposed by our citizens. Wnen
Mr.. Witz was Mayor threefourths OF
the city tax was compulsory under tne
laws OF the State, and the balanee, Ii u
conId have been collected, would have
been no more than sufficient to meet
the city's current expenses. Wesscidrco
, ly need mention these facts. familiar ~
!,
citv affairs. No Just citizen will censuro
Mayor Wiltz for the city bonded debt OF
more than twenty-five millions that met
! him at the tbreshhold Of his admins
, tration. nor for the State laws when
, compelled him and his Council 10
assess and collect tax to pay
, the interest and redeem the principal
} Of this debt, nor for the State police,
? which the city was obliged to support,
nor for the costly drainage contracts by
/ which the city was fettered rs WIN
: chains Of brass nor for the vast floating
debt left by his predecessors, nor ZOE
| the poverty OF our people, nor lot tne
acts Of officials over wnom ne nau ~
$ control. nor for the State Legislation nc
tated by the citys enemies.
: Increase Of the City Debt.
= As TO "Citizen's" charge that Mayor
+ Wiltz and his Council increased the deus
y If t the eitv. it should be noted that the
i. WiItz administration reduced the as
t sessment (917 900, ,000) seventeen mlilloH
y dollars, and 1 need only quote from the
memorial OF the present Council TO tne
General Assembly, dated February j,
1876. and signed by Administrators
: Burke, Pilsbury and Brown. After CIV,
J ing n statement OF past expenses anu
:, present debt, they add:
I'm this connection it is proper 70 say tnas i,sa
7 but Tor he issue OF drainage bonds the WiiN
. Administration would nave exiilpttea = ,s, -
l. zion of tho bonded debt Of about one nli0n 81
II doiiars in additlon to the decrease u expend-
!, tnres by said administration of one million oos-
= = ,ars pr yea. .
% Fellow citizens. you have before you
d the charge of "Citizen" and the con-
D. trary statement OF three honoraple
+ administrators. Which do you De-
! lieve !? c.v
xsfd ~
* as C,itv Attorney, Mr.. Witt Is not responi..
II sible. He he had no vote in the Councu
r, for Attorney. He neither urged nor op-
s. nosed any candidate, and did not Try tQ
I'd do Indirectly that which he had no Legal
" authority to do directly. The Admlnis-
re tors acting, as we may presume, IoI la eno
le Good of the city i'm their best Judgment.
sd retaiped Mr.. Lacey, but Mayor WIZ
u did not urge or ask any one of tnem ~
IL vote for him, nor utter to any one u
ne them q wish or preference OF his own 40
k to the election, nor at any time say an
ne thing to either Of them to bias tnen, loi ~
a. or against him or any other canuluailo;;
;e SO far as 1 know Mr.. Lacey attenue, ata.ua,. !,
a. to the business Of the city with apiiity
q and fidelity. For the first sixteeii ~
ID months Of the term OF Mr.. Witt, Ut. M
lie Lacey held the city attorneyship Dy the
he election Of the Flanders Council, and
OF dnrine this time the Administrations mao
to occasion to observe his diligence, aoii.iey
'le and success in conducting tne iltgaaeiroan - y
ed of the city. They found him ana ms
ed assistants laboring to promote the ihter.
ar- ests Of the city and to protect me- me-
We AGAINST the importunate and exorpitan'
mt demands of greedy claimants. Belnl
or able and industrious, well acqul,h..es. ~
with the affairs and litigation OF tne
an CITY. and held in esteem IN all courts co, ~
both State and Federal, the Councli die
n mia ff, frangfrT
~ ~ complicated litigation OF the city TO an
~ other member OF the bar. During tns
an siY months ending July l. 1874, MI
sIy Lacey obtained in the Supreme Courto
,at the State one hundTed and saIty-hsTes g
a aro judqnaents, and during that perion y
the same court there were puG -" &
ad ili01o,ents rentlered against ute ctty. Z
cd cd similar success attended the business
caj his office during the rest OF the term
ne the Mayor and Council. ,,,.,.
nJ rnJ Had Il been true that Mayor Wiltz au
he vocated the retention OF Lacey az 1lb
itv Attorney. it would only have snow
,ed that he Is not an extremist anu l.,..ss pl.so
for Bnt as he had nothing at ali 10 do 2
a. a. sav in the matter, the charge require
ar ar Il" No ,ess a reformer than New York
,ev great Governor, Samuel J. iliuen, ss na
i've been charged by partisan jealousy W. wie
not the same oIen?o ~ ef;aars irreanectiy
, in available ana tr,eu taodanta Senate
iun rei Bayard, and the whole press, have =
he their seal of appreciation, and applaude
j,i lie this action OF the great reformer.
the The 18th Of september
IT., Perhaps the most remarkable charg
IN made AGAINST Mr.. WilZ by "Citlzen ]
It'll that on the memorable Fourteentn :
'ew September he was not seen at o9'
ent Penn's headquarters. This may .sc,., 2
not true, but the impression Wnieh ~ ~,
eX- zen3 meant to create by 1t, tnat Mi
our Witt did not sympathiZe In the move
mant of orr felloW-citizens on that o.