The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1876-01-09
The Mayor and the Council.

his Intelligent efforts to educate his Board
of Administrators in some of the more
ordinary principles of Democracy and trne
government. But the disappointment
is mitigated by the fact that his effort,
though partially failure, has been to
great extent success. By great persist
ence be has obtained the cutting down of
city taxes to one and one-half per cent. If
the curtailment has not gone quite as far
as he insisted, and as it ought to have gone,
it has come very near it.
The Board flinched before the insolent
State usurpation known as the school tax
and police tax. The State authorities have
not shadow of right to impose special
taxes, for the constitution provides that
taxation imposed by them must be eqnal
aud uniform, not special and local. There
is another reason also. Representatives
elected by one parish can not have the right
in Republican country, even if the consti-
tuition specially gave it to them, to impose
taxes in which their constituents can have
no interest. The principle Of Republican
ism is that they who are to pay taxes shall
have the erclusire power of assessing them
directly or by their represen tstives. 1t is
simply usurpation, and truly insolent
one at this late day, for any body of citi
zens or their representatives to assume the
right of fixing taxes which others will have
to pay.
But our worthy, if not wise, Administra-
tors could not see that. 1t was too abstruse
for them. They can see that the Boston
;rk& 4 khoff of hA
no taxation without representation" but
when it comes to no taxation BEYOND rep
resentation, it is getting too deep. The
representatives of the people to be taxed
can, of course, fix the rate, but the repre-
sentatives Of other people have certainly
nothing to do with il.
And then these good and portly citizens
got frightened. They grew pale before
Kellogg and-taxed us. Kellogg was go
ing to cut off their heads {; not that they
cared for their heads, no, but Kellogg would
appoint some three per centers, nay, per-
| haps ak per centers, in their place. They
shrank back aghast before the conception.
This comes of consulting lawyers ard
paying them. OF course the lawyers will
naturally think that they are employed on
one side or the otber,--it is almost impos-
sible for an attorney to consider himself
retained on both sides at once-and, equal
! ly of couree, they will give powerful OPT
pion on the side that employs land pays)
them. 1t is evident, from the views of the
LAWYERS in this case, for which side they con-
sidered themselves employed.
Notwithstanding the dignity of those
! gentlemen, we must however consider them
as pokipg quiet joke at the good
Administrators in the danger which they
pictured of fearful judgments for damages
to he sued for and obtained against them.
Why, we ought to have Administrators
who are Judgment proof. w hat right has a
man to be politician unless he can snap
his fingers at the sheriff. If he is afraid OF
a Il. ia he is fraud,-a man who is not
able to stand up to his party in tight
place. Indeed, wesuppose that profession
al politicians will receive with a ely wink
the terrific threats of suits held over the
head of our timd Administrators by
, Messrs. Semmes and Mott.
But those gentlemen may have beer
serious in intimating that grave conse'
quences to the public would ensue from the
appointment by the Governor of sue
t cessors to the present Administrators.
SO, we prefer Mayor Leeds opinion, tina
. it would be the better policy to confron
the danger. The are two reasons for this
e First. Our State is apparently on thu
: verge of self-government.
: Secondly. There can be no doubt that tn
0 decision cited in reference to the New TorI
q Metropolitan Police was purely partiSa
q Judgment. The courts of this country can
q not settle down on the doctrine that take
= may be levied by any but the persons VIII
8 will have them to pay or their representa-
Q tives. The State authorities must, of course
Ak the charter and mode Of government q
e local corporations, but they must not in