The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-05-23
NEW ORLEANS PACIFIC RAILROAD.
THE RAILROAD TAN.


Editor Den,ocras-since the legality of the tax
to construct the above road was submitted 10 the
judiciary have abstained from discussing the |
question OF it's expsdisneys But since tie su |
prems Court has decided that there il no legal
remedy for msditated wrong, however mtn- |
nsnt the danger, the subject comes up again for |
discussion on its merits.
In view Of the approaching election ON the 25th |
inst, deem ii my duty to express my views upon |
the subject and to warn my fellow citizens OF the
impending danger.
oppose this LEX. not merely as taxpayer, but |
as citizen having an interest In the well being |
OF this community and who sees In this measure, |
1t carried into effect evil immsasurs bly, greater
than any perpstrated under Warmoth or Kellogg, |
more destructive to the interests Of society, and
which will act as q perpetual bar to the restora-
ton OF our prosperity.
oppose this tax for the following reasons:
I. The object ior which this tan IL TO be- levied
d egearassss - VII III III . pss
tseion of person and property. IL IL for private
enterprise as much as II il we're to be levied 10
build line OF packets, TO cultivate plantation,
or TO carry on fnanufaetory.
q. Although ii is alleged that this rairosd, If
constructed, will be beneficial to the city, yet
this ia no warrant for the imposition OF q tax for
that end, because ths same may be said with
equal truth OF every other industrial enterprise.
D. The submission Of This tax TO the whols
psope, without Discrimination, tbs msjority OF
whom are without property, and have no fixed or
and away ts-inorrow, is as maBfestly unjust as
thst the people should Determine BY universal
suffrage. the officers and policy OF any private
moneyed eerporasion-a bank for instance.
II is the egnsummation OF that great evil which
philosophical statesmen abroad have predicted
would destroy our form Of government, viz: ths
disposal and absorption Of privsts property by
universal suffrage.
4. But this tas would be equally wrong in prla-
oiple, II submitted szeusiysy TO the taxpayers,
nasMuoh ~ the rnajYriy Vi property holders
possess no right 10 eesres She minority in regard
70 the rights OF properly. II has never been
| claimed under a1ty for m Of government, that the
msjority can rgLtfully compel the minority to
invest their property In any prescribed direction,
however peotitsble the investment may appear 10
the IN jprty. The right OF an individual TO dis
D SO of his own property iH accordance with his
own judgment. however weak that Judgment
msy be, IL one OF the most sacred and inyioIable
rights OF properly, which tbs most despote gov
| ernments have always respected
| 8 The lsvyiBg Of this tax would be gigantic
| step towards communism or the division OF the
property OF community by popular vote.
| G.. This tax. ii levied, Will afford precedent by
which the whole OF the properly OF ths State maj
be voted away under tho pretent q promoting
productive enterprises, when would be eendn-
Give to the public pros aerity. This railroad can
present no more claims upon the public for aid
| by taxation than any other railroad thai may be
| projected. nor Hny line Or number OF lines OF
| ste amers that the projectors might conceive TO
be profitable to themselves and to the public at
large. What stronger claims has this railroad TO
9 public subsidy than cotton or any other manu-
factory
I. II ia direct and fragrant violation Of the
rights OF property, which governments were fnan-
Fly instituted TO protect.
8. The effect OF this tax will be to render all
property insecure.
Then who bu5 madmsn would invest his cap.
ital in q community where property Ia held by
the uncertain tenure OF the popular Will Thus
security Of property, The only cause Of The pros.
periy Of nations will be stricken down under
polar ef law. ths prinary objset q sosArnnasas
be defeatsd, and courts which sit to protect prop
srty will exist in vain, their object will be rsn.
dered nugatory by laws which render all property
Insecure. In the expulsion and absorption q
capital nssrsss will b p.rsyz'a and a"
particularly commend the foregoing cousid
, erations TO the wofkiugmsn Of New Orleans, who
although perhaps not directly taxpayers, are in
vsriably the greatest sufferers By public OK
let no elap-trap donaEoeuism perstat.s yoi
into the belief that you have right to yott
another mans property away except for sIricn,
governmental purposes. Ths attsmpt would b.
q crime. which IL always b'under. Bring th
' case home TO yourselves. If, ON Saturday night
when you had received your wages. you we're in
I formed that majority of your fellow workmen il
r The same shop hal determined that certain en-
terprise, whi h required money 10 put ii in opsr
alton, would be greatly promoted By taking You
) wages and investing them in this undertaking
wages which you had destined partly for the sup
port OF your family, parity to pay honest debts
and partly TO lay o. ide to provide against fntur
/ contingencies, what would b5 the result ii such
/. trick were attempted any one Of your You
i h6aest Hai.Hsti1ff w6uia H5ei J9ts IS 81,
a IL my property, 1T was earned by me. and no on
/ but myself has any right to control 1t. am tn
4 BEST Judge OF how IL should be invested, bu
= whether / srn or not, | alone have tb
Il right to dispose Of it, snd IT q maiority c
g my fellow workmen have such unbounde
g confidence in this enterprise, let Nseny put Mej
i property into it and suffer me TO eDjoy tho righ
| OF controlling my own"
:, The case a. / have made 1t would be aD ou
o rage; but suppose that instead Of your fellow
:. workmen--wh who have some knowledge Of you
. circumstances, and whose interests are much th
II same as your own-tbe public at large, withou
Y distinction OF racs color or previous condition
d we're to attempt this outrage upon your rights
n how would you regard it?
- This case ia analogous to the contemplate
y tax, which your sense OF justice, hope, will o
= pose; but, scortinGnen, IL 10 your interest," 90 we
q De your duty. to oppose this tax. Have you COZ
g sidsred the effect Of taxation upon your inter est
J. will point it out to You. In a prosperous cond
j. lion OF society, IL an additional tax Is levied upt
l. real estate, 1t 10 transferred wholly, or D part,
the tenant, and you pay IL Ia increased rent, or
y the increased price OF all You consume.
D But Ii the tax IL excessive, onerous by lon
10 continuance, or imposed on an already depiete
1s community, the tax remains upon the landlord
I'd property holder. But this stage is not reacne
& until trade has bsen prostrated by the absorptit
A. OF capital, which supports labor and bushes
ra Ihs latter condition, although the tax 10 ID
20 transferred to the tenant or the workngman,
., much worse for him than the former, as reduct
~ wages and inconstant employment, are the ce
Is tain effect Of the absorption OF capital by taz
IT ton, as the fund which constitutes the wages
ia labor has been diminished. The effect OF this II
ae will bs as follows:
o 1o The assessed vaue of taxable property in tk
~ city is about $120 600 900, keeping in view th
g. the value OF property is measured by the n
ct revenue it produces, and that the net revenue
v all the taxable property falls short OF two ?
or cent per annum 1t is then obvious that one-h
n per cent per annum will decrease the value
a taxable property twenty-five per cent
~, ~, So, $50, coo at blow. This vast sum strick
~ ~, from the sum total Of the property Of New
~ leans. representing private credit (which
ne really capital, that sustains labor and suppo
on business), will have most disastrous efe
a. Hence, taxation cuts with q double edge, it !
n only deprives the people OF tho amount exact
,el directly from them, but In an infinitely grea
~ degree by its destruction OF values, whi h cont