The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-03-26
A COM NONSENSE VIEW.


4
AS we understand It, the necessity for con-
stitutonal convention and the discussion Of
provoked, grew out OF the inability Of the
people to bear the onerous taxation under
which they have 80 long languished In order
to defray tho expenses OF q government, In
tentionally made as costly as possible for
purposes Of party and Official robbery. To
afford relief against tho intolerable exactlons
that are Imperative under the existing estab-
lishment. then. is the sole object that the con-
vention can have In view.
| The natural and logical process Of going ut
the attainment Of this end would be TO first
ascertain what amount OF taxation the peo-
pie can bear, and fix a certain limit, which It
shall not exceed. and then regulate the ex-
pendltures Of the State accordingly. How
high this limit shall be Is the question. in
several States taxation does not exceed one
mill. and, In the majority, 1t ID less than five
mills, or the half Of one psr cent. We do not
believe that II should much exceed five mills
In Louisiana. But, however high Or low this
estimate may be. to Ok limit is the very
first question that the convention will
have to agree upon. This once deter
mined upon, the convention will then
estimate the probable return from such
taxation, and proceed to accommodate, as
best It can. the expenses OF government
thereto. The debt, the manner Of realizing
the largest possible aggregate OF taxes, the
mode Of assessment and collection, the num-
Der and salaries OF officers Of these are
questions we regard as merely incidental
matters, with which the constitution, the
fundamental law. has nothing to do immedi-
ately but which must be accommodated to
certain elementary principles and fixed and
absolute limitations, which the convention
shall prescribe.
We do not hesitate, however, to affirm that
the first duty OF tho State ID, after reducing
the number OF Its officials to tho smallest
possible number and fixing their salaries at
the lowest figures, to pay them In full, dollar
for dollar, In the current money Of the realm,
the last cent TO which they are entitled. 1t 10
. Disgrace to any commonwealth that Its Off
oials, from Governor down, including even the
diQnataries Of fits judiciary department, should
be forced to hawk their warrants on the street
to money -mongers and curb-stone brokers.
The public servants should be emanclpated
from their slavery TO this precarlous class.
The same may DO said OF our State debt.
As II now stands. 1t is nothing else than a
roulette wheel fer Carondeet street to gam
BILE on. 1t simply furnishes base and unnat-
ural excitement for class Of men whose
avocation 1t Ia to speculate on human INDUS
try, and whose ante-types our Saviour kicked
out OF the Temple as defilers Of His holy
sanctuary.
Yet this Ia the debt and these are the men
In whose behalf the people Of this State are
bound, by all the obligations OF honor and
morality, to wear the yoke Of coniiscattng
taxation. These are sanctified, and the man
who ventures even TO question the origin and
Justice OF the insufferable burdens they i'm
pose upon the people is an example Of private
and public dishonor, defaulter and "repu-
diator"
But who raises voice In defense OF the
poor and overworked employees Of the State,
the parish and the city, who work day and
night to honestly earn the poor pay they
have to hawk ON the streets to flint hearted
| usurers2
| What becomes Of these people nobody knows
| and nobody cares. Our policemen. for ex-
| ample, are lost sight Of In our tender and
| merciful consideration for the money chang
ers and dove-selers who have possessed
themselves Of their warrants. The poor,
| over worked, consumptive women who teach
our children are forced In order to avoid
starvation, to alternatives we dare not men
ton. Yet, there Is no word, no thought even
for these. They have been crowded out of
our hearts and our mercful memories by the
always present and obtrusive conscious
ness that our money-mongers must
be cared for first and cared for tenderly.
Out upon such mercy. such integrity, such
| honesty, such honor as this The first duty
and honor OF the State and Of the city are to
pay Its employees. and to see that this shall
certainly be done Is the first duty of the ap-
preaching convention.
After these people, who are the servants Of
the public and are entitled to their pay comes
tho public debt and the accruing interest
thereon. We believe that by a proper and
wise economy. affecting the number as well
as the salaries Of public officers, that
ample provision can be made to assure
every creditor of Louisiana the full sum Of
his actual Investment and a reasonable interest
thereon, according to the ruling rates on
public securities In the recognized money
markets OF the world II the convention can
accomplish this, no man, whatever the legal
and technical nature OF his claim may be- has
any right whatever to complain. AS we I'M
derstand it. there Is no disposition on the
part of our people to repudiate. They merely
propose to ascertain what they can pay and
what they owe. and accommodate the two
facts after they are ascertained.
This Is not reputation. nor dishonesty, nor
evasion. 1t is plain. square, bedrock practi-
eality and common-sense, and the sooner the
bondholders realize and accept 1t as such the
better 1t will be for them.
The Picdy,sae earnestly urges the delegates