The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-07-30
IA WORKING MANS VIEW.

i
who learn their bread by the sweat Of their
brow" come In. They will have to pay their
license and capital tax all the time, or shut
up. Don't laugh and say "The d fool,
as know you will, but you know 1t ls only
too true. A WORKING MAN.
The rude tone and temper OF this note does
not indicate a disposition on the part OF 1ts
author to Judge the constitution from TAR
and DISTINGUISHED standpoint. Indeed, We
Judge that 1t comes from one OF those marrow
and disconnected spirits which make up that
noisy mob which isever accusing society, and
which feels, honestly perhaps, that every
measure Of government which does not pro-
pose gratuity to the workingman is On
assault upon the poor man.
But we do not intend to answer "A Work
ing Man. In the manner he suggests we will,
nor In his own discourteous style. We have
no doubt he ID an honest, Woodworking man, |
who like the great mass OF us, findit difficult,
even by sweat and toll. to make both ends
meet and that he speaks the bitter sentl-
ment and utterances Of many OF his class.
Therefore we shall answer him kindly and
temperately, and. we trust, to his satisfac-
tion.
The DEMOCRAT did not say that the con-
stitution had been framed exclusively 10 the
interest Of the workingmen or OF any other
class, or that It directly provided for the
wants or desires OF the poor. What we IN
tended to say, and what Is true and must be
obvious to any Intelligent and fair-minded
man, Ia, that. the constitution Is Democratic
In letter and spirit and that Its trainers have
carefully provided for the protection Of the
rights and interests of every class OF the
commonwealth, the working people as well as
the property holders and capitalists. This
ID all that they ought to have
done In wisdom and justice; and
that they have done this will be shown by
reading the constitution. In the first
place. they have reduced the expenses
Or the State considerably over one mil
! lion OF dollars to the detriment OF the
of11cehoders and bondholders- tax eat
ers-and In the interest OF the property hold
ers and industrial classes the taxpayers. II
seems to us that any dlspassionate and
liberal minded workingman must understand
that this reduction OF governmental ex-
penses will necessarily prove beneficial to
i him ard to all Of his co-laborers. govern
ment run In the interest Of the tax
eaters of off1ceholders and bondholders
depresses all ether interests In the State. The
4 revenues OF property and trade are absorbed
by government. The property holder, planter,
merchant and professional man are 9radu-
ally Impoverished, and then the mechanic,
the shoemaker, tailor, blacksmith and all the
. other classes of workmen mentioned by
our curly correspondent become the sufferers.
I and are left without employment. We have
seen high taxation for such a system Of
!, government operate In precisely this way In
Louisiana, and "A Working Man" should
commend the Convention, for its good work,
and rejoice that we are now to have consti-
tuition under which the revenues OF trade and
) property instead Of being absorbed by non
! producers, may be expended In the liberal en-
ployment Of mechanics and laborers of all
classes.
But there are other features Of the new
constitution which should commend 1t to poor
men. very liberal homestead exemption
has been embodied In 1t, and the poor man
who has acquired or inherited home IL
y secure In it's possession. Whatever misfor.
J tune or calamity may befall him, bis credit
Ors cannot sell the roof over the heads of his
family, nor his land, furniture and nipple
ments or tools. Again, the working man lie
secured Ia the wages he has earned by claim
upon the property upon which he has ex
pended his labor, and hence no contractor cal
: defraud him Of bis dues. We mentioned this
: clause In our article on Monday, and alst
that one which, to encourage the investmen
J of capital In manufactures and provide profit
: able labor for those who need 1t, exempts tn
! machinery and property employed In certain
&o.yn {nrYy
y years. @@%
$ And now, finally. let US show our CORE
!, spondent that he has not even read the con
: stltution over which he SO savagely growls
: He says: "Where does the poor shoemaker
! tailor, blacksmith, wheelwright cooper
:, tinker, etc, who earn their bread by the swea
i of their brow come In? They will have to pa.
a their license and capital tax" Article 205 Q
y the new constitution Is FULL and 1t ought t
be satisfactory answer to this query. Tha
article expressly exempts clerks and laborer
3 and those engaged IN mechanical pur suits iron
Q a license tax, and we believe the occupation
e referred toby "a Working Man" are mechan
i cal. If this correspondent will refer to tn
n article mentioned he will see how unjust an
8 absurd, how surly and ignorant Is his snail
3 at the constitution.
g What more does "a Working Man" desir
: of governments When the constitution ha
n provided for the protection OF all men In thei
lives, their liberties, their properties, and th
v fruits of their industry; when It has erecte
g barriers for the protection of the poor an
q weak against the aggressions Of the rich an
E powerful, certainly it has done all that it ha
e q right to do. Government has no right to TAX
g from the rich to give to the poor. The unequs
d distribution of wealth grows out of the differ
: ent characteristics OF men, and the eonstit1
g ton or government which Should arbitraril
/ attempt an equal distribution, instead {
Establishing Justice, order and peace. woul
lnvolve the State Ia anarchy and blood, IN tt
IS midst of which all that is desirable in societ
& would be unsettled and overwhelmed