The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-01-21
AN OPEN LETTER TO MAYOR PArro,
To the Honorable Mayor OF New Orleans.

AN OPEN LEiIEh ~ MAfeR PAT7or
To the Honorable Mayor OF New Orleans.
Dear Sri see by the public printa -.
you and the Council are In offidal comm
cation with the so-called business men 3
New Orleans on the deeply absorbing an
ton of the city finances, and the papeys b
press the opinion that In few days hin =
probably be presented to the Legislator :
the nature OF a compromise say that i.
debt Of the city shall be s22, 100000 bearins.
per cent interest, or 40per cent Of this amon..
bearing per cent interest, or what m.,
appear best to the Council and the holder !. |
the so-called evidences of Indebtedness
This being. theoretically at least, Dan.
cratic country, and your honor and the Con. /
Gil claiming to be Democrats and represeps.
tives of q Democratic constituency, reana~
fully beg to ask Of your honor whether
/. You are not aware that there are l..
parties to the important question before !.
viz: the party that claims to be creditor. 81 :
the party (the people, that is declared Il 3
debtor?
Q. Whether you are not aware that n Il.
discussion of a question which involves =.
1
quent misery to thousands including Is /
helpless widow and orphan, who are bykv
vOiceless in a struggle which diminishea 4,
even stops meat and bread-the so-cajIss |
debtor should be heard by you and the Con,
Gil: in other words, should be allowed m /
privilege of confronting the so-called credIts |
In your official presence?
| g. Whether your honor finds In the Doves
and duties pertaining to the Mayor and Con-
Gil Of New Orleans, either the duty W0d
power to arrange with the creditor (socalk&
OF the city, any financial scheme, and TO O.
| mend any such scheme to the Legislatun
| A. Whether your honor does not see Ia d
fastening of the premium Bond Schemf
| (which | know you condemn) on the peoof
| by just such process, the great injury iii |
| could, does, and must ever, result 10 d
| people through all such irresponsible II
| illegitimate action.
5. Whether your honor does not know. q
| firmly believe that millions Of dollars 81 fs
| so-called debt" OF New Orleans are iles1
| invalid-utterly without full AUTHORITY
law-and that the great struggle of the per;S
of the people you represent has been, not &
compromise away their substance with ~
ers Of illegitimate claims, but to go 70 e.
courts with their case and have the legitinsfs
then to pay the legitimate to the FULLEST =
tent that their means will permit.
6. Whether, with this knowledge be66n |
you, 1t is not the solemn duty of your hmn
and the Council to refuse to respond "a l5
demands Of the premium bond law, and
exhaust all means before the Legislature z
have that body order all so-called indebf{
ness OF New Orleans before the courts q
final adjustment, and that by preference. + |
avoid delay? Nothing can be easier than n +
your honor and the Council to make such =
exhibit OF the horrible iniquity of the creal{0
OF the great proportion of this so-called sdo{
as will force any honorable Legislatu1
claiming to represent the interests of the ~
pie at large, to take earnest cognizane6 +
your official appeal.
Ii your Honor should feel at all pressed m
time in which to make such an examinatida4
OF the so-called "debt" as you would desle
| take the liberty OF directing your attenfG
to the exhaustive report OF L. Wharton G&
lens. master In chancery, to the United StatH
District Court. There you will find iIleeai}
and rascality triumphantly laid bare.
even Democratic Council accused Of Gil
Element without reply or explanation on IL
part.
II your honor will permit me, will ~
with all due respect, that do not see In
you and the Council can refuse to carefnIlv
read the official report Of the able master &
chancery referred to, and, having read n
how you and the Council can reconcile Il q
yourselves as Democratic public servand4
even ii you had full power to enter into nan5-
tlations for compromise. You are NOT ws1
into place for the purpose of lending oi1e11
aid to the perpetuation of even fnodInG
wrong; but rather to stand between the e.
pie and wrong, and to exhaust every effoft1
crush 1t out. The pre-eminent evil th1t
on the people Is crushing taxation thaf
known by all to be utterly illegal, and 4
system OF compromise of the fragrant WIN
Will ever reconcile those who are the SUI
ers. Two evil geniuses arbitrarily pref
over the City Hall. and they arc twin cum
OF your constituency. The one is pub
credit, the other compromise IL you WOu1|
draw even the faintest line OF distinction s.
tween your administration and all that hn1I
preceded you since the war, you must see0
the cord that binds those two. Not one 6
you gentlemen OF the City Hall; not ons1
sne business men" who have visited g
conferred with you would pay what Z
not owed, nor compromise" to pay part1
III: Instinct, as well as common sense, reyof
at the idea: It is one of the safeguards
society Tor individual men to resist illexiH
mate pecuniary demands. Were 1t othrWtf
corrupt as man is, he would be ten tim1
worse. And the principle must be adhes1
70 oy corporations, or we go to the ruin "
NO man who buys house, lot, hork
awning In the shape Of property, has n
so good an opportunity to know that r.
title Is clear as him who buys bond Of 81
OF city. The law fixes what constitute
good bond, and he can read the law. III
PleaSeS 10 speculate In illegitimate issu11
iponos, let him abide the results of his spec
ITitlon; lt Is monstrOus to contend thef q
Legislature must be invoked to protect IT,
speculative few to the oppressi n OF all ind
Try and the injury Of ali property VALUES
Lne many. So-called innocent third parl II
may suffer BY the administration and enfos
ment OF Justice and the law, b there ara
Thousand to one Of these on the other sid
a dne these are the sufferers who have put ~
ihsQ once 10 better their condition
May not hope that you and your coxdj
Cors 10 Office will turn from the beaten Of
Oh an VINO have gone before you and b.
iaithless to industry in its great and unco1
lug war with the money power p
Mose respectfully, your obedient servant