The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-07-28
POPULAR CHARACTER OF THE CON.
STITUTION.

particularly the city, have been subjected. III
the new organic law special privileges are
granted to none.
But the Convention did not stop here. No
ting the strong tendency everywhere Of cor
porations, capitalists and rings to concentrate
In the hands Of the few the power and wealth
Of the community, the Convention threw
around the working people every measure Of
protection which could be devised. Scattered
through Its pages we find the three following
articles, which, in themselves. constitute a
system Of protection for the working people
which could scarcelyIbe more complete and
effective. Under the head Of General Pro-
visions we find article ia, as follows:
The General Assembly shall, at It's first SEES
srasa laws 70 oona on
similar works. against the failure of contractors
and sub. contractors to- pay their current wages
pany or individual for whose benefit the work
Is done responsible fortheir ultimate payment.
Under the head Revenue and Taxation"
appears article FOG, from which we make this
extract:
There sballsbe exempt from taxation house
hold property to the value OF five hundred dol
adoption Of this Constitution machinery and
Of e textile fabrcs leather IS Shoes hats Jour
harness. .saddlery. machinery. agricultural
Implements, furniture and other articles, Of
and paper. boat building and chocolate; pro
rided. that not less than five hands are en-
ployed In any one factory.
Further on, under the head, 1.-THE City Of
New Orleans" we find article PSI, which reads
as follows:
ART. 251. The General Assembly shall pass
N Or Of
the crew OF foreign vessels from working on
the Wharvea and levees Of the city of New Or
leans; prOuided. that there is no treaty between
the United States aud foreign powers to the con
trary.
In these three articles we find careful pro-
vision for the protection Of the rights Of the
poor against those who are able and might be
disposed to wrong them. The right Of the work
ingman, whether he be laborer or mechanic,
are, by article liza, fully protected. Hecannot,
by any means, be sWindled by dishonest or
incompetent contractors. The property on
which he has expended his intelligence and
labor Is pledged inE the constitutional con
tract-and no special contract can exempt
it-for the laborers hire. This is wise and
just, and 1t will meetwith the appreciation Of
all just men.
BY article COG, household roperty to the
amount Of five hundred dollars Is exempted
from taxation, and by the same article, ma
chinery property and fixtures employed In
the manufacture Of certain articles Both OF
these exemptions are In the In terest of the
working classes. The principle underlying
them Is that the poor man has the right to
live and labor without being oppressed; that
though taxation Is NECESSARY for the support
OF the government, II ought not to be wrung
from the sweat Of labor. We speak of this
exemption OF manufhc turing interests from
taxation for term of years, as it affects the
working people. We are aware that 1t has
another and most proper object, which Is
the encouragement of capital to invest In
such institutions In louisiana. But Of course,
this Is also In the interest of the laborer.
To article 251 there may be some opposi-
ton; but when we consider the situation of
the class OF laborerss to which it applies, we
believe that right-thinking men will say that
1t Is just measure of protection to our resi-
dent laborers. Our slongshoremen are very
poor. and 1t Is only inst that the State should
protect them against a competition In which
they are at O great disadvantage. These la
borers on our wharves and levees are our
citizens; they live here, have their families
among us, and they spend their money here.
IT Is the duty. therefore, Of the State, consid
ering the decrease Of work and the terrible
poverty and hardships to which our working
classes have been subjected, to go to some ex-
IRENE length to protect them.
These provisions Of the new constitution,
while giving due and proper p rejection to the
working people, commend themselves to the
support of all other classes In the State.
We havein the first part OF this article re
ferred to the tendency, everywhere observa-
bic, OF wealth and power to concen trate In
the hands Of the few. There is also di-
vergent movement of the poorer classes to-
away from that true and happy conservatism
which Is its cohesive prin ciple.
In view of these facts, the large and ample
provisions which the new constitution has
made to secure the working people In their
little properties, to protect them from I'M
equal competition in their fields of labor, to
guarantee them in the collection Of their
earnings and to encourage. by exemption
from taxation, the establishment OF manu-
featuring Industries, cannot but have bene-
fetal effect. Indeed, we think the abolition Of
special privileges, on the one hand. and the
protection Of the working people on the
other, viii do much TO check the discomfort
OF the latter class, and consequently the talk
about Communism, and restore In Louisiana
the true and harmonious relations between
capital and labor.
CITY AFFAIRS