The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-02-24
wnat,he People n.st need.

Communicated TO the RiGAiAnd BeaeDntI
They need relief from the great burthen of
| taxation. The question then arises, how can
they be relieved2 Can new constitution be
SO framed on the principles OF justice as to
give relief The State taxes assessed In 1878
| for all purposes are ID mills on the dollar on
all property both real and personal 5l$ mills
Of this enormous percentage 10 interest tax,
and according to the best and most reliable
| information that have, the collections made
| fall between S200,0GO and 100000 short OF
paying the interest on the Radical debt. This
| being true, what Is the remedy? Can the
| trainers of o new constitution frame one so
as to enable the tax-ridden people to find
relief Is 1t wise on the part OF our law
makers and the government to issue more
bonds and throw them out on the market
| of the world at 30 or 40 cents on the dollar,
| to make up the deficiency to pay the
unpaid interest on this fraudulent debt, and
thereby plunge the State still deeper In debt
| Should this course be pursued, what hope has
the taxpayer, either for himself or his chill
dren. or his chlldren's children There is no
hopel Let him work and struggle as he may,
when he looks forward at the close Of each
year instead of relief his burthen Is still
greater. The State Is like an individual who
/ becomes involved with interest accommodating
each day, unable to pay the principal and
borrows money to pay the interest, each sue
ceeding year finds him more deeply involved
until he becomes hopelessly and irretrievably
ruined and bankrupted, with no hope what
ever. Che writer tried the experiment ana
signally failed)
| The question must be met Then Is 1t pos
| sible with the present revenue OF the State,
with all this high taxation, to pay the interest
annually, to say nothing OF ever extlngulshlDg
the principal The evidence is clear that lC
will not. Then what Is the remedy? Taxes
must be increased or the debt must be scaled.
| Which Is right, which Is Just. and who among
those who wish to frame the organic law OF
the State has the nerve to meet 1t Is 1t
right and just to bankrupt the whole people
Of sovereign State, and bind them hand and
foot with chains forged by scallawage and
carpet-baggars and welded by the iguorant
negro2 Or Is it right aud just that the peo-
pie should rise In their majesty and say
stop Thus far thou shalt go and no fur
ther p | say stop. | had nothing to do with
creating the debt. A great revolution brought
dishonest and ignorant men to the front
they came into power; through bribery
and corruption they passed something
in the form OF law that enabled them &c
use the credit Of the State to enrich them.
selves and build up their own fortunes; State
bonds were made and sold at 80, 40 and 81
cents on the dollar. Rascals pocketed the
money and said to the taxpayers, "Now you
shall pay this fraudulent State debt" Capt.
talists came forward and, for pfttance, be
came the owners of those State bonds, anC
now demand every cent that the face OF this
bond calls for, principal and interest. | ash
those who expect 10 make the new constitu
ton II, on the principe OF right and justice
they can frame constitution 80 as to enabl
the tax collector to sell the house, the home
: the horse, the cow, the pig and the wearini
apparel OF the people TO pay tine interest O