The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-07-11
THE LICENSE TAX.
10 the Editor Of the Democrat:

fully developed, for upon these depend the
welfare and prosperity Of the State.
i A license tax violates that just principle OF
equal and uniform taxation, compelling q part
Of the people to pay more than their just pro-
portion. It Is grossly unjust to require the
small retail dealer whose trade does not e2-
coed perhaps $1,000 per annnm, to pay as
much as the largest retail merchant, whose
business sWells to half d million year. II ls
euually unjust to tax two who 90 the same
amount Of business different sums, because
they do d different kind Of business. Grading
the tax licenses will still violate the principe
Df equality, because the grades must pe hxeo
within specific amounts. ana those III the
game grade will transact business In different
amounts ,per year. Will anyone deny the
manifest inequality and Injustice OF such
law.
A license law Is not only unjust and I'M
equal. but 1t Is also Injurious. What policy OF
government most promotes Its advancement
and prosperity? We see one city or one State
increasing III wealth and population more
rapidly than another. Fifty years ago Chi
capo was scarcely hamlet; o-day, after an
overwhelming disaster, she is the fourth city
Of the Union A hundred years ago the Indian
pnrsued the deer over the site where st. Louis
now stands thatc city now numbers more than
sDO. 900: her streets are flooded with capital.
and her marts crowded with busy and
increasing commerce. New Orleans was
q considerable city years before the first
house there was built. In the last thirty
Years, Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota have
grown from O. bowling wilderness to great
and prosperous States, greater ln population,
In power and wealth than Loulslana. Con
trast New Orleans with Chicago ard St.Lonis.
In the latter real estate and rents are high
and steadily increasing In value, their COM
merce is constantly swelling III volume and
adding each year thousands to their popula-
ton and millions to their capital. Their en-
terprise has stretched to distant States, their
railroads to gather to their martS the rich
harvest Of their trade
New Orleans, ON the other hand, has 400
acres covered with costly and elegant edifiCes
within her limits, the revenues OF which do
not pay the insurance, repairs and taxes. The
statistics of the last i've years show rapidly
decreasing trade, and consequently large
depreciatiOn in real estate. q vast reduction 10
reiIts, and no Increase i'll population. While
Chicago and st. Louis are annually growing
richer and stronger, New OF leans is growing
poorer and weaker. These facts are manifest
TO every observer.
affairs. What Is itgt To cay 1t has been pro-
duced by Radical government Will not solve
the problem, because the city government for
several years has been under the control Of
the Democrats. The presence OF yellow fever
has retarded it's advancement all admit, but
quarantine can protect 1t from this calamity,
and the general commercial depression cannot
be attributed to that cause. The true reason
Is tares, enormous taxes, not taxes on real
estate and personal property alone, but taxes
on the trade and eOmmerce OF New Orleans,
until it has been taxed almost to death. How
much is the commerce Of New Orleans COM
PEELED to pay, in the way OF tax licenses, to-
ward the support Of the city and State gov,
perhaps more. They tax the ship
there 'o and when il departs. These
are the port charges" They tax the large
and the small merchant in like sum; they
tax the banks, the insurance companies, the
theatres, the bar-rooms, the restaurants, the
railroads, the cabs and hacks, even the wheel
barrows OF handcarts, the livery stables, the
hotels--in fact, every kind of trade, even the
enterprslHg gafnins that bull and bear the
blackberry market. They would even make
the steamboats, and other water craft pay a
tax license ii they were not prohibited BY
Federal laws.
If seems to have been forgotten, or perhaps
MISUNDERSTOOD, that 1t is ade-commerce--
1 that brings population, capital and prosDeri-
ty to q city. Strike 1t down and the business
houses in New Orleans would be Of no greater
value than blocks OF rock In the Sahara
estate and value ef rents descend in proper
ton. Increase it. real estate and rents rise
population flows In, and capital comes, be-
cause 1t finds profitable employment. The
prosperity OF New Orleans Is the prosperity
of Louisiana. live wish to sec that city take
new stand, and rise to the proud position In
the commercial world to which her great
natural advantages entitle her, we must
change our policy We must remove this bur.
den from her commerce, which Is now crush
Ing her and impoverishiDg the State.
It has been trade that has built up Chi.
cagO, st. Louis and all other cities Trade
brings population, and population increases
the value of real estate, and brings capital
ItWilt flow to those places and emily to those
places where it is profitable. TO make ii
profitable we must make it free and untran-
meled by any shackles Of taxation. TO make
it prosperous 1t must be encouraged and pro
tected. We're that policy adopted, the com
merce Of New Orleans Will revive, her rea
estate and rents will rise In value, her popu.
lation will rapidly increase, and q busy thrOng
will once more hustle and hurry through her
streets. Encourage trade by making It prof
liable, invite immigration by offering paying
occupations; build up manufactures by pro
teeting them: then The city and country vii
prosper; and these things can he accom-
plished only bya justand equal taxation, re-
quiring each citizen to pay, not according tc
the occupation he follows, but according tc
what be owns, whether it consists Of real
estate, personal property, stocks, mortgages
or cash.
The "license tax" is not only UNEQUAL and
Injurious, but it is also wrong in policy as
well as III principle, because it lays q burden
on skill, onindustry, on intelligence, on enter
prise and on capital. These, instead Of being
discouraged by taxation, should be encour.
aged and made to develope to the utmost limi
our vast resources.
It has been asked on the floor Of the Con.
yention: must the whole burden OF taxation
be placed on and borne by real estate2 Tht
s.- etnt R4tia