St. Landry democrat., 1880-08-28
The town of Opelousas requires law


yers and editors to pay for license to
follow their vocations or rather, it
taxes their incomes. AS these two
classes are VIGOROUSLY impecunious, it
may he taken for granted that they
never have any income-it is always
gone, spent, before it comes. But IL
cense is a written document by which a
permission is conferred and if such
document is not necessary from the
town of Opelousas, before a lawyer can
practice his profession, or it the town
can not stop him from practicing his
profession in case he fails to take out
such document, we are unable to see
wherein the town has any authority
over him, or how it can compel him to
nav for a license. He gets his authority
to practice from tile State of Louisiana,
in all the courts of the State, the courts
at Opelousas not excepted, and he is
amenable to the State authority only.
He might be dcbalred from practicing
in the municipal court of Opelousas,
unless he paid town license, but that
is all. How can the town collect pay
ment for license from lawyer who
has no property? When lawyers's
property is outside the corporation, how
can the town compel him to pay for a
license Suppose all the lawyers resid-
ing at Opelousas pay for town licenses
to practices in the courts here, and other
lawyers come here temporarily and
practice without such license, as they
often do, would not this he an inter-
ference with the licensed privileges of
the Opelousas lawyers? Aud yet, the
municipal government of Opelousas is
powerless to protect their own lawyers,
and powerless even to debar the latter
from practicing if they fail to pay for
town licenses.
But these town licenses-sO- called
vary in price for the same occupation,
being CHASED on the amount of gross
receipts therefrom." Practically, there
fore, they are not licenses at all, but
taxes OH incomes; and as but few are
required to pay taxes on their incomes,
such taxation is not uniform and
equal.'
A drayman, and probably WAGNER
too, is required by the town to pay a
tax of five dollars on his gross income
ofless than $4,000 On his dray or wagon
and horses, he pays an ad ralorem tax
on the proceeds of his personal labor
he has to pay this tax or license-so'
called. The carpenter, the black smith
the saddler, the shoemaker, and many
Others whose occupations are pleasanter
easier and more profitable than that Of
the drayman or wagner, pay no Incense
or income tax at all. They work mostly
in the shade, and under shelter, an(
their tools are free from taxation ant
expense; while the drayman or WAGNER
works in sunshine, rain and storm, pay
taxes on horses and wagon, which ar,
his tools, and has to feed the horses ant
run the risk Of their dying besides. HI
is certainly working man, and abso
lutely necessary to the well-being of tn,
community. Without him, the produc,
Of the country could not go to market
and the products of other places, needed
here, could not be brought in. His ser
vices are absolutely necessary and cal
, not be dispensed with; and yet his littl
income is taxed, and others, who's
, services to the community are of secon
; dairy Importance, are not taxed at all
E We fail to see the sense or the justice il
such distinctions.
But the most ridiculous tax Of all,
= that on editors" Sometimes countr
newspaper has an editor and sometime
it has none. Sometimes it has hire
i, editor, but generally a volunteer one
and sometimes many volunteer ones
They are generally most numerous du
ring political campaign. Then, nearl
. every politician who has an Ak to grin
q would like to be an impersonal editor
b After the campaign is over this volun
| tecr editorial staff disbands, and til
i. paper is then sometimes edited by til
4 "Devil,' who is the natural successC
: of these volunteer editors. When til
| paper has hired editor, he has wage
e His wages may hardly be enough
o keep body and soul together, and full
s nish him with smoking tobacco; BIT
4 whether or not the town authorize
S have tile right to tax his wages, the
Y can learn from their legal adviser. Br
t hon they are going to collect this ia
on his wages for personal services,
one of the secrets as yet undiscovere,
y
Il