The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1881-11-30
EQUALiZING ASSESSMENTS.

The friends of Governor McEuery
throughout the country Parishes
land they are legion) were disap-
pointed at his capture by the Ring
who got up the demand for an extra
session. Not fortnight before it
was called, the N. O. Democrat for
mulated the opinion of all disinter
ested citizens when it said an extra
session should not be called because
a Revenue bill was the main thing
needed, and there would not be time
TO mature and pass one, and there
fore the expense of the session would
be wasted. But if the money Of the
public shall be thrown away, the
opportunity of the Ring will not.
An urgent reason why the session
was needed was said to be the ne
cessity for providing for the current
expenses of government, but the
same journal demonstrated that Aud
itor's warrants would not be en-
HANGED in value since taxes are only
payable by compulsion during the
expiring months of the year.
There can be little doubt that an
efficient Revenue system is needed,
but we little expected to find that
the Democrats of this State were to
be urged to adopt the tactics of the
Radical plunderers in the matter of
taxes. There is very significant
article in the N. O. Democrat of last
Thursday mapping out the scheme.
One of the features is that each Par
ish shall have fresh maps--"maps
made afresh by competent survey
ors." The cost of this alone will be
over one hundred thousand dollars,
but then it will be good thing for
the surveyors.
The Parish Assessors only duty
consists in making out full list of
all the properties within his juris
diction, classifying them according
to the standard set up in the law"
that is, he is not to assess at all, but
send his list to the District Com
missioner, who "must be represen
tative man" (God save the mark !
who is to alter the classification il
he chooses, and FINALLY to make
such changes, additions and moditi'
cations as may seem to be demand
ed by circumstances" In other
words a man in one Parish is TO con.
troll the whole assessment for a Dis
trict of dozen Parishes, of the soil
condition, ETC., of which he is totally
Ignorant.
Then comes the browning feature
of a Board of Equalization, sitting al
New Orleans or Baton Rouge, who
shall ascertain the exact amount o
revenue necessary to be derived from
real estate, and then decide the as
sessment to be put upon each class
Of land in order to produce by a six
mill tax the required sum-" There
it is, the good old Radical PLAN
Find out boys how much money yot
want, and lay it on accordingly
The Radicals taxed ad ibituna. /
fifteen mills did not answer, it wa
doubled, but the late venerable Con
vention limited taxation to SIX mills
and the apostles of reform are fount
equal to the emergency. Double tn
assessment, and it will answer tn
same purpose as doubling the rate o
taxation.
We do not know whether Dibbl
or Pitkiu is in the councils of tn
Ring, but this sentence sounds no
unlike those immaculate "philoso
piers" "a controlling principle il
the philosophy of equalization i
that no allowances are to be mad
for the neglect of property by it
owner"--which means that the nu
merous land owners in this and othe
Parishes who are unable to cultivat
all their land shall be taxed SO hesv
lily that they will be forced to sell
) or the Collector will sell it for them
1t matters nothing TO the propert
f owners of this State whether the in
sidious schemers who are contriyin
their ruin belong to one or the othe
; of political parties, but it would b
extraordinary if, after the Radics
Ring has devoured onc-half til
States substance, the Democrat
) Ring should swallow the. other hal
> --WuAr more appropriate presen
for the Holidays to give your wife
sister or sweetheart than Sewin'
! Machine, price from $25 to $s2.5(