The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1869-08-21
THE OPELOUSAS JOURNAL
La:
Saturday. August 21, 1869.
The New OrleAns Times Makes
q huge Blunder by Following
the Courier.

The ": o. Times, Of the 18th, following
the ignis fatuus Of the opclousas Courier
az q guide, falls into the following gorgeous
blunder:
"ln the parish Of st. Landry, for exam.
Die, where $11,34s rs were appropriated
by the Parish Jury for salaries for the year
1888, q recent investigation has proved that
more than $50, 900 was paid ont to parish
officials during the last six months of that
year."
The Times before getting deep into our
parish imbroglio, must be informed that a
few of our citizens, not at any meeting, over
seventy.fve in number, met IN several &C.
casions at the Courthouse, and employed
two accountants to make certain statements
from the books and papers Of the Police
Jury. These statements, professedly only
partial and incomplete, are to be followed
BY others. In the mean time, the large
body Of rejecting citizens, are awaiting the
entire report, to be followed by the explain
atory statements Of the Jury, which it is
thought will be perfectly satisfactory. The
Courier however, with a field no,c to itself,
leads of with occasional partisan and pre-.
JUDGED articles, in order to Ak If possible
the popular impression before the entire
facts are promulgated. To follow the
Courier, under the circumstances, the Times
will have to travel over a devious road.
Row from the report Of the employed
accountants we have mentioned, the parish
taxes levied for 1858, were only $40, s6s II.
It il impossible therefore, as stated by the
Times, "that $780, 900 was paid out to
parish officials during the last six months
Of that year" On the contrary the very
report referred to, which we keep as stand
ing matter for the benefit Of our readers,
shows that all the expenses Of the Police
Jury for the five years from 1865 to 1859
inclusive, embracing the pay of the men,
bers, physicians Jail fees, Attorneys fees,
salaries Of clerk, treasurer, incidental ex-
penses &C., aggregated only $1e,7o4 90.
This will be found in statement e" of the
report, and includes what the accountants
are pleased to suggest as excessive allow
ances.
r The Times will therefore see what a
huge blunder it has been unwittingly led
Into, by the Courier, in a matter which is
not squarely before the people of St. Lam
dry, the facts Of which have not all been
promulgated, and about which the Journal
has declined commenting, until the truth is
all published. While we do not feel suf-
iciently well informed, to express q just
opinion of the municipal extravaganza COM
planned Of by the Times, we assure that
paper, in all kindness, that there are, to say
the least, two sides to the question in st.
Landry. And we conclude this hurried
notice by stating an incontestable fact, viz
chat the Parish credit, never has, at any
period, before or since the war, been higher
than atthe present time. Our Parish War
rants command in the market, ninety cents
on the dollar :; and this circumstance enables
our taxpayers to wait complacently and
patiently for the additional report which the
accountants promise to render.