New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-02-06

bodies. and which, permit INC " "0I' -
tended much to weaken the cOnnoou0o "
the people in free government. -
/ regret the necessity that impels me 10
once more address you, frankly, slnceIey
and earnestly, on questions deeply affectlns
the interests and feelings Of the people Oh
this State, This shall do without unneces-
sarv verbiage or circumlOcution.
There are laws on the statute JUN
which must be modified and which you are
r1adaad in the most solemn manner to
modify in a way that will make them &C.
ceptable to the great body of the people:
The public voice has spoken IN TINS De-
half with no uncertain sound, ana IL Is
yonr duty as representatives OF the people
TO give the force Of law to the popular YIN
without any further delay.
/ will be candid with you, and state tha'
yonr plighted faith is suspected On !nis SUI
iect. when so much time is wasted IN delay
Every consideration of justice to the peopie,
to yourselves, and to myself, whose 1riends
a large number of you are, requires that
the modification of these laws should r.
ceiye your prompt and undivided attentloh'
The condition of affairs in 1868, when IN.
duced and made necessary the enactmense
of most stringent laws on the suDJecI VI
registration and election mas ceaseu' !"
great measure, to exist.
The relations between the wmte anu
colored citizens of this State-then unset,
tied and hOstile-have now been established
on basis of quiet and growing respect tory
the rights OF each other. l barely allude TO
the scenes of 1868. have no wish TO re1er
TO them, except to show that what may
have been then necessary is unnecessary
| now. In no State of the Union does there
exist a more determined spirit among all
classes to maintain the rights OF our cOlOred
| citizens than in Louisiana at this time
| And as natural result, mutual confidence
| is rapidly springing up between the TWO
| races in place of the hostility, jealousy ana
| apprehension formerly eAis'inS Do'"oA
| them.
! The stringent provisions of the election
and REGISTRATION laws, enacted to meet tnls
| disturbed condition of society, should no
longer be permitted to remain on the statue
book. but should be made to conform to
the more enlightened condition OF puohc
| sentiment. ,.
Care should be taken while modifying
those laws to retain every provision that
NAV be necessary to protect and secure tne
| weaker members OF our population 1uiI'
free and equal advantages to vote TOT me
men of their choice for office. Without thls
the equality of all men before the law De-
| comes delusiOn and barren boon.
The other provisions, that make the ma
chinery one-sided, partisan and dangerous
to the liberties of the people when welded
| by an ambitious executive, should be SO
modified that the breath of suspicion OF
untairness should not attach to victory
achieved by either party at the election
1t would be much better for the interests
of society and the perpetuity OF free lnstltu-
tons that the Republican party should be
defeated rather than that the opinion should
prevail that it's success has been obtained
by a fraudulent use Of official powers and
| extraordinary advantages in the naanlpuia-
ton of the votes and sutfrages of the people.
If such law is required to bolster up and
sustain the Republican party in this State,
1 am free to say had rather 1t would per
| ish
These are no new views of mine, but SIM
ply restatement of my annual message of
1870 more fully made in my annual mes
sage of this year. and which l now desire
to reiterate with more distinctness and en-
phasis.
| recommend and urge you to pass an act
amending the law on registration, giving
the parochial government OF each parish
the appointment OF the registrar of voters;
that it shall be necessary for the registrar
to have been a resident OF the parish for
twelve months before his appointment; that
he shall be ineligible for any elective office
during the term Of his employment; and
that the expenses of registration should be
paid by each parish.
SecOnd-That the election law be so
amended as to give to the rarOchial au,
thorities the selection of the commissioners
of election in such q measure as to secure a
representation of each political party at
each of the polls established to receive
votes: that the ballots should be counted
and publicly proclaimed Immediately after
the close of the election, and on the spot
in the presence of any and everybody who
may desire to be present. That the returns
should be made out in duplicate, one TO be
forwarded to the Secretary of State, and the
other filed with the parish government
That the voting precincts in each parish
should be established by the parish govern
ment, and shall not be changed without six
months public notice first given. That the
board of commissioners shall be either
abolished or selected from citizens not can
didates for office. and to the end that each
political party shall be fully represented in
such body, and that in the case of registra
ton the expense of election should be
borne by the parOchial government.
Third recommend that the Office Of
and the return of the civil power - the
sheriff: or at least an amendment of the law
giving compensation only when in active
service.
FOurth-The revenue law should bt
amended. The enormous compensation pait
many of the officers for assessing and col
lecting the revenues must be reduced, ant
on this subject l refer you to the following
extracts from my annual message:
9. recommend a reduction i'll the com
pensation given for assessment and collec
ton of the taxes of the State; that the $1,000
! paid country tax collectors for listing tn,
property be reduced to $500 each; tina
there be board of four State assessors TO
the city OF New Orleans at a salary of 5000
each, who shall make the assessment on tn,
property OF the city for the State; that thu
board shall also furnish copy of the roll
to the city, Which shall, with such modifica
tons as the city may make, be its rolls Oh
which its taxes shall be collected, and tina
the Administrator of Assessments of tn
city OF New Orleans be constituted e,
otficio president of the board.
again submit to You the other specif
recommendations contained in my annua
message:
4. recommend that all tees allowed tn
Auditor of Public Accounts, amounting, i
is believed, to about $25 900 per annum, b
collected by him and paid into the Stat
treasury to the credit of the interest ia,
fund" to be employed in paying the inter
est and principal of our debt.
). That the act giving the State Treasure
$1,000 per annum as receiver of moneys OF
public lands be repealed. To receive thes
moneys is legitimately part of his duty a
State Treasurer.
6. That the Clerk of the First Distric
Court for the parish OF Orleans be paid
salary of $4,000 per annum by the city Q
New Orleans, and that he be owed n
salary for his services. The fees of thi
officer amount to an enormous sum per al
num-
Z. l recommend careful rev isiOn of tn
laws relative to costs of clerks, sheriffs, jus
tees of the peace and cOnstables. The fee