The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1873-03-22
Proclamation.
STATE OF LOUISIANA,
Hnr-nr nnN nrnnsEA
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, :
New Orleans, March -, 1878. }

z lC AN1 4' 1910 }
Whereas, reliable information has
reached me that certain evil disposed or
misguided persons propose to combine,
or have combined, into associations, for
| the purpose of resisting the payment of
taxes due the State, with tltc ayOwed
OhiectO of bringing the State government
into disrepute, and with the further
IvOWed evil purpose of OverthrOWing
| the said State government, by prevent
ing it from receiving, through the col
lection Of taxes, the means for its sup
port; and
Whereas, 1t is Of the first Importance
to restore the credit Of the State and
city, now impaired by the revolutionary
conduct Of certain pretenderS to official
station in this State, by the defalcatiOnS
and derelictiOnsOf duty of tax collectors
under the late State Administration, by
the acts of thcTaX Resisting Association
of New Orleans, IAN organization which
has been in existence for more than
eighteen months past), and ny other
causes and
Whereas, experience shows that tax
resisting associations result i'll the
Wealthier classes escaping payment of
their taxes, while poorer mCn are not
only compelled to pay their taxes, but
itlulUlOllll pCllNlllCS IllIN NOSAS1 III II
addition thereto q much heavier rate of
taxation than would be reQuisiteif those
better able to pay promptly met their
lust obligations to the State; and
Whereas, the delinquent tax lists OF
this State, as shown Ivy the Auditors
books, amount to the enormous sum of
S2,331 1921 Gothic proportion OF the city
of New Orlcansal0nc bCing$1,412,22595
said taxes having accrued and fallen
due under the late administration, and
the greater portion of them being due
from those best able to pay; and
Whereas, it is but just and right that
the burden of supporting the State gov
eminent should fall as eQuitably as pos
sible, under the law, upon all classes of
the population, and that 10 II class
should be allowed to cyade Repayment
of taxes, either by combinations and as
sOciatiOns underline guise Of passive re-
sistance, or by any other illegal means
or pretoncCS: and
Whereas, it is made my imperative
duty to see that the taxes are duly and
promptly collected, and that all persons
who cOnSpire in any way to injurG the
State credit, whether by passive Or ac-
tive resistance, shall be prevented from
such unlawful acts;
Now, therefore, I, William P. Kel-
lOgg, Governor of the State of Louis
lama, being DESTROYS Of avoiding, if pos
sible, the prosecution of any citizen,
and being anxious to restore the public
credit, and to inaugurate an administra-
ton of retrenchment and reform in the
financial affairs of the State and city,
and being determined, as far as in my
power to suppress all unlawful cOmbina-
tons, associations and COnspiraCies fol
the illegal purposes hercinbefOre men
toned, do hereby direct the tax collec-
tors in every part of the State to proceed
forthwith with the collection OF the taxes
due the State, and to use all legal
measures to insure obedience to this
order; and to the end that the credit of
the State may be restored, the much
needed internal improvements be prose
cuted, and the burden of supporting the
government be more equitably distli-
buted than heretofore, and the present
heavy taxation be reduced, | do hereby
warn all citizens to desist from taking
part in any combination, association OF
conspiracy having for its object the re-
~sistance, passive or otherwise, of the
collection of the taxes due the State
and request them to comply with the
law and with their duty, by the prompt
payment of their taxes, and | do hereby
direct the Attorney General and the
district and parish attorneys Throughout
the State to prosecute, without delay
civily, criminally and to the fullest ex-
tent of the law all d~efaulting tax collcc,
tors who are reported as such, after the
publication of this proclamation.
Given under my hand and the seal OF
the State hereuntO attached, this 1871
day of March, in the year Of Il Lord
eighteen hundred and seventy-three
and of the independence of the United
States the ninety-seventh.
VIM. P. KELLOGG.
By the Governor:
p. G. DEsLONDE, Sec. of State.