New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-01-23

| questions as to the commissions or Sal
| aries that individuals are to receive 1oT
! collecting The taxes is such small ana
sordid one, compared to the higher ques-
ton Of protecting the State and doing JUS
tice to the people, that we should not
have dared to suppose the heightened peo-
pie who comprise the party Of patriots at
Odd Fellows Hall, would have con-
| descended to consider it as worthy OF their
| attention. The men who proposed to be
SO 1irtuous and SO honest should
q, least keep their hands out OF the
| pockets of their friends until they have
established a perfect right to put them
there.
Instead Of allowing the taxes to be col
lected and disbursed in such fashion as
to secure the same to the State treasury,
Mr.. McEnery has sent out and is sending
out into the field men who will put the
taxpayers, who are the dear friends OF Mr..
McEnery, into all sorts of trouble. There
is no way of holding McEnerJ's appointee
| responsible for his collections since he Is
not an officer Of the State; and yet there
will be hundreds of people who will pay
their taxes TO these men, because they Will
not know any better, or they Will per-
yerseiv take the risk of so doing, We
shall thus owe it to Mr.. McEnery, that
instead Of abohshing the office Of tax col
Iector. as he promised to do, he has du-
plicatea and multiplied the evil, aggre-
eating upon the shoulders Of his ''dear
friends" the expenses of litigation that
may ultimately sob them of their prop
e.ty.
The par,isans o: Mr. McEnery seiieyed
him of the necessity Of taking this step in
tavo: of the voracious crowd that demand.
ed positions az his hands. by passing an
act 20 suspend the collection Of the saxes.
This was just enough law to suit the occa'
sion. 70. i: admitted Of q speedy legal dee
cisioH Of che entire question. And yet in
the face of the fact that the sax rolls are
all in the hands of Mr.. Clinton, and that
the Faxes are being collected under the
same with fidelity. which is the main point
20 be accomplished whoever is accepted as
Governors and Notwithstanding McEnery
has signed Jaw suspending the collection
Of the taxes. the injustice is inflicted upon
the ''dear taxpayers down-trodden be-
meath the burdens of misru'e" Of sending
on. among them bogus army o: collect.
ogs 20 consume their substance.
This is probably the highest evidence
0: the selishness Of the crowd that
agitates the public mind by pretending
20 contest for the right to pluck the Stare
f.on. the ballroom of Odd Fellows Hall.
After having promised to abate the taxes
and abolish the collectors: after having
actually suspended the collection Of all
revenues: after having deasened the public
eat with denunciations Of the special tax
law that he now proceeds 20 accep. and
indorse. the fusion governor proceeds TO
Sc. in the field a body of irresponsible col
lectors under q law tha: has been sUs.
pended in its operations
I. will strike the people. she iea. fake
paye:s. that they had better pay their
taxes where their receipts will be of some
service IN q court Of justice. and that their
best pole: is:c iooi: on Colonel DIcEnerys
a. so many applicants for
charity. Any other action will lead TO
the mos: serious disasters TO SIR. Nc
Eneyy's ''deay friends" sos it will put
the': property ia jeopardy OF ''eonfisca-
ton" Perhaps. however considered from
Our standpoint. this would not be so great
az e.il to the State as il would be o Toss to
Mr.. McEnery's cartisans. since society
has 30 especial ;nteres. in protecting
chronic stupidity in The possession of
VIVA: good sease Nigh. put 30 great yub-
lie service.