The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1873-12-19
How to Keep from Paying
Taxes.
(COushatta Times.

(Coushatta Times.l
When we soldiered for the Confeder-
acy, we started first q Major at Camp
Moore, and fell back on II rank home,
and was afterwards, received as a Cap
tain in the 2nd Louisiana Cavalry, and
served under the gallant old soldier
Henry Gray Colonel, but acting Briga-
dicr General at Camp Bisland-We had
in those palmy days wagons, and ambu-
lances tents, &C., moved like Princes
on the beautiful Attakpas, the Teche,
then the Eden of the wOrld-We had q
beautiful Majors uniform and other
valuablcs which for safe keeping we
left with General Henry Gray, our par
ticnlar friend. The Federals advanced ;
the Gen. lost all his baggage and my
clothes, first taking the Majors cap
which fit him, throwing away his old hat
We had also lost our ambulance Nag-
on and teams, baggage, &c.. and were
anxious to see the General and get a
fresh supply-We met General Gray in
muskets on his shoulders, whicht the kind
soldiers and gave them old Caesar his
wal horse to ride. At the sight of the
old brave, we pulled ont Il bottle OF
peach brandy and gave him a drink
He twiged it like a hero, and said he
was for the first time in life a happy
man-The Yanks he said have got ey-
cry thing | possess in the world and |
have nothing left to bother my mind
with. See ! have got on your cap
He laughed with great glee-We said
General you are a philosopher, rs we'll
az a soldier-We have pOndered this
interview from that day to this-When
heavy losses come we say we are re-
lieved of so much care-The mind is
what gives q man ease or pain-And
one man has but little advantage Of
anOther-He that has much, has cares
and troubles, he thath has little, few cares
Why that longing after the unattain-
able, when yOuhave additional troubles ?
The man Of wealth with all his glitter
ing diamonds, broad acres and fine
equipments, has his corresponding
troubles, for fear that moth may cor
rupt and thieves break through and
steal"-The way then to get shut of
paying taxes is to have nothing to be
taxed-then We will not be bothered
with payment. Why pay taxes on one
thousand acres of land where we can
not work forty acresq If you have the
money all right pay; if not and the
State needs the land any worse than
we do, let the State have it-Then as
we need we will buy from the State
This is precisely our case. We have
done like the tavern keeper who could
not keep his house open OF credit
Sold out to one who could've have
sold out our wagon and oxen and paid
taxes, and the land also which we had
to pay taxes On-We wish for nothing
cannot pay forif it will be a source Of
trouble. We notice in all our eXchang-
es the pages full of tax sales we have
had none in Red River yet-"We thank
God that we are not as other men are.n
Let us in future have the reform so
loudly called by every man paying his
take" and reduce the State debt, or let
the State take pr~Operty-we have
up to this time saved ourselves, as the
gambler did who first lost his money
then his watch and then his clothes, and
came back to the hotel and told his
companions he had saved himself. He
lost everything but himself. We are
not lost even if our property is gone;
ga man is never broke until his neck is
brOken"-Then let us take courage and
reform !; reform u manner of life. Let
us pay taxes with the money we pay for
tobacco, cigars, coffee, sugar and wills
MY VIC CuA pay 1A1 Jul GdACS , tutAS IN
uries we need not indulge in. Let us
within Ourselves-Let us have no more
hores and cattle than we have usc for
enough sheep to grow our wcOl for
home consumption, and keep enough
land to cultivate-We have the finest
bark in the world to tan leather; we
have the finest wood to stock plows and
make wagons. We have fine mines of
irOn-We have everything for mans
comfort all we have to do is to use
it-Then keep out of the clutches of the
greatest of all tax collectors, the mer-
chants, and they will soon dance around
you to sell you goods, and not put you
on short allowance as at present-We
cry out we have to have something at
present or starve. With the present man
agement we must starVe sooner or later
and we might as we'll make up ourminds
to starve at Once-and die game. Any
debt to be paid and no income to the
people will break them at no distant
day; why put off the evil day. No
greater evil could be inflicted on this
community than to compel them to raise
cotton to buy all the other necessaries
of life from meat and bread down to IN
iron wedge and an ax handle. The
children of Israel under their taskmas-
tiers in Egypt did not groan under heav-
Ter burdens than the man who now at
tempts to raise cotton to buy all the
other necessaries of life. It is simply q
question of income and OutgO-which
now exceeds their income. The only
way we car point out to pay taxes is, to
pay up and have them reduced in fu-
ture or have nothing on which to pay.
No change of government can lift them
Off except by reform and reduction of
taxes by reducing the State debt by re-
form measures, which must come from
the people direct. It is the nature of
man to lay his misfortunes to others
than himself, no matter how great his
fOibles. But let us come down to the
naked truth and see if it is the fault of
ourselves or Others that there is not
prosperity Of this country. Is it not
our own mismanagement and extrava-
gance that we are so n0or9 We place
Our destinies in others hands instead of
keeping them in our own. Others pull
the purse strings for us in everything.
How long shall we look for some great
political Moses to rise up and lead us
amidst quails, milk and honey into the
vineyards of peace and plenty We
must, as people, work out our own sal
Walton and not wait on others;-or sell
all We have and pay no taxes.
The composite character of the popu-
latiOns of the large cities in the United