The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1873-03-22
PAYING TAXES TO A FRAUDULENT
GOVERNMENT.


We come now to the gist of the
matter. Ever since it was settled that
the question of the relative claims Of
the bfcEnery and kellogg governments
was to be decided by Congress, Cor by
the President, which is worse,) it was
evident that nothing else remained for
the people Of Louisiana except to deter
mine, whether, or not, these arbiters
sustaining a downright fraud, the peo-
pie themselves would sustain it by con-
tributions in the way Of taxes assessed
and levied, in SO many words, for that
purpose. That has been, and is now,
the question presented to every free
born, Independent citizen Of this State.
We have reached the practical test, and
by that test each and every citizen
must be judged.
Independent of the right or wrong OF
paying taxes to the Kellogg govern
ment, it concerns every property
holder to consider what Is to be the
future Of Louisiana-and, necessarily,
the value of his property, real, or per-
sonal-in the event the Kellogg gov
eminent Is maintained. Most men
look at questions like this in connec-
ton with values and with the degree
Of trouble involved. We, therefore,
put the policy view Of the tax question
first. We solicit an answer from any
intelligent citizen, to tho question,
~n,Io rf~v-1 ~ rrni,, Ex,
submitting to the exactions OF the Kcl-
logg government:
In answer, we may say THAT Il law
suit and some personal Inconvenience
is avoided.
But let us put it to any business man,
who is in the habit of scribing invest
ments to tho exact limo of profits, what
will the payment of taxes to the usurp-
ing government and II saving of per-
sonal Inconvenience benefit you, if a
government is established and a preoe-
dent set which will forever render in
secure your rights AS II voter, and which
will bring down below war prices the
value of that very property which is
now your only means of support ::
There is no rejecting man who will
not at once acknowledge that with the
perpetuity of the Kellogg fraud, the
value of property i'll Louisiana is reduced
at least 25, if not so per cent. Immi-
grafton and capital must both avoid
us. There will be no demand, but
everywhere an overgorge of all kinds of
property for sale. This will result in
Just so much 80 loss to him who owns
property, no matter whether it is for
sale, or not, and no matter whether he
sustains the Kellogg fraud, or not. In
fact, the chances are that he who sus-
tains kellogg will lose more in depre-
ciatei values than he who will not.
Thus, it works out that every property
erty holder in the State has a direct
pecuniary interest in Withholding sup
port from tho Kellogg government,
unless, indeed, he is participant In
the benefits OF tho frauds, in which
event no is expected to rob the holders
of property all he can.
We dismiss the question of right in
this tax business, as one unworthy OF
the attention or respect of any reader
for whose instruction or interest we
are accustomed to write.
~ What are the remedies against the
exactions of Mr.. Kellogg:
Every citizen has remedy III his
syn hands, by simply refusing, with
ut positive compulsion, to sanction
wrong. II a thing is wrong In itself,
1t Is wrong for any individual to sane
ion 1t. He may be forced to submit,
: he cannot yield, without compul-
.on, unless he be a coward and a
wrong-doer. To side with a rascal Is
to be a rascal to support II lie by the
payment of taxes, until all the means
of legal resistance are exhausted, is
iu. ca bad as to have been party to
tbs Tie i'll tho outset.
The remedy suggested involves, OF
course, an appeal to the courts, all of
which are proceeding under tho KEEL
logg government This fact does not