The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1873-05-03
COMMUNING WITH OUR NEIGHBOR.

my I'LL lUS Gu1GOI1tI L11CIG w GIi0 OOUIS-
NAL. We have tried to keep clear of or
take no part in the chickering's of Il
neighbor, and with that intention have
paid no attention, since it resumed
publication, to its squibs. We hoped,
when it renewed publication, that it
would make a new departure in this
respect, and not continue the old cat
and-dog manner of dwelling together.
In it's last issue we are accused of
I" the suppression of the TRUTH" Of re-
sorting to the "~subterfuge Of weak
men, and the advocates of a weak
cause" We take this paragraph from
the Courier's article:
The JOURNAL intimates, that some
Of those who were active participants
in the meeting were not taxpayers,
when it either knew that this was not
so, and therefore wilfully made a mis-
representation, or else knew nothing
about the matter, and made an ignorant
statement. All Of those who were ac-
tive participants in the proceedings are
property holders and liable to pay taxes.
One Of the gentlemen who was prOmi-
nent in the meeting owns i'll another
Parish of the State valuable real estate,
besides personal property in this, as we
are Informed.
In reply to this we state that our in
formation came from the assessment
rolls Of this parish and was furnished
by the custodian of those rolls. In our
advertising columns will be found q
certificate that u statement or "inti-
nation" was correct, and the charge
of "subterfuge" or suppression of the
truth" is turned against our amiable
neighbor.
If any of the resisters own property
in another parish, they should go there
to resist, and not stir up a fuss here
about it. The courts of this parish
are not open for them to sue out writs
of injunction when the tax collector
of another parish seizes their property
in that parish. We say this without
fear Of any truthful contradiction of
our knowledge of law on this point.
And that parties joined the tax resisting
association here, where they owned no
property and where they have no resort
to the courts, is a pretty good argument
that resistance by violence and not by
law was intended. We again refer to
the certificate of the deputy tax collector
for the truth of our statement.
Our knowledge of law, or our igno-
rance of law, has nothing to do with the
case. Neither one o the other will
give a man more common sense nor a
better spirit than he has by nature.
We publish what information we can
on the subject, and our views on the
same, for the benefit of our taxpaying
subscribers, who want to be governed
by the rules of common business sense,
and who do not want to pay their taxes
twice and who do not want to pay them
with costs and penalties added. The
taxpayers are at liberty to act as they
please, but so long as free speech and
the freedom Of the press are upheld in
this State and parish, we shall take the
same liberty, under the law. If the
Courier and its partisans want the tax
payers not to be guided by any infor-
nation they get from this paper, let
them furnish them better information
vituperatiOn and personal abuse will
not accomplish their object. Such will
have no effect on the sober, industrious,
law-abiding people of this parish; but
is food only for grog-shop politicians
and people of depraved natures.
We made no intimation in regard to
lawyers. We said they could not prac-
tice without having first paid their IL
censes; and the lawyers of the Opelou-
sas bar acted very sensibly in doing so,
and taxpayers will act sensibly in fol-
lowing their example before their prop
ertyis seized. But the Judge qUko requires
the lawyers to erkibit a license from the
Kellogg collector before he riU aUoC
them to practice in his court, thereby re-
cogniSes the Kellogg government; and
there aCOud be no sense IN @ taxpayer re-
sisting the payment of his tares, By judi
ciGt process IN his court, on the ground
that the Kellogg government is not thu
legal government ; for this same Judge de-
cided that 1t U0s, by requiring the lawyers
of has court to furnish a license from The
Kellogg collector. This point cannot be
got over, whether we are a lawyer OF
not; but we are guided more by the
rules of common sense and by evident
facts in this matter, than by legal tech,
nicalities. Why did not the court here
require the lawyers to procure licences
from the McEnery collectors That
collector has for some time past pub.
lished an advertisement in the Courier
forbid ding) and prOhibit(ingl an,
and all citizens thereof (this parish,
from paying taxes to anyone but him.
SELF" etc. And in the last number Of
the Courier appeared a circular from
Col. McEnery, dated April 10th, requir.
ing this collector to proceed forthwith
to the collection Of taxes, under penal,
ty Of removal from office and the 40.
pointment of some one else who viii
carry out said instructions"
Now, why don't the tax resisters sto1
their fussing and fork over to the Nc.
Emery collector, whom Col. McEnery
orders then to pay forthwith? IF they
want to retain him in Office, they should
hurry up; for he holds the office only OF
condition that he collects the money
Funds have rim ont- at headn1nrtnr