The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-08-01
The BEE AND THE FUNDING BILL.

scientions Journal always doing and saying
what it believes to be for the best interests o
the community and State, and is usually fair
minded and courteous TO its contemporaries
That the Bee should, therefore, assail tht
BULLETIN in an excited and illogical mannc r
charging as with abandoning the cause Of thu
people simply because we DO. not regard the
Funding Bill passed by Kellogg's Legislature
a. an unmixed good for the State, is at once 4
matter Of surprise and concern to rs. The
BULLETINS views in regard to the traudu-
lent character Of that bill and Of the dis
reputable character Of the Board Of Fund,
ing Commissioners are. we confidently be-
lieve, in accor with those Of our best
and most sagacious merchants and business
men, But were the bill the quintessence OF
financial wisdom, we should object to and
fight it SO long as such men as Clinton,
Lowell Kellogg and Antoine are members
of the commission; and 50 long as we
original manuscript of the bin had been 50
changed since its passage as to admit of I'M
limited frauds upon the taxpayers by render
ing it possible for the board to audit claims
against the State, which are VIGOROUSLY
fraudulent and of enormous amounts.
Whether this be susceptible Of proof or not,
makes no difference, however, to us, for all
men who have not been blinded by partisan
zeal, or by much riding Of the reputation
| hobby are aware that this bill is fraud and
oh of r,,ffa tha 111,1;
cations of the State, and, that so far from
causing reduction of the debt and Of taxa
ton it must necessarily increase both.
Does the Bee believe for one moment, that
Mr. Kellogg, who is the father OF this grand
scheme, and the notorious men associated
with him on the Board Of Funding Commits
sioners, care one iota whether Louisiana is
ever relieved from the incubus of debt they
have helped to pile upon us, Or not? Does it
ay the fattering JUNCTION to its soul that these
men who have been fagrantly untaithful to
every trust that has ever yet been reposed in
them. are now to be seized with a sudden
spasm of virtue? If so, then we can only say
that we have no such faith. The days of mir
acles have passed.
There are several insurmountable obiec-
tons to this bill, if the Bee will permit us to
say So and not read US summarily out of it's
category Of friends, and not the least is that
which appoints men who have no standing in |
this or any other community, viz: Kellogg,
Antoine, Clinton, Lowell and Deslonde, to |
act in conjunction with the State Treasurer,
as Board of Liquidators.
These men are to Judge between the good |
and the bad Of the State debt, and it is within
the bounds of possibility that they may audit
only the fraudulent claims and throw out
those that are valid. The character of the men
and their past history warrants us in the as
sertion that this at least is possibility; and if
they did this-if they issued bonds for the
worthless obligations and refused to exchange
for the good-the holders of the latter would
under the law, have to resort to the courts to
test the justice of the action, with the proba-
81 ity staring them in the face that before
Judgment could be rendered the entire SIS
NO, 600 of bonds would be issued, and his
bonds or warrants be SO much waste paper
To this the Bee might reply: Let us take
he chances the debt will at least be re-
luced :" but unfortunately, or fortunately
ather, that is tallacy for, if we were
Wiling to see the credit Of the State ruth
essly struck down at blow, it would
vail nothing; the State would be bound
0 pay dollar for dollar on her homes. |
ebt-the Constitution of the United States
icing very explicit on that point. So that, so
If from decreasing the debt, this Commission |
Tould probably increase it beyond the con- {
limit, (S25, OOO, OOO),) if that be
ossible.
We candidly believe that proper title for .
lis bill would be can Act for ratifying and Z
overing the fraudulent debt of the State. and Il
II enabling few commissioners to become 9
Enormously rich at the expense Of the tax
ayers" 6
The limitation Of SIS ZOO, 900 is bald and Il
atent blind to cover the deformity Of the act
I'd the hope which it holds out Of reduced u
xation, the Bee would discover, when too u
tie, was the merest delusion and snare. u
To the sensorious remarks Of the Bee rela- u
We to the BULLETIN we will not reply in IL
nd. believing them to have been the result 81
most singular misconceptions Of our posi- u
IN. and believing too that upon calm second g
ought it will render us justice, and concede ell
at honesty and directness of purpose which h.
has always been our pleasure to accord to
IF RHTIEr1N ASA WHTPpER-TN
As a whipper-in, the BULLETIN is a brilliant =,
ccess -P icdy,tne r.
There is no doubt of this fact, and no one 4
lows it better thar the Picaytne itself In -
ritcation OF it's trrthfulness no stronger or ..
ore conclusive evidence could be adduced ~
an the columns of that paper afford. Com p'
tho # 4hxa nl