The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1874-10-23
Keeping MP the Record.

In the midst Of all the ~excitements OF
the hour, we are reminded that each
event forms an integral part of the cur.
rent history of the day, and for the u
pose of keeping up the record we copy
J from the Picayune of the 4th inst, the
following letters from Gov. Kellogg:
STATE OF LOUISIANA, }
Executive Department. ;
NEW ORLEANS, Oct. 2, 1874. }
To the Editor of the Picayune:
SIR-Inyour comments on my address,
published yesterday, you say "After
this reduction (alluding to the reduc-
ton of taxation forintelest,) there still
remains of taxes and burdens the same
amount for the expenses Of the govern
ment which were exacted before. That
is, the people pay just as much to con-
duct the government nOw as they did
under Warmoth. This did not redeem
the pledge Kellogg has so often made to
reduce the expenses Of the government"
Permit me, Ill reply, TO state that the
expenses of the State government last
year were four hundred and eleven
thousand dollars less than the expenses
of 1872, and eight hundred aud three
thousand dollars less than the expenses
Of 1871. This years expenses will show
q SLILl SlCdtSl iCNslCtIous
1t Is true the tax of four mills for gen
eral purposes remains unchanged: but
this tax has heretofore never been suffi-
cient to meet the expenses of the State
government. In 1859 the amount of
warrants issued in excess of the receipts
from the four mill general fund tax was
S750,G02. In1810it was 1888, 315. In 1871
it was 81, 497, 1862, and in 1879 S1,116, 040.
1t is by this excess of warrants oyer re-
celpts thata large portion of the floating
debt of the State has been piled up. We
are endGayOring to cOntine the expenses
within the receipts from the four mill
tax, and have so far succeeded that there
remained only a balance of one hundred
and eighty thousand dollars excess Of
expenditure owe receipts last year, and
this year it IL believed the receipts will
nearly or quite cover the expenses. One
of the constitutional amendments to be-
voted OF in November renders itimpos-
sible for any State government hereaf-
ter to issue warrants in excess of its re-
ceipts, and thus cuts off one great source
of the present financial difficulties of
the State.
The accusation I have quoted and an
swered is the only tangible, explicit
charge | a find in your criticism. If
you VIII piCtSc, DIT yOuL iCISuIcJ ltlulCdt6
some of the other errors of iacts and
figures which you allege characterize my
address, | will either acknowledge my
mistake or prove the correctness of my
statement. Very respectfully,
VIM. p. KELLOGG.
STATE OF LOUISIANA, EXEC, DEPT, J
New Orleans, Oct. 3, 1874.
To the Editor OF th9 Picayuno:
SIR-I find the following statementin
your evening edition of the above date:
1--WE further know that Gov. Kellogg
several weeks ago addressed the Pic
ayunc a communication, which We pub
lished, deliberately and explicitly stating
that he did not intend, under any circum-
stances, to sign and ~promulgate the city
bill"
You arc entirely mistaken. / have
written no such letter. The fact is that
/ have not even read the city bill to
which you allude since it was enrolled.
and have formed no opinion as to what
action would best promote the public in
terests in this matter.
Very respectfully, W. P. KELLOGG.
In justice to the Picayune, we add its
response to the foregoing letter:
We based this assertion on a letter ad-
dressed to this paper by Gov. Kellogg,
under date of July 80, and published on
the Both. Referring to that letter we
find the following sentence, which mis-
led US:
You probably have confused the new
registration law with the election bill,
which was in controversy last winter. |
gave public notice that | would not sign
that bill. | have no done 80, and do not
intend to do so.
1t appears the election law here re-
ferred to is not the city election bill, but
another which Gov. Kellogg has in his
possession unsigned. We might offer
some palliation of our error in the num-
Der of these documents, held in reserve
as it were but prefer to say, without
further argument, that we went slightly
astray in Gov. Kellogg's labyrinth of
election and registration bills.