Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1875-06-11
THE ART OF ROBBING A STATE.

people of Louisiana were pilfered,
and robbed by their carpet
bag rulers. Take the "Louisiana
State Lottery Company" for instance.
The monopoly is to last twenty-five
years it is made criminal offense In
any one unauthorized by the company
to sell any kind of lottery tickets any
where in the State the company Is
exempted from all taxes and license
fees whatever--State, city on parish !;
and for these monstrous privileges and
exemptions it pays into the State Trea-
sury-for the educational fund--the
petty sum of forty thousand dollars
per annum The company is now COM
posed almost entirely of few men
living in New York and New Jersey.
On million of capital they mako not
less than seven hundred and fifty
thousand dollars clear profit every
year they have established policy
shops and petty gambling dens around
the markets and other public places in
New Orleans, which perpetually de-
moralize the laboring class, and parti-
cularly negro men and women, and
over which the city government has
no control and they have agents and
solicitors all over the State, tempting
the poor and ignorant to gamble, pro-
viding for this end what they call a
" combination game" which can be
played even by the owner OF ten
cent piece.
Mr.. Nordhoff gives numerous other
instances of fraud, but we have space
only for a few. In 1871 the Missis-
sippi- River Packet Company was in
corporated by Al act Of the Legisia-
ture. Among the incorporators were
Antoine, now Lieusenant Governor,
then Senator; Kelso, Monette, Pinch-
back, Ingrahnm and Barber, all State
Senators, and Pollard, member Of As
sembly. The object of the company
was to run steamboats, on the Missis-
sippi river. The State was pledged 10
subscribe $3.50, 600 on the organization
of the company; and, 30 far as 1 can
see in the act, it was to enjoy no be-
nefits or privileges whatever. The
same Legislature established the Louis
lana Warehouse Company, "to pro-
mote the interests of commerce.. "
Among the incorporators l find mt n
toned in the act Senator West, then
Administrator of Improvements in
New Orleans, and Collector Casey.
The company was authorized to issue
bonds to the amount of 81, 500, 600 and
the State was required to guarantee
the payment of the interest and prin-
cipal of these bonds, on condition that
the company should deposit securities
which securities, the act says, may be
"bank Endorsements, or other good
| and solvent bonds"
By an act authorizing company to
improve bayous Portage and Yokeley,
the State gave the company 100000
by way of aid, end if the improvement
should cost more than this sum the
company was empowered to lay a tax
| on all the lands benefited to make up
the deficiency; and to sell for taxes
any such lands whose owners had not
paid after sixty days notice. No limit
is set of cost, and the company is
| made its own tax collector. A COM
pany chartered to improve Loggy
Bayou and Lake Bisteneau received
$4,000 State aid, and the people say,
pulled out about twenty stumps for
the money. A company chartered to
improve Bayou TeHrebonne received
the exclusive privilege to navigate
that bayou and to charge tolls on It's
waters. A company to improve bay
GUS Beuf and Crocodile was author
lied to receive $50, 900, a sum asserted
to be PROFESSIONALLY beyond the value
of the service. The Mexican Cult
Canal Company drew $50, 600 in bonds
from the State in aid of it's enterprise,
then abandoned it and merged with
another company for q different pur-
| pose got control of the drainage; fell
into the hands of one man; and he, in
the name of the company, u now do
ing a necessary work of drainage at a
cost hundred per cent. higher than
| responsible citizens stand ready to do
it for.
Even the purchase by the State of
the st. Louis Hotel, to be used as a
State House was a swindling transac-
ton. Several members of the Legis-
| lature were chartered as the Louisiana
| National Building Association. They
got from the owners of the st. Louis
Hotel an agreem ent to sell that build
ing at fixed price, and, this done,
they made lease of it to the State for
nineteen years at $50, 900 . year and
entire exemption from taxation. They
overshot their mark, and the outcry
compelled the annuIling of the lease
Thereupon the Citizens Bank bought
the building outright for s48, 900. The
Louisiana Building Association had
been enjoined, and could not act I'M
der that title. They changed the
| company's name to the New Orleans
National Building Association, bought
the hotel for $149, 900, and the Hahn
Legislature, which met after the dis
persion of the Witt body, in the
Spring of this year, gave $3.50, 600 for
the building. These figures, and other
figures above are authentic. 1t is not
| always easy for men to cover up their
tracks, and these men have not been
careful to do so.
So severe has been the pressure of
taxation, and SO greatly has business