The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1875-03-20
NATCHTTOCHES, LOUISIANA, MARCH 20, 1875, @s

Arch 20, 1875. ,s. Dr.,
the payments had no cause Of com.
plant. In 1874, another compromise
was effected, the understanding was
that the Democrats were to have
picked ont two Police Jurors, and
tho Republicans two, and the other
one By Gov. Kellogg. There were
only five Police Jurors appointed.
Two were picked ont BY the Demo-
crats and two by the Republicans and
the fifth man, a colored man, was
picked ont by the Democrats and
commissioned under tho agreement.
This man did not servo. This agree
ment gave them every facility and
control Of the Board. The great
item Of the trouble with them seems
to be the question of taxation. The
real part Of which I expect to show
to tho contrary, not only from Re-
publican, hut also from Democratic
sources. There is q State law rer
hitting persons who have claims
against the parish to sue and obtain
Judgements. Tho Judge is required
to allow the, Assessor to assess q GER
tain rate per centum upon the pre-.
perry in the parish to pay those .jadg-
ments. A large amount of warrants
have been issued in the parish Of
Natchitoches. Tho only time the
Republicans were in control of the
parish government was in 1870. They
served their time out which expired
in November, 1872. In 1871, an in.
junction was obtained against the
parochial authority, stopping tn Q
wheels Of government entirely-pro-
hibiting the authorities from issning
any paper evidence of debt, The
Police Jury If that parish; as'to the
other parishes, conceived the idea
that emigration was necessary Tor he
welfare Of tho parish. They then
established an emigration bnreau,
they appropriated $500 ia warrants
whichIwera then sold on, tia market
ATS cents on, the dollar feE t)re ps!r-
pose of establishing this bureau. The
object Of which was TO induce i'm,
migration there. i was apf6iated
Agent of that Bssean. I got from
MI. Gresham Is, QUO copies Of y pam
phlet Of, twenty-five pages EACH,
setting forth the facilities and beiie-'
fits Of that section of country. After.
tho appropriation Was ehjoined, the
5000 90 appropriated bad, been a.
sued, Col. Levy, who is q prominent
Democrat there, assisted mo in wri.
ting up tho, history Of tho parish.
Tbs emily part of The $1,000 that ever
went to, tho, interest of any body was
paid to Col. Levy By me, for his ser
vices, a $500 warrant which he paid
into the Treasury for his taxes. The
balance 81 ,500l returned to tile par.'
ieh authorities, and have their receipt
for tho same. There was q State. law
requiring tho Police Juries through
ont the Stats,;'t0 procure maps and
Aeld:notss for all Lands that has been
sold 10 tho State--ths object Of the
law was that certain lands sold were
exempt from taxation for q serieA'of
years, and tho object was to know
when this time had elapsed. Fer
that purpose, the parish was to ap.
propriate $500 at 30 cents on the
dollar. The ouly part of that amount
that ever went on the market to my
knowledge, was $3.50 which was
paid to Lemee, a Democrat. There
were three Democrats and two Re-
publicans, parties to the contract Of
making that map. My contract with
them was that. until the map was dc
liversl to the parish, not ono dollar
should bo paid Or issued, but &l250
had been Issued long before the Map
| was issasd, aud whom the Map was
ready to. be issued this injunction
stood In the way. After the passage
Of the law in 1869, it presented a
good field for speculation. Every
person who had means could buy
warrants in the market, ut from IS to
20 cents on the dollar, and sue the
parish. The parish had from 1869 ia
l67O, paid these judgment creditors
more than ol47 600 10 currency J up
to the lst of January, 1874, out Of
one hundred Judgments that were Of.
fered In the District Court Of the
parish Of Natchitoches, ninety.fon'
were in the names of Democrats in
the parish. In 1874, it required a tai
Of 40 mills to pay Judgment credi'
tors. This 40 mill tax Was collecta'
bio in currency. The taxes in Match
itoches in 1874, were 70 mills, ! pei
cent Of it tn pay Judgment creditor
ill.,, carrency;s9 mills. tho ordinar,
parish tax, could bs paid in paper q
80 or 10 cents on the dollar; q mills
we're levied fol school purposes, be
cause the law requires the Police jarJ
" levy q school tax, whether itawa
necessary or not, which tax was re
mitted BY tho school board Of Natchi.
tocheA The result Of the tax knows
AZ the 'Kesrney T.x."' Judge Keat
nsy obtained an injunction in lHl
and the tax. was levied to pay lill
for HE services. He was prosecuting
the parish, and he was paid $3.50 b!
tho parish for procuring an injunction
against tho parish. That TO we
repealed. In 1874, tho tax as ! hav
lsaid vas ~ mills, 40 mills Of tha
. koes u pay Judgment creditors. =" o
; the s2oth day Of July, 1874, . moedn
! VA. called and styled . Taxpayer
4 "a. r. tie .chairman.-wha i'm
, nof&xIh cS do svou attach TO the pa,