New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-02-02
nrmocRATIC IMMUNITY.

DEMOCRATIC IMMUNITY.
Under the heading ''Another Blac
Sheep-A Crooked Judge-Attempt a
Bribery" We find in the organ . copy o
an Indictment found against Judge F. J
Stokes for the offenses indicated in tn
heading. Thus q man before trial is pub
lished as a convict, and public condem
nation directed against him. The part
indicted is Republican.
The Picayune announces the lndlct
ments for defrauding the revenues OF tn
tax on whisky as the arrangement of par
ties on grand jury presentments. Thes
last frauds are little too modern for tn
organ to have yet reached them.
The principal parties indicted for de
frauding the revenues are rich and promi
nent men. Among them are we'll known
Democrats.
Public censure is concentrated on Re
publican charged with bribery. Public
opinion is suspended upon the arraign
ment of Democrats for a fraud on the
revenues of the government.
We do not commit the wrong of calling
these men who have been charged with
an offense punishable with fine and i'm
prisonment as flock of "black sheep >
but we have right to characterize the
offense of which they have been alleged
to be guilty.
The representatives of the whole people
and States have assessed upon spiritu-
GUS liquor tax for the support Of the
government. Every citizen is in law and
in honor bound to contribute his share to
the common cost of government, but
those charged with the evasion of the tax
do not so contribute, therefore they are
guilty of having refused to perform their
duty as citizens. Therefore they have
cast upon others that share of the cost of
government and realized a profit where
others have sustained loss.
After the revenues SO contributed have
reached the treasury, it has happened that
the officers to whom it has been intrusted
have defrauded the government, by mis-
application Of the revenues SO collected.
Here are two moral offenders. The
whisky dealer has retained half the tax
which should have gone into the treasury;
the official custodian Of the half paid into
the treasury is defaulter for the sum so
paid in. The one has cut the supply pipe,
the other has stolen from the reservoir
We make no moral comparison between
these offenders. Apart from the frauds of |
washed stamps and false statements, the |
moral act of Withholding the contribu-
buttons lawfully imposed for the support
If the government is neither patriotic nor
It deserves the reproaches Of
ociety.
We have had no reason to complain of
ny want of virtuous Indignation on the
art of the Democracy, SO long as Joyce,
Bingham and Mckee were on
be gridiron. There was no credit ac-
orded to the President by the Democracy
Or his persistent endeavors to bring to
lstice the spoilers Of the public revenue,
ut he was actually denounced for an
LEGGED interposition to shield those from
enlistment who, but for him, would
ave never needed his interposition.
[any of those men indicted for this
ffense were no more officers of the gov
rnment than are the Dealers under "ar-
alignment" here. They have been all
lcluded in an unco mmon condemnation
= all parties The Democracy, Selling
pom Republican investigation as proof
Republican responsibility, the ques-
on has now come home to our own city.
will be to the double daily pay Democ-
cy to say whether the ofense of defraud-
g the revenues when perpetrated by Re-
lblican is the same as when incidentally
by member of the Demo-
attic party. 1t would really simplify
alters very much if the Democratic ma
rity would originate and pass bill de-
ling the social and legal status of citi-
MS belonging to the political parties =
thin the State. A Democrat might, as
nobleman or priest in the darker ages,
declared exempt from criminal
civil process. 1t would be,
en-, only necessary in case of indict- >
ent or declaration to plead, that the de- \
1dant should not be held to answer in !,
Q matter herein charged, because he :
IS and always has been member in =
cd standing of the State rights Demo- :,
attic party, as will appear fully and for :,
lily from the certificate of the Seymour
Club herewith fled. There :.
on the attorney for the State should be
,tructed by the court to enter nolle -
osequi in the one case, or the jury told :,
find for the defendant with costs in the =
Ter. We may imagine Democrat who -
3 shot colored voter, and has been in u
ted merely for the clerk and attorneys b
8. The verdict might be something "
e this 1--WE Of the jury being satisfied !,
1t the person killed was person of y
lor within the degrees established by n
Itute, herewith return verdict of mot :,
lily" 3
We ask the reader if this be not the 0
,ial verdict now? If man be charged k
IL crime the inquiry is as to his last "
te, If it appear that he srpnorted | y,