The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1876-07-16
MiSrule In Louisiana.
Ga PAMPHLET By JUDGE EDMUND ArE11.)

L
The citizens of New Orleans are all, I'M
fortunately, too we'll aware of the fact that
this State has, for a number of years, been
handed over to Systematic plumber and rob-
berry. But as time passes, memory some
times fails to recall distinctly the details OF
this miserable history and contents itself
with confused general sense of wrong and
ruin. The pamphlet recently published by
Hon. Edmund Abel, Judge of our First
District Court, purporting to be " A Re-
view of Misrule, Greed and Plumber in
Louisiana for eight years past" gives a
compendious sketch of this unhappy period
at least as to some of it's more salient fea-
lures. AS such it is we'll worth perusal by
every body, and it is with much regret that
we find ourselves prevented by its length
from reproducing it in our columns for the
| benefit of our readers.
From Judge Abell's figuring it appears
that the robbery of the State, under bayo-
net rule, amounted, during from two to
lion dollars from four sources only. These
| were as follows, LIST, the " veteran "swin-
die, by which the State Treasury was de-
| frauded of about a quarter of million Of
dollars within two years, after which it was
| stopped 2 I'd, the Printing Fraud, amount
| ing to considerably over one million, in
| four years commencing with 1869 3cd, the
| Assessing and Collecting Swindle, amount
ing to about three quarters of million for
the two years 1870 and 1871; and 4th, the
Legislative Steal of one and three quarter
millions for four years, 1868 60 20 II.
Thus, from these four sources only, the
robbing amounted to over one million of
dollars annually, while in hundreds of other
ways the State Treasury was being plum
dered, and at the same time cities and par
ishee were being as Systematically, indus
triously and successfully bled.
Among other interesting details we find
these. The average price paid for public
printing for four years commencing with
1869 was $35l ,652 % per annum, while, by
Auditor Graham's report of 1870 it appears
that the average cost of public printing in
former years was $37, 900. Judge Abel
elbows, from the report of the State Trea-
surer of Maine for 1864, that the public
printing of that State cost Only SOS, 076 l6
per annum. Our public printing was there
fore about ten times as costly as it used to
be and ought to be. Again our tax asses
sing and tax-collecting for 1870 and 1871
cost $96s, 479 ID, or nearly half a million q
year, while the same services in 1858 and
1859 cost $l95 900, or not quite one hun
dred Thousand dollars a year. Again fol
the four years, ls57-5s-59-6O, the expenses
of running the State Legislature amounted
to 1886 900, or less than one hundred thou.
sand dollars per year for the four years o.
1s6e-69-7O-7l, they amounted to SO, 304,'
404 43, or nearly six hundred Thousand dol
lars per years.
After that period, the Judge goes on tx
show, affairs grew still worse. Immense
quantities of outstanding warrants and Ger
tifcates we're unprovided for. Lieut.. Gov
Dunn would not permit any legislation il
their favor unfortunately he died, ant
Pinchback took his place Pinchback ant
Warmoth Joined forces; the Conserva
tiveA broke the quorum of the Senate BY
going to Mississippi; one of them, by thu
name of Lewis, sold out, creating what il
known as the -" tin box" Episode; a Law
was passed-act 81 of session of 1872
sweeping together all kinds of funds anC
assets, sacred or common, to pay off thes'
bogus claims. The money known as tn
r Redemption of the State Debt Fond -
$I77 OOO,-the 'sFree School Fund ~
81 ,123, 5OO-and all back taxes and forfeit
ures were ruthlessly cOnsecrated to this in
I famous use, with a proviso that if the!
were insufficient, tax of one mill SHOULD
: be levied oa all property in the State t.
! make up the deficit. The leaders in thi
. nefarious scheme had, of course, bough
up and held all these warrants and certifi
= Gates.
:, Then came the election of "; MCEner
It was elected the Returning Board counte
t him out; the famous midnight order {
r Duren was issued the 18th September wa
/" followed by the election of "a and th
Ut Legislature which Sheridan massacred, th
g political Courts, etc., etc.,-all of whic