New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-03-24

and calculation" for which see reports
OF the Louisiana election in 1872.
We propose to do better part by the
arraigned and by the city. We will
speak plainly: The oAtenses of bribing q
government official. of defacing revenue
stamps, or of forming conspiracy to with
hold part of the revenues, is not q
party matter at all. However the act of
putting in ones pocket the taxes paid
by others may be viewed in localities or
by individuals, it is classed as very
serious crime by the court. 1t would be
a great mistake to suppose that the gov
eminent prosecutes or excuses offenders
according to their politics. The prosecu-
ton is not political at all; it is to protect
the credit Of the government, for how
could the government 60 on if the
sources of revenue be cut afr Why, even
the most dishonest officials would protest
against the stoppage of receipts, for how
could they steal the revenue if the dis
tillers and liquor dealers were beforehand
with them? It makes all the difference
between the thief who stole the materials
for making brooms and him who stole
them ready made.
On one side of the Picay,une we find the
ofense treated as it should be. In COM
mending the admirable (Democratic) reso-
tons of Senator Gordon for the improve
ment of our revenue collection laws, the
Pic breaks out into strain of fervent in
dignation. It claims that the government
has been defrauded Of eight hundred mill
lions of dollars at least by crooked dealers
in whisky alone. It then demands:
Into whose pockets has all that money
gone9 Not into those of the consumers
The price which consumers have paid has
varied but slightly from year to year. 1t is
plain that the whole of that immense sum
has gone to gorge the greed Of dishonest
mers and pot house politicians, who but .
few years ago we're beating the streets for .
free lunch and . treat, have ted themselves
fat on the spoils of Office and take rheir
afternoon siesta in palatial mansions, while
their wives enrobe themselves in the won
ders of the loom and sport the jewels of
GOlc0nda.
Natural and just indignation on behalf
of the Democratic ICONS umer," who gets
none of that money! Legitimate trans
lation of the fraud by which the ruin of
the drunkard is converted into the vicious
lunacy of the manufacturers. But does
not the Picaysne see it has omitted one
class who have shared in these profits :?
The liquor dealers are more guilty, if
there be any degrees in guilt, than either
the distiller or the official, because these
dealers put up the money to induce the
crime.
Our admonition, then, is that the par
ties arraigned will not regard this as
trihing affair. The government is deter
mined to put stop to this robbery. The
Republican party will protect the credit
of the treasury and the character of the
party. Hurt whom it may, they will pur-
sue all who have brought either good
name or credit into question. If thief
has made money out of the Republican
party, as Tweed did out of the Democratic
party, Republicans will not, as Democratic
officials did, allow the offenders to escape.
We may expect, then, the same sleepless
vigilance, the same memorable justice, in
these crooked cases at home as has been
shown at St. Louis and Chicago. The very
public opinion inadvertently created by
the press, that the charges are frivolous
and the offenses venial, may constitute
reason for the change of venue author
lied by law, and cases begun here may
be tried and expiated elsewhere.
We pause to await the recall of the men
at the masthead at Washington and the
concentration Of virtuous indignation
upon the crookedness at home. Let the
heavy batteries of the Democratic press
open upon the arraigned at home, or let
it open double broadside on both the
offenders at Washington and at home.
We will applaud it, as our French friends
say, with both hands"