The daily gazette., 1877-01-02

has lived in New Orleans since the war.
In national politics he is and always has
been since 1850 Republican. He is
thoroughly familiar with New Orleans
and Louisiana, and knows nearly every
man of prominence in the State. l had
many conversations with him in regard to
local affairs, whose salient points were
about as follows: -' sus ~ 'a'sra''''
'Mr. Spearing, you were formerly a
Republican when knew you in the North
How do you stand now?" 49,. .-..,
81 am a Republican still, SO far as ma
tional politics are concerned; but want
you to understand that no decent white
man can be Republican on local mat
tiers in this state" e7f0 t r
'How is that? sil
'sSimply because the men who are run
ming the Republican party here are the
worst. collection of thieves and scoundrels
in America" s8 a1an
.!Are there no exceptions"
swell, yes; one or two, perhaps. War
m0th, for instance, is an exception. He is
a very square man, and is a good deal
liked and respected by the Southern peo-
i pie. Anderson and Pinchback are not
very generally liked, but still they are so
much of an improvement over the average
Louisiana Republican that they are not
without friends"
"What is the particular trouble with
the Kellogg Packard regin,e?"
sit is that their whole efforts are in the
interest of steal. They care nothing
whatever for anybody in the State except
so far as they can use them to make
money. Every one of these men came
here papuers, and are now men of great
wealth. Upon my soul, l do not know
an honest office-holder In all Louisiana. .
"Give me some instances of their ras-
@lity.
"Yon can't 60 amiss in any direction.
Whever you will lind a Radical in office
you are certain to find thief. Take the
case of the school money, for instance.
This is handled in the districts by Radi-
calls, and in a majority of instances it is
all, or the greater portion Of it,stolen. 1t
was this fact more than any other
which made East Feliciana, cone of the
"bull-dozed'' parishes,) always before a
scrong Republican parish, go Democratic
by SO large a majority. But this is not the
biggest steal"
"Wnat is the biggest Steal?'
1t is the handling of assessments here
and in other places. Most eff the asses
sors were originally no-account paupers.
but all of them are now wealthy,
''How do they do it?''
"They go about and assess property at
from three to five or ten times its actual
value. When this is done, you have one
of two things to do. Either to pay a tax
OF from 4 to cents on this valuation, or
"see" the assessor. To 'see' him is ex-
pensive, according to the value ofthe
property. Sums are paid ranging all the
way from SIS to $500, or even $1,000. i
know of case, for instance, where some
real estate was assessed at 100000,
which was barely worth $4,000. The
tax on this was $4,000. The owner SAW
the assessor to the tune Of $1,000, where
upon the assessment was lowered to S15,-
OO0. Such cases as these are of constant
occurrence. In fact, there is no except
ion. Besides this, the Radical managers
have created large number of superfiu-
Gus offices, which they have filled with
their own men, and which are worth to
their incumbents from $4,000 to $50, 900
per annlIm. In all such cases the offices
are perfectly useless, and their duties
could be performed by existing offices
without additional cost.''
Mr.. Spearing thereupon proceeded to
give the names of various officials. asses
sors, sheritfs of various grades, &c, who
are now in possession of fortunes which
have been wrung from the people by the
lnlqultous processes above detailed Mr.
Spearing further said:
tGThnSf r0hariac houa
ness. l am making arrangements to leave
here, simply because no man can do a
legitimate business here and live There
are thousands of people in Louisiana who
own improved property, which, under
hal1"way decent Management would afford
saem competence. Now it is all they can
possibl do to pay their taxes and supply
a few ordinary repairs. Capital is being
taxed out; business men like myself are
pulling up. and going away; and yet New
orleans, II properly governed, would be
one. of the very best cities on the contin-
ent do business ln."
Such Is the testimony of a Republican
as to the condition of New Orleans and
Louisiana under Radical rule. A pro-
perty was shown to me by the owner in
New Orleans, which, for two years. has
been offered for sale at 1886, 900; and vet
which is forced to pay tax of 7 per cent
on valuation of $4,000 In that city,
long blocks OF valuable buildings are rot
ting down simply because the owners
cannot afford to pay the onersus taxa
ton and keep up repairs. In Shreve-
port, New Orleans, Columbia, Savannah,
Charleston, and other cities where the
carpet-baggers dominate, the streets are
in an execrable condition. Drains and
sewers are neglected, the parks are be-
coming. wilderness; and yet, in all these
cases, the money has been wrung from
the people for the Improvement Of these
public works, and has gone into the
pockets of the Radicals. A we'll known
physician Of Chicago, and Republican.
once told me that the extreme prevalence
OF the yellow fever in Shrevepsrt. in
1873, was very largely due to the filthy
condition ofthe streets, drains and sewers:
and it is the fact that the money to i'm,
prove the streets, sewers, and drains had
months before been collected and used by
the carpet-bag officials for their own pur-
Times.