The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-08-19
FIRST DISTRICT TAX COLLECTOR
SHIP,
Kellogg and Pard.

Fulton, brought back to the State on q
requisition of Gov. Nichols, is charged
with a defalcation, as tax collector
Of the First District Of New Orleans, of
$59, 600.
Fulton is surprised that he should be
thus extradited, averring that he left
word with his friends to send for him.
to notify him by telegram, when he was
needed and he would hurry back to
answer all questions and demands, ad-
ding that he had recognized his indebt-
edness and provided for the liquidation
OF the same. through responsible
friend, and had only been delayed In
his settlement by the refusal Of the
Treasurer to open his Office for the con-
duct of the public business during the
contest for the State government.
Mr.. Fulton's establishment at being
brought back here under judicial rro-
cess at all is greatly increased when, on
his arrival here, he discovered that the
States claim against him Is $50 900, in
stead of the $21, 900 acknowledged.
His explanation Of the process by
which the original deficiency was 30
largely increased opens up a rich placer
Of information, touching one of the most
scandalous incidents In the history of
the late State administration, presided
over by William P. Kellogg. The facts
laid bare by him belong more to history
than to the judicial investigation to
which Fulton's connection with them
will be subjected. And hence. we re-
gard them as falling within the scope Of
our historical and journalistic duties,
especially as they refer to and
involve the characters Of an as
pirant to the high office Of United
States Senator. and that Of others who
have larger responsibilities that Fulton.
From the averments and declarations Of
Fulton, confirmed In the main by noto-
rious facts, 1t is pretty clearly shown
that this Office, the richest In the gift OF
the Governor, the emoluments being
generally set down at SAC, 900, with large
facilities for speculation, was held by a
secret partner and special friend Of the
Governor, James s. Clark, who kept In
the shade, whilst the commission ran in
the name Of two other persons, Fulton
being one and his predecessor, Folger,
the other, on the condition that they,
the nominal incumbents, should be sat-
istied with salary at the rate OF $500 a
month. This amount would be
earned by the use Of their names
and their occasional presence in
the Office, but on the express
and emphatic condition that all the
moneys should be paid to the special
and confidential agent Of the real hold
ers and owners of the office who were
w. P. Kellogg and his pard Clark.
These conditions were preserved and
vigorously enforced through the whole
four years OF the administration Of KEEL
logg. All that Fulton and Folger, his
predecessor, knew Of the Office was that
they handle i over all the moneys, turned
in all the warrants to Kellogg or his
special agent, and received their $500
per month.
Considering the large receipts of this
Office which during the four years re-
ferred to, must have exceeded a million
and a quarter Of dollars, and the i'm
mense transactions in warrants, pur-
chased at enormous discounts and paid
into the Treasury at par with currency,
some faint estimate may be formed of
the large sum realized by Kellogg and
his partner from this Office.
OF course, no such arrangement could
be made except by the consent and
action of Kellogg, who alone had the
appointing power. This enormous profit,
therefore, must have euured to Kellogg
and his viceregent and partner, to
whom he gave the selection and control
OF the nominal tax collector. And now