The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1877-09-01
Lovely Financeering
BY UNCLE SILAS.
Chapter l

years previous to March l 1877
would form a chapter of interest
ing matter that for sensationalism
and what is now designated as
"true inwardness" would hardly
be surpassed in the brilliant des-
criptions, dedicated to vlllainy
and deeds of darkness, which are
found in the pages rendered i'm
mortal by the pen of Bulwer or
a Scott. The way and means, de-
vised and adopted to appropriate
the taxes OF the people to any
and all purposes, except those
for which they were paid, and
the unscrupulOusness and chica-
merry with which the public trea-
sury was filched of it's funds and
emptied into the pockets Of the
robbers and thieves who have
held most Of the places of trust
and honor (?) in Louisiana during
the last decade of years could not
be imagined or comprehended by
any man Of ordinary capacity
who has not been a spectator of
these dark transactions and an
unwilling victim of the plumber
ing of the wealth, and the dis
grace aud shame affixed upon the
previously bright and unsullied
escutcheOn, OF the State in which
he lived and whose name was
dearer to his heart than that of
his own. But the machinery which
) governed the movements and CO..
3 vered up the bascness. aud ras
: cality transacted in that Office
t had its position in the State
r House of Louisiana and Custom
r House Of the United States in
New Orleans, and is now, in a
S great measure, removed and hid
}, away from the searching eyes of
. those whose duty it is to expose
to the view Of al unprejudiced
world the enormity OF the crimes
and the dark transactions of those
maranders and despoilers.
u 1t is not proposed, in this
= sketch to lay before the reader,
y - more than a general synopsis of
. the Office in question as brought
{ to view from inspection of such
documents as can be obtained,
and from the notorious conduct
OF the Tax Collector in certain
v transactions that could not lie cor
y cealed from the public eye. in the
> subterraheam recess in which the
- greater part of the corruptions OF
!" his Office were, or were supposed
'e to be, Theoretically sealed.
+" The success of the Radical Par
ty, obtained by the magnificent
count of the Board of Returning
\. scoundrelS, supported and up
le held by the Bayonets of the sol
n diers OF the United States woult
Il. have been an adequate covering
lr placed over this den of pillagl
t. and plumber to have entombe(
IS lis dark deeds ina cloud of infa
of my, impenetrable to any homes
eye, and everything i'll 1877
al wouldhave moved onward smootl
i. ly and joyfully to CrOsier the Ia,
III Collector, and to Packard, Brow
of & others whose suppliant tool b.
was, aud has been for years, a
f. had been the case for years gOn,
rs by. But, the whole conception O
es those plunderers met with
d. storm for which they we're no
a. prepared the ilmy structure il
which. they had ensconced themse
yes, fondly imagining that the,
~were:secure from all exposure, wa
y, scattered to the -four winds whe.
O. they suddenly found themselve
I'd defenceless helpless and caugh
IN in the very depths of their meta
es rions transactions: Like the Os.
he trich, they had hidden their head
ty under their own wings and fool
30 ishly supposed themselves out c
es harms way.
a Many years have passed ava
TX into oblivion, and many change
by have occurred in this world sine
10, it was written that
"The way of the trangressor is hard"
IS. but the saying is none the les
- true now, as CrOsier and his cor
panions are learning.
de Previous to the year 1876 til
on Tax Collector was allowed to +
ceive in payment of Parish Taxes
Parish warrants of any date a
par. This was apparently an eqr
- table system but in practise,
IN proved beneficial only to a rin
of spectators of which the TIA
20 Collector was the chief. Willis
VI he was authorised by law to r,
~ y. ceive warrants in payment {
~ taxes he was not given authorit
~ to usurp the duties of the Paris
Treasurer aud use the none
o' paid into his hands by taxpayer.
10, to purchase warrants at a Ill,