The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-04-27
RESTITUTION OF STOLEN MONEY.

the campaign which the Democratic
and Conservative party was pledged 10
enter upon, whenever it should obtain
complete possession Of the powers OF
the government and the control Oh the
agencies to enforce the laws OF the
State.
We POSSESS now these powers and
agencies; we have able and honest
Judges. an efficient Attorney General,
and firm Executive. Now, then, let
the epginery OF the law and Of the courts
be set in active motion, to bring to
Justice all rogues and peculators ana
compel restitution OF the moneys stolen
from the people and State. Millions are
now held by the plunderers who have
for the last ten years had control OF
every department of the government.
1t will be not only great weakness,
but q gross and criminal violation OF
solemn pledges and imperative duties
II our government shall rest satisfied
with the mere political victory that has
been achieved. The people expect ana
demand more Of the reform government
than this. The capture and redistribu-
ton of the too numerous and highly
paid Offices Of the State must not salts
fy our ambition or appease our JUS.
anger. Such course would not meet
the public demand for redress OF the
grevious wrongs which have been per-
petrated upon the State.
Effect must be given to the law which
consigns the defaulter, the extortionlst,
the embezzler and the official INSIDE
meanant to the Penitentiary; and the
article of our Civil Code, which provides
that, "He who receives what is not
due to him. whether he receives 1t
through error or knowledge, obliges
himself to return 1t to him from whom
he has unduly received It," must not be
permitted to remain dead letter.
We referred, in our article OF yester-
day, to one ease to which this article ap-
piled and wherein the judges OF our late
Supreme Court had brought themselves
within the operation Of this principle OF
equity and justice.
Let us rigidly and vigorously apply 1t
to others as to them. Besides, the over
payment of or receipt of unconstitu-
tional salaries by these officials, there
are instances Of individual oriminality
and liability which demand the enforce.
ment OF the clear right OF the State
We will refer here to the most fragrant
case which suggests itself to us at this
moment.
The late Chief Justice, John I. Lude.
ling, whilst sitting on the bench OF the
hig hest tribunal in this State, received
in his capacity Of actual (though, Us
was afterward declared by the Supreme
Court of the United States, fraudulent,
possessor of the property, assets, fran
chises. etc.. of the North Louisiana
Railroad, from the late acting Governor
Kellogg, the amount of $574,0O0 II
bonds. which were subsequently funded
by o corrupt funding board into the
present highly appreciated consols O
the State.
Was not this receipt Of money no
due to Ludeling and his co-conspira
tors, and ought it not to be reclaimed
for the State ?
An act of the Legislature, passed too
late to arrest this funding. declared The
| fra udulent character of these bonds
No one knows better the fraud and i'm
morality involved IN this claim thar
this man who now revels in the wealth
derived therefrom. How many othel
claims are there of like character
against successful venalists and de
frauders Of the State
| The two last Governors Of the STATE
became evidently wealthy in Offices
from which their honest predecessor
retired poor. They were never engaged
| In any Of the occupations and PROBES
sions by which honest men accumulate
wealth and independence. They ar
now the possessors of their hundreds o
thousands Of dollars. liz there no in
quisitorial power in our jurisprudenc
or political system by which their sud
den acquisition of wealth can be IN
CURED into and properly treated? '
Where did Warmoth get his million
Kellogg his quarter Of million, Yves
his one or two hundred thousanc
and the rest their thousands OF dollars
Did any one ever hear Of their realizin
o dollar from any honest labor, skill
professional work? How came 1t tina
our late Auditors, tax collectors, asses
sors, school fund manipulators an
other officials have also become rich
All Of these matters require strict an
) searching investigation, and the goo
work cannot be begun too soon.
The Legislature adjourned yesterda
after a long, exciting and laborious Sc!