The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1877-08-08
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COMMUNICATION.
Editor De,nocrat:-

Editor De,n0crdt:-
With due Difference to your sagac-
ity and good judgment don't you
think it is about time that you should
open your columns to the continued
and increasing complaints, heard in
all quarters from good citizens and
taxpayers, as regards the manage
ment of the Town affairs by the pre-
sent Board of Councilmen since the
first ofFebruary2 Believing so, and
also strong in the faith of your re
form notions, I must believe that
nothing but far stretched courtesy to
your fellow members, has forced you
into a silent acquiescence, nay obe-
dience, to the loose and extravagant
handling of the Towns business af
fairs. However reluctant it may be
to you to give ear and to the public
circulate these growing Ills" l beg
you will believe them not to be of
the croaker or fault-fnder sort, but
that they emanate from the tax-pay-
ers, who are those who have right
to be heard, and some little right to
be heard through the columns of the
Democrat.
My bill of indictment, as drawn up
by these taxpayers against the
Board of Councilmen, is contained in
several counts, and l proceed to emu
merate them as briefly and as cour-
teously as I can. These taxpayers
charge that the salaries allowed and
paid are too high for the times, now
so dull, and should be reduced at
least one fourth, and then these sal
aried ones would be we'll paid, in fact
better paid than any officials of the
kind in the State. They charge that
your finances are loosely managed,
no check being had on your officials,
no tabulated account being rendered
from whom these taxes and licenses
are collected, and the taxpayers,
your constituency who voted you all
into office, never have any insight in
any manner into the proceedings of
the Council, its doings being kept
from the public as great State Sc
cret, and never at any time publish
ed in the Journals of the Town.
And here, Mr.. Editor, let me tell you
that your Town Council is the only
one in the State which refuses to
publish their acts, and this fact is
enough of itself to give suspicious
carping against their fair dealing
and respect and regard for their con
stituency, and should have been done
years ago.
Another charge I have, in the
name Of that sighted constituency
to make is the fact, that I hear from
all quarter and is one that should
by all means be at once inquired into
and stopped. Those who receive
warrants for monies due them, il
they 90 TO the Town Treasurer for
the payment thereof, invariably re
ceiye the courteous reply, emo money
on hand;" and yet licenses, whar-
FACES, fines and taxes are almost
daily collected, and these are never
paid to the Treasurer as they should
be, though they are honestly and
correctly accounted for monthly by
the Collector in paid up warrants.-
Here, Mr.. Editor, is the creates,
complaint that is heard, and it gives
only favorites par chance to re-
ceive their dues, and other equally
good creditors have to keen thei,
warrants for months or stand shave
that smacks of old Shylock's ounce
of blood. Pray, Mr.. Editor, will
due Difference to the Council and the
long experience Of some of them
what is the use Of a Treasurer, {
bonded Treasurer, if no cash collect
ed is ever handed to him, that he
may pay it out on the warrants
drawn on him2
These crude charges, which coult
be increased were I to further tres
pass on your space, are given in ne
harsh spirit, but in due respect ane
kindness, ard in the name of your
constituency, l trust your worthy
| Mayor and members of the BoarG
will take them in kind, and at once
move in the matter, and bring to .
close complaints which I, as a citi
zen and taxpayer, really believe arr
true in the main, and should at once
be looked to, and extort in the flu
ture praises from the most obduratt
THIRD WARD TAXPAYER.