The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-08-11
OF A TAX COLLECT
OHs QUEER DOANGs.
convict Labor Employed By Certain Rich
Planters LIN lberville-The Duty Of Our
Legislature in the Prem ses.
pI AnI1ItAIIAtI. It<t.,ilIe, p..,.;s.l, 1


August 0, 1877
Editor Democrat two months sine,
| our new police jury appointed an investiga
tlng committee TO examine the books of tht
parish treasurer and State tax collector q
lberville under his aecdency VIM 2. Kellogg
The former Is well meaning and well be
haved colored gentleman with a fair educa
tion, was q free man before the war and nj.
though some discrepancies were found in his
books ii is generally believed heJnay be able
to explain them to the satisfaction OF the
committee
The latter, the ex-tax collector Is q natiye-
born Italian, who, during our late unpleas-
antness to quote Mr.. Lincoln, ''turned tale
and made tracks for his native shores. and
there remained until the smoke of our BATTLES
had cleared away. Screened and protected
by the old police jury he was enabled to make
some kind OF 81 settlement with the parish
treasurer by which he came out "first best. ''
When the investigating committee called for
his statement on the 30th of June last it was
Forthcoming, and showed that the parish
was indebted to him some eleven dollars
This statement was SO unexpected that tho
committee concluded to Investigate more
fully. The result was the discovery of sew
eral names Of tax payers upon the delinquent
rolls, representing, in, value nearly four hun
dred dollars, who had the receipts of the col
lector In their pockets. These items of
crooketiness caused the committee to halt fol.
awhile and rettace their steps 50 as to cover
the whole period Of the administration Of the
gentleman. Look out for a. full report in
September, when the police jury meets. In
that body will be discussed the right of tax
collector to place into the parish treasury de-
preclated warrants instead Of currency
actually collected.
Every day reveals some new fraud hatehed
out Of the old collectors office against the
people, showing, conelusvey that the office
was full Of fraud and corruption from it's ere
alton until the fall Of VIM. Pitt.
Although it was generally believed that
malfeasance in that office would cause a man
to board free for a few years in the State
Hotel at Baton Rouge, yet the fact stares the
public in the face that no district attorney or
district attorney pro tenn. had the mallliness
to file an information against these cormo-
rants.
But enough of this.
The people here are exercised about the en-
ployment of criminals by one of our richest
planters.
$. L. James, who has charge of the State
Penitentiary at Baton Rouge, has contracted
to do work for the planter who can afford to
employ poor mon. who would thereby feed
honest families and keep the wolf from their
door. This is a bad precedent. Ii may create
bau leeiiHgS DeIWeen Flcn ana poor where
none existed before.
The lessees of the Penitentiary should be
ordered back to Baton Rouge with their con-
victs. II no law can reach them now, the at
tion OF our Legislators should be called to that
fact next winter. Some law must be passed
to protect the honest laborer against the ma
chnations Of rings Of all sorts, or we may
hear OF some Strikes In this usually quiet
country before many months elapse.
The tax collector of this parish is deter
,tVDI fl,ofA AIx,
shall not carry on any contracts hereabouts
before paying their license as contractors
and he has accordingly prayed that an in
junction issue against the parties until they
do "pay up" Nous ueyrons.
Respectfully yours,
WIDE AWAKE