The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-04-27
Tax Collecting In Concordia Parish.
V1pALIA, La, April 1G. 1877.

NIDALlA, La, ApFll III. 1871.
Editor Democrat My attention has
been called to the inclosed article,
clipped from your paper
Very recently, indeed on the 2lst of March. one
Tom Reber, claiming to be tax collector OF Uon'
cordia, under Paeharda appointment, sent TO q
merchant of that parish notification that, unless
he paid his parish license by the fret of April, he
would be Indicted and prosecuted. end the matter
was actually brought before some sort OF Grand
Jury. The merchant who. name is In our pos
session, refused to pay the license to Packard's
sppointee. but finding that he was TO be annoyed
by prosecution he paid II. II. Steele, somewhat
notorious IL this city as Judge OF the superior
Criminal Court while citizen OF Tensas. and who
IL now District Attorney Of the Thirteenth Dit
tricf. his fees and other costs. Wbefeupon the
prosecution was dropped, and the merchant paid
or will pay his license TO the Nichels collector.
We refer TO the facts in this cage to show that
Mr.. II. H, steele. who was one OF kellogg's
Judges, Immediately became convinced that the
Packard tax collector had no claim upon the
merchant the moment the latter paid him, Ii. H.
steele, Radical District Attorney. his fee and
costs. or su b moral timber is composed the
They comprehend no question OF right or prinei-
pie. They are for Packard or anybody else
through whom they can make money tomorrow
they will be with whoever wins.
| feel assured from my knowledge Of
the high and conservative tone of your
journal that IL ts not your desire to do
Injustice even to q political foe, and the
article must have been dictated by n
misrepresentation Of the true facts and
circumstances Of the matter alluded to.
Az happen to be cogni3ant of the real
facts of the case, ] feel it to be my duty
in Justice to Judge Steele and Judge
Reber, the gentlemen aspersed, to cor
rect the error into which you have been
led.
can do this with the more pleasure
and the greater propriety because It has
happened that | was the only member
OF the Concordia bar who refused, at
the request OF the Judge of the Thir-
teenth District, to sign an agreement OF
which the preamble recognized the ex-
istence of dual governments In the
State Of Louisiana, or to do any act
which might be construed into an ad-
mission that there was any other gov
eminent, either de juTe or de facto, in
the State than that of Francis T. Mich.
oils. and because repeatedly urged the
Governor to require those gentlemen,
one Of whom was district attorney elect
qualify and make an official recognition
of the authority of his government.
Judge Reber, who was tax collector
under the Kellogg government, and
who continued to. hold over until the
OF his successor, Mr.. @.
A. Pipes, never attempted to collect the
licenses due to the State, aud has none
in his office. When Mr.. Pipes was ap-
pointed by Gov. Nichols he very cour-
teously permitted him the use Of his
Office and papers. and as Mr.. Pipes had
not qualified as tax collector for the
parish, and as the law requires the par
ish licenses to be paid before the en-
pannolling OF the grand jury at the
Court, Ii was agreed that Judge Reber,
to whom they had been issued by the
parish treasurer. should collect those
licenses.
The proceeds OF these licenses when
collected were paid to Col. G. A.. Mayo,
the parish treasurer, a Democrat OF
lnquestioned political standing, and an
ardent supporter of the Nichols gov
eminent. SO you can easily understand
hat there was no connection whatever
between the taxes due to the parish and
hose due to the State, nor could any
part OF the money 50 collected possibly |
reach the treasury Of the Packard gov
srnment.
The Grand Jury which found the in
dietment was presided over as foreman
era OF the Democratic and Conservative |
party In the parish, and after having
procured from the tax collectors Office |
. list or those persons who had paid |
their parish licenses. they proceeded in |
The discharge of their duty to indiot
those who had not done so. There were |
no mitigating circumstances In the case. |
no conflict OF jurisdiction, and no doubt
Of the authority Of Judge Rsber to col |
ect the tax. Theaccused was undoubt- |
IDLY guilty. and the act Of Judge Steele
entered, was an act of grace for which |
ne deserves great credit. The accused. |
.s Is the custom in such cases, paid the
,osts OF prosecution.
WADE r. YOUNG.