The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1878-05-15
THE COUNTRY PRESS.

isiana, from which, for our present
purpose, we Gull the following:
It is a little singular to note, there
fore, the llIberalitv with which, the
first Democratic Legislature we secured
dealt with the country papers. The
printing law, as it appertains to the
country press, reads as if our Demo-
cratic Legislature considered tn at
there was no difference between the
vile, slauderous and Infamous sheets
which for eight years maligned our
people and fattened on the money
stolen from them, and the newspapers
which, through poverty, adversitv and
sore temptation, fought the battles of
the State and did so much to win the
victory. Indeed, there were some
worthy and wise Democratic CODser-
yative gentlemen in the last Legisla-
ture, elected on the tide of victory i'm
PEELED by the press, who seemed to
have as great horror of newspapers
as the devil has of holy water. These
great statesmen, who owed their polit-
ical birth to the breath of the country
papers, were haunted all through their
brief tenure Of greatness with the
dread that some Democratic journal
would get two cents per square more
for public advertisement than it cost
the publisher to set it up and they
were never happy except when hatch
ing up bill to reform the Democratic
press out of dollar or two. Iatoxi-
Gated with power and greatness, they
were wild and furious with the delirium
tremens of retrenchmeDt and reform,
and newspapers with serpentine elon-
cation and voracious stomachs swarmed
in their boots and twined and twisted
around their desks and necks, and all
through the session they were furious
ly busy with little bills to extermi-
nate them.
We offer no apologies 70 our read
ers and friends, and have no grace
TO crave at the hands of the powers
that be, whom we helped and helped
with a stout heart and willing hands
to power, if we once more al
Jude in PLAIN terms 10 the romance
Of printers claim which has been
contradansed through whirlpool of
red tape, TO use the mildest oftelms,
till we have chance to get enough
out of it TO purchase one of Jake IT.
wings choice briskets to make a
good soup for our family. The
DEMOCRAT was elected by the Police
Jury as the 'official journal of the
Parish, aud we qualified in solvent
bond of two hundred and fifty dollars
for the faithful performance of our
duties. Early in November last, it
was made the legal duty Of the Tax
Collector of our Parish to publish
twice within ten days the names Of
all Delinquent taxpayers, in the
official journal. This was promptly
complied with and the list was ac
cordingly published in these col
umns. Section lot of the Act of
1877, the guiding law for this publ.
cation, allowed the official journal
"twenty cents, and no more, to every
person named therein At the time
we published 3,440 names which, at
the price allowed by law, made our
bill amount 10 $68S 90, and in the
course of some five or six weeks, we
were paid by the Collector the sum
of forty five dollars, thus accounting
as settled for 225 names. Since
then we have not received cent,
and here begins the red tape ro-
nance of our just claim.
After twining with the wo ,dbine
for fully sixty days, and starving our
patience and meekness on half
rations, we made bold to make out
our claim, with the $45 90 received
by US deducted as credit, and sent
it to New Orleans for adjustment,
payment or any red tape charnel
house TO which it might be Goa
signed. Well. reader, late in the
Extra Session of the Legislature,
what is known as the Deficiency Bill
was passed, enacting 'for the pay
ment of publication of delinquent
list of taxpayers for the year 1877,
as required by sections S. and 1O1
of Act No. SO, the sum of five thou.
sand dollars, etc.," was appropri-
ated, but at the same time inserting
a clause cutting down the claims of
the printers exactly one half. This
illegal and unjust shave reduced our
claim TO $299 90, deducting the
$40 90 We had received here.
Again, after another sixty days re.
spite and waiting, we were informed
reliably chat the amount appropri
ated would not cover the claims, and
we must wait till they all come in
and then we would receive our pro
rata. We breaLhed free on this fol
a few weeks, rallied our feeble stom.
ach, and began to ask the Post Mas
ter here, if there was Registered
| lot tor'1 for tho np,.oo,Am IT, AZ,