The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-04-24
per cent higher than any Of these. Gas, there
FORE is cheapest in rich and dearest In poor
FALSE FIGURES,
countries.


In the way of journalistic enterprise the
Picnpune has undertaken to annhilate the
Auditor. This Is all right and fair provided
the job be done in the proper manner. 1t is the
business, and, we regret to say, very often
the duty, OF newspaper to slaughter public
officials: but 1t is never the business or duty
OF an honest journal to misrepresent any
body or to attempt to injure a public f,lnc-
tionary by the use, Intentionally or through
carelessness, on the basis of false data. Yes
terday the P,cayuue contained the following
paragraph, headed Speaking Figures"
| During the periods of Clnton's and John
sons administrations of the Auditors office
the sum of 1912 48O &C had been funded !:
during that Of Mr.. Jumel the sum of $2.O34,
349 GO less than one-fourth In the former
cases the clerical labor was considerable; in
the latter less than One-fourth of cOnsidera-
BILE. Neither Clinton nor johnson ever asked
for compensation for this alleged extra ser
vice; Mr.. Jumel has been awarded conpen-
sation OF $4,000 for less than ne-fourth of their
work
The general reader will be very likely to
accept this as fair statement and conclude
that Mr.. Jumel Is a public gouger and more
unscrupulous official than his Radical prede-
cessors, Clinton and johnson. How gross an
Injustice the hcdyune has thus done the
present Auditor very brief explanation will
show. Neither Clinton nor johnson ,ras erer
secretary of the Funding Board. Until the
passage OF act No. IS of the regular session
of 1877, the Secretary of State was the secre
tary OF the Funding Board. AS secretary of
the board the Secretary of State was entitled
to charge one dollar each for affixing the
fNf In tofr fr
This charge was allowed by section $500 of the
Revised Statutes, to which we refer the Pic
dytne for information. Under this section the
fee was paid by the holder of the bond or other
document and amounted to very consider
able sum; certainly a larger sum than $4,000.
the amount claimed for very laborious SER
vices by Mr. Jumel. Besides this fee which
was allowed the Secretary of State we find
that by act No. II Of the session Of 1875 an ap-
preparation OF $4,000 was made to pay the Sec
cretary of State for affixing the seal of the
State to the consolidated bonds.
Act So Of the regular session of 1877 made
the Auditor, instead of the Secretary of State.
Of the Funding Board, and thereby
imposed upon him very responsible and vex-
atious duties, which he has faithfully per
formed. This Is q simple explanation of the
fact that there is no record of Clinton and
Johnson ever having received compensation
rs secretaries of the Funding Board.
Whether the present Auditor, who has per-
formed the duties for which preceding Off
,ials have been literally paid, should re-
,eive extra compensation, is question
about which there may be differences of
opinion. But that the Legislature believed
hat he should be compensated and assumed
hat the board would pay him out of it's con
ingent fund there is volumnous documentary
evidence to show, while we have the opinion
If the Attorney General that the compensa-
ion is legitimate.
1t Is not to our taste to enter into such CON
roversies rs this In politics we care little
or individuals and everything for principles
md policies. But there seems to be feeble
ort OF conspiracy to prosecute the Auditor
md raise a howl over this claim of his, as If to
the people into the belief that they
re being robbed In this business and that this
lain for $4,000 has frustrated the whole poll
y of reform for which they have so long
truggled.
The policy of reform, if not frustrated was
" DdCh clR utttH HlUHtilS, WHEN bne JeglSIa- j.,
ure refused to call a convention; or to destroy
single monopoly; or to cut down single
alary; or abolish single superiuous office.
ur pockets are not going to suffer by paying
ublic officials for their work. The grinding
ppression is in the prolongation of a cumber-
ONE and expensive system Of government,
reated In the interest Of tax-eaters and to l
under the taxpayers. We invite the people |
} keep this fact in mind and not permit their /
ttention to be diverted from it by ferocious t
owl over two thousand dollar claim. t