St. Landry democrat., 1879-05-31
Three Kinds Of Citizens.
fNcW Orleans Times.

new orleans Times.
The recent attempt of the spectators
their dues up to January 1st, 1877, has
been the occasion of a good deal of indig-
nant comment. 1t revealed, or was the
occasion of bringing out the fact that
there are past due taxes now standing
against individuals and corporations to
an aggregate amount greater than the
entire State debt, Furthermore it sug-
gested the conclusion that there must
be very large class of citizens who
deliberately make a business of refusing
to pay taxes, trusting that some chance
such; for example as Mr.. Forman's
profound and ingenious proposition
will enable them to evade their obliga-
tions altogether eventually. The
knowledge that wealthy or, at least in
dependent and well-provided persons,
and prosperous corporations should
stand debtors to the State for sy,mes ag-
gregating more than $14,OOO,0OO, whilst
the State is hardly able to meet its cur
rent expenses and is actually contempla-
ting a confession of insolvency, has
come to honest citizens, who pay thcir
taxes in good faith, rs a shock and a
humiliation.
There seems to he way of classifying
citizens of Louisiana, thus:
1st Class-Smith, who pays his taxes
when he gets the bill.
2nd Class-Brown, who doesn't like
to pay taxes but always settles before
the year is out.
3rd Class-Joncs, who simply don't
pay at all.
The first two classes are we'll enough
Smith who pays on demand, Brown who
| though little Wilful, means we'll and
I in good time does it. But all the troub-
le lies in tne, third class--the Joneses
who, upon all sorts of dishonest and
hypocritical pretexts, withhold the State
| its inst and righteous dues and, by 50
doing, increase the burdens of honest
citizens whilst they thrive upon their
selfish and unpatriotic practices. OF
! course, an evil originating thus must in
crease with time. 1t furnishes the ma
terial for it's own growth and expansion,
since as each hyea,'s delinquency widens
| the gap between the income and pxpend-
| iturp. so each years deficiency is rene
| died by the imposition of additional hnr-
dens upon the honest taxpayers. The
| delinunents. taX-resisters, or whatever
they may choose to call themselves. are
| among the loudcst in their complaints of
taxation-Mr. Foreman's f1ord fancy
calls "it spoilation''-hut do the taxpay
ING masses who really have to suffer ever
reflect that the increased burden upon
| them is the direct result of the taX-resst-
ers' delinquency.
Nowit has been shown that those
professional and speculative resisters
are all the time calculating upon secur-
ing relief through legislation. They are
active and persistent politicians. noisy
reformers, untiring, indomitable and
unscrupulous workers. They thrust
themselves in by sheer force of impu-
dence, and when once in they seek,
through appeals to all the lowest pas
sions and prcjudices. to accomplish the
loudly of the impoverishment of the
people by taxation, although they have
not paid a cent for years, and honest
| though unthinking people who are really
| oppressed, having to make up their de-
| linuuency, are deluded into regarding
then as patriots and statesmen. The
sublimest spectacle of insolent affron-
terry is that of a professional tax-resister
raising ND in legislative or delibera-
tive public assembly and demanding, in
the name of virtue and justice and pat
riotism, the relief and forgiveness of de-
linquents! That spectacle has been
witnessed too often in Louisiana. The
moral sense of the community has been
shocked and outraged by the success of
the speculators in taX-resisting, until it
will require but very little more to
convert this into community of tax-re-
sisters. Honest people have grown sick
and weary of carrying fora set of dis
honest tricksters. and public sentiment
is ripe to-day for the adoption of a poll
! re~ ~l,,I 4x~ ,L.s1,
cent to the support of government until
that government forces the delinquents
to settle their arrears, and embraces a
policy which will effectually prevent a
repetition of their evil practices in the
future. For our part we do not hesitate
to say that sucl, course would be justi-
fed by every dictate of equity and COM
mon sense. 4 government which will
oppress tie good and honest citizen
whilst favoring and induidging the dis
honest one deserves nothing at the hands