The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-09-05
WHO ARE THE REPuDIATORs2


Yesterday we noticed the false and calum-
NOUS charges Of the New York Tribune
against tho Southern States relative to the
adjustment OF their debts, and directed public
attention to the fact that the utterances OF
that virulent and INSCRIPTIONS journal were
only the echoes Of the ISLANDERS which had
their origin in the New Orleans Times, and
which were instigated by the antagonism Of
the proprietor and manager Of that sheet to
Southern ideas, Southern sentiments and
Southern people. We did not, however, ex-
haust the material for comment with which the
Tribuees article furnishes us. Having vented
Its ill-temper In the abusive paragraphs we
quoted yesterday, the Tribune says:
Debts Of unduestioned validity and honesty Of
ss s@es Sssn se orsn % aoub -
The South has not only repudated debts con
debts which existed long before there was Re-
| publican party at the South. and which were
contracted by Democraic governments. Debts t
old and new, debts honest and dishonest debts
| large and small debts burdensome and insight
fleant. have alike fallen, before the. spirit Ct r.
before the scythe of the mower.
The letter of this charge, 50 far as Louisi-
ana la concerned, ID In measure true, but It's
spirit Is bitterly and cruelty false. The object
of the Tribune, like that OF the New Orleans
Times, ID to fix the odium OF reputation
upon the body Of the white people OF this
State who constitute nine-tenths OF the De-
nj ocracy. This is false In spirit and In fact
That debts OF unquestioned validity have
been repudiated quite as wantonly as debts Of
corrupt origin; that debts which existed long
before there was Republican party at the
South and which were created by Demo
cratic governments; that debts, old and new !;
debts honest and dishonest, have been dlthe
repudated, is, we are sorry to say, true.
But we emphatically deny that these debts
, were repudiated by the taxpayers of Louisi-
ana, or by the white people Of the State. or
BY the Democratic party or It's representa-
: tives. Indeed, we defy the New York Tribune 70
point to single fact which will prove that the
Democracy Of Louisiana even aided In repu-
dating a dollar OF the indebtedness Of this
State old or nesD, uatid or Fraudulent, created
by Democratic or by Republican govern
ments.
When the Radical regime, established by
the Republican party and upheld by Federal
bayonets, was In the height of Its power
and had converted the government Of Louis
, lana into wild and reckless saturnalia of
prohiga1y and corruption; when millions In
the way of taxes were being wrung from
this then helpless people; when State bonds
were being recklessly issued for all sorts OF
wild cat schemes, and the money for which
they were sold to spectators In the blood and
sweat of our people was being absorbed In the
| ~ ~ RaHi n m
meeting of the citizens OF N ewOrleans was held
and an address, signed BY nearly every bank
| er, merchant and business man Of the commu-
0 nifty published to the world, warning capital
lists that the further issue of bonds Of this State
would not be recognized by the people Of Lou
J islana. In that address millions of fraudulent
i bonds were denounced, but recognized and
accepted. Millions Of bonds were accepted
which Radical Supreme Court, presided
over by John L. Ludeling, subsequently de-
clared to be illegal, fraudulent and invalid
I No spirit of reputation was here displayed
by our people.
; Kellogg, defeated by the people at the
polls, was installed as the successor Of War
moth by the Federal government and the
party OF the Tribune In 1874 he and his
, Auditor, Mr. Clinton, with the counsel OF
, other leading Radical politicians, devised and
) drew up the funding act Of 1874 That act
was Radical measure and 1t was made the
law of the State through the instrumentality
Of the Radical Returning Board and the
coercion Of Federal bayonets; and 1t Is a
! luminous fact, to which we call the attention
Of the New York Tribune that the fund
ing measures Of 1874, devised, drawn up
, and forced upon the people of this
State, by the Radical or Republican party,
constitute the only act Of reputation
I that can be found In the annals OF
; Louisiana. These measures repudiated
forty per cent Of the honest as we'll as the
dishonest debt Of the State. Of the old as well
, as the new. In their remorseless Impartial
, ity, Kellogg, Clinton u Go. recognized no
difference between the good and the bad, the
old and the new. Forty per cent of every
bond standing against the State, little and
big-good, bad and indifferent-was repu-
= dated. We venture to say that no such
: shameless and audacious piece Of public rob-
berry was ever devised and carried out by any
set Of rascals who ever cursed great and
honorable commonwealth.
The people Of Louisiana, the Democracy Of
this State, had no part In 1t. Mr.. Charles
Clinton, the bogus Auditor, now owner and
manager Of the New Orleans Times, recon-
mended the scandalous scheme. Mr.. Kellogg
: and his ring perfected its details and ras.
cally Returning Board, sustained by Federal
bayonets, imposed the wrong upon the honest
, creditors OF the State and the dishonor upon
!; the commonwealth.
a And now, after years Of oppression and
!, plumber; after they had paid over seventy
millions of dollars in cash into the pockets d
rapacious Radical officials, when the people
: sent their delegates to Constitutional Con
y vention, they contented themselves with re
q ducing the cost of the governmental ma
q chinery, while they recognized every dollar o
, the debt, good, bad and Indifferent
j which Kellogg and Clinton had left Mos