The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-03-14
TIE PARTY NOMINEES.
AN INTERVIEWING TOUR AND THE
RESULT.
what some Of the Candidates THINK OF
the stste Debt.

Appreciatinp the public interest In the very
important question of the disposition of the
State debt which will be brought before the
constitutional convention, and the very natu-
raj desire OF all classes of citizens to Know the
opinions and positions on this matter OF the
gentlemen who, on Tuesday, received the
| nomination of the Democratic party, and
who rely on the vote Of the people TO send
them as delegates to the convention, re-
porter of the DEMOCRAT was detailed to see
these gentlemen and PROFOUND to them GER
tain interrogatories, which, IL clearly and
consistently answered, would leave no doubt
of the status of any of the nominees.
Some Of the candidates the reporter was
unable to see, and others desired time for
consideration Of the questions and time to
decide whether or not they would answer
them.
The result as q whole, however, of the tour
of the reporter is as follows
| The interrogations propounded to each
gentleman were
L. Are you In favor of investigating the
| State debt and eliminating the fraudulent?
| O. II 1t be held by the bondholders that 1t Is
| impossible to tell the fraudulent portion OF
the debt, are you In favor of throwing the
weight of proof on them dhe bondholders)
| g. Are you in favor of scaling the State
debt. and II so, to what amount and at what
rate OF interest2
A. Are you In favor Of reducing the salaries
of officers, abolishlng useless Offices and re-
ducing the expenses Of the State SO that
51s s-mil tax will cover all expenses2
g. Are you IN favor Of retaining the 51a-miH
interest taxi
NON. I. j. SEMMFs,
senatorial nominee for the Third Senatorial
District, was visited at his office the questions
submitted, and TO them he made tho following
replies:
10 the first he answered:
am In favor of investigating the State debt
and eliminating such portion as may be shown
to be fraudulent, without prejudice, however,
to the vested rights Of innocent holders, and
having due regard to those rights, provided
that bonds already adiudicated to be valid are
not to be included In the investigation. | am
led to believe such investigation impractical
BILE, though am not certain OF the fact.
To the second:
am not In favor Of reversing the universal
| principle OF Jurisprudence, that he who alleges
fraud must prove II, especially In a case where
a State tribunal has once investigated the
claims of creditors and pronounced them legal
and just.
To the third:
am not In favor of an involuntary scaling
Of the State debt. | do favor an equitable ad-
justment Of 1t by arrangement with the bond
holders, II possible.
To the fourth
] shall advocate the simpliflcatlon OF the
present cumbersome and expensive machine
ry of government and the reduction of ex-
penseS to the level of revenues, whatever that
may be. To accomplish this many offices
must be abolished and salaries must be re-
duGed.
And to the fifth:
If no arrangement can be made with the
hondhodHrs for an adjustment OF the State
debt shall uphold the contract under which
it was agreed to levy annually the five and D
half mills interest tax.
The State cannot, In my opinion, get rid of
this tax by Legislation or constitutional enact
ment.
In the constitutional amendment of 1874,
ratlfying the consolidation act of 1874, the
State has imposed the five and half mills
interest tax annually until the eonsols issued
! In pursuance OF 1t are paid. principal and in
terest 1t not only cannot abrogate the tax,
but 1t has consented that the judicial power
may be exercised TO enforce 1t.
If, therefore. the convention should under
take to repeal the tax, the United States
courts, In my Judgment, can and will uD-
doubtedly enforce its collection.
/ am unwilling to subject the State to the
humiliation of fruitless reputation.
! On the Otner nHIl0, L nOiu Utfab our contract
| with the bondholders Is fulfilled by the impo-
sition of the five and q half mills interest tax
, they cannot require, and have no right to de-
j mand, any other provision for the payment OF
the principal or interest of their bonds; in
, deed the constitutional amendment contem-
, plates that all funds raised by taxation, ex-
i eept those realized from the five and a half
mills interest tax, shall be applied to school
, purposes and the general expenses OF the
State, and hence 1t restricts taxation for pay
ment of interest OH the State debt to five and
q half mills
II, therefore, the five and half mills inter-
est tax Injuries the prosperity OF the State,
} reduced assessments will follow and reduced
? revenues will be derived from the interest
tax, and the bonds will necessarily be reduced
] In value.
, Therefore 1t Is to the manifest interest OF
3 the bondholders and of the State to make
some honorable adjustment of the bonded
debt.
desire to state that | own no bonds State
} or city, and have no personal interest In the
State or city debt.
JOHN PHELPS, ESQ,
nominee for the Tenth Representative Dis
trict, happened to be at Mr.. Semmes office
when the answers were given, and after
studying the questions and reading over the
replies of Mr. Semmes, he attached to them
the following Endorsement:
! ] concur in the views expressed by Mr.
Semmes. have no interest In city Or State
bonds. JOHN PHELPS.
FRANK BUBGER,
nominee for the Fourth Senatorial District
was conscientiously looked for, but as he has
no place OF business. and no one of whom In
guiries were made knew where he resided, be
could not be found.
HON. q. A. BREAUX
was seen at his Office Mr.. Breaux expressed
his Willingness to reply TO the interrogatories
propounded, and to make his views public,
but said that just at present, SO busly was he
engaged in important legal matters, that he
could not find the time necessary to clearly
and explicitly answer the questions. He.
however, promised to give them his attention
at an early day, and to forward his views on
the subjects contained In the inquiries to the