The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1881-11-05


From the st. Bernard Eagle.l
4 The absnrdity OF expecting to de
4 rive any real advantage, or to throw
any additional light upon a popula'
grievance Ivy our present mode o
holding special conventions, was ex
emplified BY the Issue of the Assem-
1 bly, Of tax collectors and assessors
held last week at New Orleans, il
accordance with o proclamation made
by eur late Governor Louis Alfred
4 Wiltz, for the purpose Of derisinG
remedies for the shortcomings and
defects of the present revenue law,
and TO promote measures for the
complete and ef1ectnal collection 81
taxes and licenses.
We were present ON the second
md concluding day of their delibera-
tions, which took place in the senate
chamber Of the cid Statebouse, and
were struck with the seeming insbil-
ity OF the gentlemen attending, to
! grapple with the sirnplcstof the fnan-
cial questions offered for their CON
sideration. A majority Of the officials
were absent, and as the imperfect
reports, furnished by the city press,
omitted the names Of some who were
actually there, the impression made
by the convention has not persuaded
the public OF it's vast Importance to
their interests. The speech Of Mr..
Felix Reynaud, which is reproduced
on our first page, snfices 10 show the
efforts made by one on two earnest
minded members to compel attention
to the inconsistency and injustice Of
existing laws, and reference to any
report Of the whole proceedings, ex-f
plains the unsatisfactory upshot of
all such honest attempts to expose
the prevailing corruption of govern
ment.
ltmay perhaps be remembered that
some time since we published an ar
ticle, which was extensively indorsed
by papers in every part of the State,
commenting upon the publication by
E. G. Beuker, sheriff Of Point Coupee.
o. the names of license payers, TO-
gether with the amount collected
from each individual, In the official
Journal of that parish. We urged
that this upright and honorable prac-
lice should, by Legislative enactment,
become general. In furfheranee Of
his plan, we induced Mr.. Il. II. Nunez.
sheriff St Bernard, who himself
approved Of the course to introduce
before the convention, resolution
recommending it TO the notice Of !
he General Assembly. The motion 4
was duly seconded, and might have
PASSED but for the qnick-witted |
stirewdness Of some speculative Off
nal who foresaw that it woald In
elfere with his business transae-
ions, and therefore moved to Law 1t |
m the table, which was forthwith /
lene. We were utterly devoid of
interest III the matter, as
he lists, had they been sanctioned,
would be priated like ordinary state
nents Of the tax collector among
he Police Jury minutes, which are
published by contract, SO that no
cost would have been ina
posed upon the citizeas.
We advocated thc publication Of
The names Of oil persons from whom
axes and lioenses sre collected, be-
sausc in no other way can discrepan-
lies in assessment be SO readily ne
our reasoning is greatly
strengthened Ivy the opposition it \
mas encountered. and We now insist
hat il b the only practicable method
n preventing extortion and the NAL
appropriation III revenue. Since a
Of officials, gathered iii con-
fention, choose to refuse o public i
condition 81 their accounts, let the
whole people assert their right TO
know that the money paid by them
or the support Of government is not
Inverted from is destination.
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