The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1883-06-06
PUBLIC OFFICE FOR PRIVATE
PROFIT.

The paragraph quoted below, tax.
en- from an article in the Times. Dem
ccrat of June End, commenting on
the resignation of the Register of the
State Land office, in view of the
statement of facts 1t contains is most
remarkable:
"When the Register received money
for entries and turned it over to bro
ker who applied McEnery scrip, it was
his euty to have notified the purcha'
ser of that fact; instead Of doing so it
appears that he divided the difference be-
t,oeen the market value Of the scrip and
cash bet,oeen himself and the broker"
The explanation of the Register
that lie received the money not as
Register bnt as private individual
because the law makes the Treasurer
the receiver of public money, and
that the purchaser of land must have
been aware of that fact, and meant
10 sending him the money, to con-
stitute him as his agent, is not only
mot satisfactory" as the Times Dem.
ocrat puts it, but is too utterly fool
ish and trivial TO merit any atten.
ton at all. If he was the agent of
the parties his duty clearly was to
buy the scrip at its market value
and to give the purchaser, his princi
pal, the benefit of the discount. This
be did not do, but divided the differ
ence with the broker for his own
profit. Clearly he was public off
Ger and bis duty was to turn into the
Treasury the currency received by
him.
He has resigned at the request of
the Governor, who 80 far from hav.
ing any doubts of his right to re-
sign much less to request it. His
duty is to suspend him until the Leg
islature meets-if he can not remove
him and let there be an ;nvestiga-
ton and if it is found that be has
been guilty of the practices which
be does not deny, but seeks to justify,
be should either be impeached or
addressed out of office.
We are sorry to have to chronicle
the fall of q man who stood 80 high
and still more sorry for the scandal
and disgrace which the State must
bear on his account. The matter
should not be permitted to rest upon
the accuracy of newspaper charges,
nor until there has been right and
faithful investigation will the people
of this State be satisfied that the
Register of the Land Office is the
only guilty party. If there are 9TH
ers concerned with him the people
want to know who they are and all
about it.
1t may be that We have here an H.
lustration of the methods by which
it seems to have been possible for
other public officers on small salaries
and no private resources, to revel in
wealth and spend annually sums that
quadrupled the amount Of their sala-
ries. If anything done by public
officer except what.. the law says he
shall do is done by him as an indi-
vidual, it may be that other officers
have been dividing com missions with
brokers.
The people are tired of such pub
lie scandals and of those who cause
them and demand clean sweep next
time Of all such man. They demand
a return 10 the practices of the past
and the selection Of men who will
look upon public Office as o trust to
be discharged with zeal, honesty and
fidelity, and not for private profit.
They will have a new deal all around
and the day of reckoning has come
for those who view office 80 reward
for party service to be used without
regard to the public interest or care
for the nnhlic aentimnnt