The Opelousas courier., 1891-02-14

Su6 lBClOscu Il i've IolldFs. L Hc HtIOC-
ney at once wrote to G.. Cannon, the
sheriff and ex- -officio tax collector OF
that parish, inclosiDg the money, re-
/ questing him to forward the lady's re-
ceipt for the taxes, to her in New Or
leans. After the lapse of few days,
the chief deputy IT. j. Armitage), OF
the Sheriff, acknowledged the receipt
of the So, with the following statement.
State Tax---------- 90
Parish Tax x---------..--.-.-.--... 2 0O$ 8 90
| LeTee Idr. .--..-.--,--- 10 50
Total ------.---------.---..$l 81 90
These are the precise figures and
cannot be questioned in any manner
whatever. What then do they teach
us? Let every tax payer pause and
reflect, and let him do so, in all Justice
and fairness, whether he lives on high
or on low, or, ON alluvial lands.
Here we have the State and parish
taxes amounting to $500, all that those
living on high lands would have to pay
for the same quantity of unimproved
land. And yet, this lady has to pay
$l0.S0 for the levee tax alone, or, three
times as much as both parish and State
taxes put together. Have our Anti
friends any conscientious seruples on
this point9 And if not, why notq Do
they pretend that this is right? and if
it is not right, is it not arrong-yea! an
outrageq Where is the moral feature
of this forced contribution" as our
Courts are pleased to classify it, which
excludes it from the gist of con9scation
and the sin of robbery ? Maybe our
Anti moralists may try to define it into
something else, but we put the question
to the sense of right of the laboring,
unaspiring sons of daily toll. Is it
right to force the owner of alluvial
lands to pay dser three times as much
tax, as those ESy on an equal quantity
of land located in the prairies and on
the high lands? And why are the
Ants SO eager to 60 on with this ex-
tortion xWe will answer. 1t is to
make their assertion good that the peo-
pie scould rather submit to it than to
vote for the lottery amendment, by
which the levee tax would become use-
less. Look at it as you will, and there
stands the facts which defy eontradic-
ton, and again we PROFOUND the ques-
ton, will the good people, who own
lands not liable to overflow, refuse to
give any relief to their fellows who are
thus doomed to inevitable confscation
and speedy ruin 2 Can, or rather, aUiU
the Farmers Alliance, disregard the
real and declared purposes of their or
ganizatiou, aud ignoring the outrage
thus imposed on their fellow citizens,
many of whom are doubtless members
of their body, and gote to have them
robbed and beggared /? Pause fellow
citizens, and whilst you contemplate
this cruel outrage, reflect that the stat
ute itnpy-Bg it, is to be perpetual. 1t
does not exist for one, or two, or five, or
tecenty years, but forever, unless you
change it.
The levees must always require re-
pairing The floods reeognize no law
of limitation The eternal Years of
God. alone fix the period of their an
nuaI descent Then reflect what you
are imposing on the settlers on the al
lnvial lands subject to overflow The
Ants tell you to impose it on them, it
is the panacea for the morals Of those
who are exempt from it. Do not vote
any relief, we have caught the sheep
and We musHshear them We do not
have it to pay, and if they do not want
to pay it, lot them abandon their low
lands and come on the high, where we
can fleece them III the prices We may
ask fol our lands This is practical
view OF the question, and We ask the
voters to grant relief by their votes.
They can do it,and we honestly believe
they ought TO, Tie relief Of these peo-
pie, our own brothers, aud collateral
kin, and connections, lies in the simple
votes of the people. It may amnse
some of the aspiring Ants to look on
the unrefiecting and unconscious dupes,
they are methodically misguiding, as
Nero fiddIed while Rome was burning
but we implore the we'll meaning
masses to halt. A great wrong is in
ficted on all those who live on, or own
lands, subject to overflow,
whilst aspiring AntGeaders advise you
to call it morality, while they ride, or
to ride inio power, on your
shoulders over the debris and wrecks
Of those who should be protected, and
not pauperized.
Gov. Nichols has removed Mr. C. II. |
Lucas from the Office of Assessor of
Madison parish, according to the Car
roll Democrat, because he favored the
lottery amendment The local paper
states his record was clean in every
Way,n while other prominent citizens in
Madison parish testify to his excellence
as n man and q citizen, and to his ex-
eellent management of his Office. Mr.. |
Lucas, however, committed the accord
ing to Czar Nicllollsoffsky) unpardona-
BILE sin of having an opinion of his own,
and hence his removal West Baton
Rouge Sugar Planter.
From the recent action Of certain
officials in this parish it would appear
hat this bnlldozing game is having its
effects here, even our Police Jury does
not seem to be entirely free from the
Influence
New Iberia Enterprise The new
court house at AhbevilIe is complete
and is reported as rejecting much cred
It on the skill of the builders, Mr.. G. d. |
Stewart, as carpenter, and our own Mr..
w. ID. SouthWell, who has charge of
he brick work. The building cost
s23, 900.
Shoes, mud boots, rubbers suitable