St. Landry democrat., 1891-08-01
A Word to the Taxpayers.

The taxpayers of st. Landry know
that early in the year, both this paper
and the Courier offered to advertise all
tax sales at cents for movable, and
10 cents for immovable property.
Sheriff t. S. Fontenot, exercising Of
fetal control in the matter, while pre-
tending to have the welfare of the dear
people at heart, persistently advertiscs
them in the Clarion, and charges and
collects from the taxpayers, one dollar
for advertising each sale of movables,
and will doubtless charge and collect
two dollars for advertising each sale of
immovable property. He is a stock
holder in the Clarion, and together with
the other stockholders gets the benefit
of these charges unnecessarily imposed
Oh the people.
Are they the tax payers, willing, to be
thus bled, that the Sheriff and the other
co-proprietors of the Clarion, may make
the paper paying investment?
How does this course tally with their
professions of desire to protect the peo-
Pile?
| In very many instances the taxes of
both State and parish are less than a
dollar, but the Sheriff adds his dollar
for advertising in his paper, when it
could be done in the DEMOCRAT or in
the Courier for five cents. In cases of
real estate he will doubtless collect two
dollars for himself and the co-propre-
tors of the Clarion, whereas if he adver-
tised in either the Courier or this paper,
it would cost the taxpayer ten cents.
These are the guardians of the people,
who are engaged in the selfish attempt
to deprive the State of an immense rev.
enue which will Ubviate and ward off an
increase of taxation, whilst exactiDg of
them 95 cents Oh each dollar more than
others would charge. Voters, do you
see it?
In the anti-iottery meetings, Messrs.
Foster, Cafftry, Farrar and other sleek
and we'll fed speakers crate grandilo-
quently about selling the honor and
virtue Of the State" and advise iheir
deluded followers, many of whom are
poor men who cannot stand additional
taxation, to reject the princeiy sum Of
cred for lottery license, we'll knowing
that if it is rejected more money must
be squeezed out Of them in order to pro-
vide for the ordinary needs of govern
ment. These orators, for the III ost part,
take but languid interest in an im-
proved school system and the establish
ment Of high schools and academies in
every populous community in the State,
which would naturally follow the
largely increased revenues, for they
have the means to educate their chill
dren away from home. But what of
those who have not such means? If
their children do not grow up in igno-
rance to become mere hewers of wood
and drawers of water" for their more
fortunate neighbors, how many of
tlem, deprived OF the advantages of
liberal education, will attain wealth or
position, or even comfortable compe-
tency9 Look around you, in every
community, and answer.
And how many of these pseudo high
morallsts, these pretended, would-be
saviors Of the honor and virtue of the
State" when the prohibition question
was up for discussion few years ago,
threw themselves into "the imminent
and deadly BREACH" or made even the
most feeble protest against" " selling the
honor and virtue of the State" to the |
rum-seller and gin-mills? How many,
even, favored the imposition of a high |
license upon the liquor traffic, whereby
its dreadful evils could not only be de-
creased but larger revenue secured
for the State7 No political capital was
to be made by the advocacy of such
no matter how much the
cause of morality and the material in
terests Of the State were to be enhanced
thereby; hence, these propositions
found little or no favor among the poll
ticians who are now so loud d-mouthed !
in decrying much lesser evil which is
willing to pay as the price Of it's legal
lied existence-lt will continue to ex-
ist, whether legalized or not - an i'm
greater sum than the license Of
the thousand fold worse liquor traffic
yields.
These are the men who set them
selves up as leaders of the people.
That they are intensely selfish and to-
tally Indifferent to the greatest good of
the greatest number ought to be pa
tent to all; that they are inconsistent
and insincere is self-evident. AS the
N. o. Times-Democrat said few days
ago:
They have seized on this issue merely as polit-
cal one, as drowning man catches at straw.
They do not believe word Of the doctrine they
teach, but they think it is good bait to catch
anything else that will strengthen them politi-
cally. They see nothing wrong i'll the lottery,
but they are willing to Kill it, to cut the State
off from money they know 1t needs, if this will
keep them in Office and tend to re-elect them.
The people see and understand their hypocrisy.
ST. STANIsLAUs COMMERCIAL COL
LEGE, BAY ST. LOUIS, Mlss.-This Col
lege is situated on the Gulf coast 80
miles from New Orleans, on the Louis
vile and Nashville r. r. The course of
study is extensive and comprises three
Preparatory, Commercial
and Scientific. The mathematical and
scientific training is made special OBJ