St. Landry democrat., 1891-03-07
The Direct Tax Bill.
A special to the n. O. Picayune dateC
Washington, Feb. a. says:

A special to the n. 0. Plcayune dated
Washington, Feb. "a, says:
The direct tax bill has at length pass
ed both houses of congress and been re-
ferred to a conference committee.
Under an act of Aug. 10, 1861, congress
levied a direct tax of S2O000,000. A
certain amount was paid or credited to
the states, the total being $17,359 ,6S5,
leaving S2,640,31 due.
Many OF the states paid the quotas as
sessed against the citizens of those
states, in others collections were made
from individuals. In some instances
amounts due states have been credited
as a set off to the tax. OF the total
amount still uncollected, nearly all is
due by southern states Alabama was
assessed S529,313, and paid S1S,2S2.
Arkansas was assessed S261 1856 and paid
S154,301. Louisiana assessment was
S3S5,SS6, of which 1914, 800 was collected,
and Mississippi was assessed $413,6S4 and
paid S111,O3S. Since Jan. 1, 1869, no at
tempt at collecting the balance due has
been made.
The bill which has just passed the
house is substantially the same as that
which originated in the tiftieth congress
and was vetoed 10y President Cleveland.
1t carries an appropriation of about fit
teen millions; cancels the amounts still
due 10y the states, and refunds the
amounts paid. The governors of the
states must be authorized by the legisla-
lures to recel pit for the money to be paid
over to them, and the governors of
states in which the tax was collected di-
rectly from individuals by the federal
government, are to hold the same in
trust for six years, during which time
all claims must be presented and proven
or be barred, in which event it reverts
to the states themselves. The amount
which Alabama would receive back if
the bill should become a law is S22 $50,
Arkansas S154,7O1, Louisiana S3S5, SS6,
Mississippi S113,324.
The people of Louisiana have been
very much shocked by the recent dis
closures in regard to the Royal street
dens of iniamy and the Turing of inno-
cent girls to sin and shame under pro-
lection of IL law which passed without
protest from any anti-lottery member
of either branch of the legislature aud
was duly signed by the aforesaid y
right hand The voices of the moral
lists have ceased for awhile, and they
alt Ho IbHSCl III, ali, etu
and sky red with indignation over the
proposed legalizing of the sale of little
bits OF paper, responding to one of the
least harmful habits OF men, to be paid
for in Il tribute to the State that has no
parallel in the history of public reve-
nues. This law, be it remem bered, was
passed in the very week when all the
anti-lottery leaders were in the convul-
sive throes of Il poltco- spasm
which shook the State from center to
circumference. They were willing to
90 on the war path with Winchesters
for their fellow Democrats and even to
tear down the very temple of our liber-
ties rather than legalize the purchase
of lottery tickets, for price that would
double the net public income, but at the
same time, for Il most insignificant rev.
enue and without protest, they approx
ed the opening of way to debauch vir-
tuous maidens 10y drawing them within
the deadly coils of a snare set by the
State. These pseudo-moralists must
stand abashed in the presence of these
disclosures. Baton Rouge Advocate.