The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1892-03-12

Mr.. St eele admits, indeed, that Coy
McEnery. in retiring from the COVER
norship, did tell the people, truly and
plainly, that the revenues of the State
were insufficient. That. however
was fact, and it was the duty of The
Governor to inform the people of So
important fact. If he had failed to
do so, ne would have been recreant to
his oath and to his duty rs a man, and
as the guardian of the public interest
With their usual meanness, Mr.. Foster
and his followers, pOunced upon this
| ntterance of Gov. McEnery but with
their usual hypocrisy, they have sought
20 conceal the fact, that Hon. w. n.
Pipes, the present State Treasurer. and,
without doubt, the abiest Nichols
member of the Nichols Administra-
| ton, III his last report to the Governor,
III 1890, full corobo,ated what Gov
ernor McEnery, IN his last message,
two years previously, had said. In
his official report referred TO. Treasur-
er Pipes said to Governor Nichols:
Laws should be enacted to place
the State on a debt paying basis. This
| can be done in but two ways, either in
crease the taxation by constitutional
amendment or raise assessment, or re-
] duce the expenses OF government
This is what Mr.. Pipes, the present
able and con scientious Treasurer, said,
after two Years experience in that Of
tee, and after obtaining an intelligent,
conscientious and thorough acquaint-
| ance. with the exact financial condi-
TONS of the State and what he said
WAS even more radical tran the views
previously expressed by Gov. McEnery.
We should also add, that the then SUI
perlntendent of Education, Breaux,
now one of the Associate Justices of
the Supreme Court in his report to
Gov. Nichols. in the same year, called
attention the fact that the revenue
Tor school purposes was entirely insuf-
ficlent to maintain the public school
system as it ought to be maintained.
Here then we'tind that the utterance
OF Gov. McEnery. which the Fosterites,
| with Mr.. Foster at their head. are par
aiding before the people as crime, as
threat, indeed, to their interests, is
repeated by public officials, high in
their own party ranks, officials honor
ed and trusted by them. But this fact
tile Fosterites have been trying to con-
ceal from The people.
But OF far more Importance and sig
niticance than the views expressed by
Messrs. Pipes and B;eauX. on the ques-
ton of higher taxation, are the mea-
sures enacted by the Nichols Legisla-
ture OF 1890 and approved by Governor
Nichols, for Nichols and the Nichols
Legislature we're the Fostolites OF to
day. Gov. Nichols, OF course ktpt
mum but the Legislature the
Nichols Legislature-acting on the
suggestions of the high officials of the
Nichols Administration, passed
1. A license bill increasing the licen-
ses OF the State to 100000.
2. An act creating the Atchafalaya
Basin Levee District, increasing taxes
in that district about $4,000.
3. Creating the Pontchartrain Levee
District, increasing taxes In that dis
trict over $4,000.
/. The Red River, Atchafalaya and
Bpuff Levee District was created, in
creasing taxes in that district about
$27 900.
5. And to add to the above, the At
chafalaya and Pontchartrain districts
have incurred a debt by the issuance
of bonds amounting to over 100000,
the principle and interest of which the
tax payers must meet.
6. A joint resoln ton was also pass
ed, submitting an amendment to the
Con stitution, which proposed amend
ment is now heing published, nearly
doubling the mills tax, by authoriz-
ing the police julies of each parish to
levy a special tax, not to exceed mills,
tor school purposes
The last measure above enumerated
by Auditor Steele does not, in case OF
the ratification of the amendment, inn
pose the tay directly upon the people,
but leaves it optional with the Police
Jury of any parish to levy it when
such body deems it necessary. This
measure is however, important in this
discussion, because 1t is plain legisla-
lctive and executive recognition of the
| fact which Gov. McEnery told the peo-
pie in his last message and in his late
letter of acceptance, and fully corobo-
rates, as it was based on, the state
ments of Messrs. Pipes and Breanx, oI
the necessities of the public service fol
revenues in addition to those derived
from the six mill tax.
These facts, so clearly and fully pre-
sented by Auditor Steele, show The
people who is the high tax candidate
so plainly that, we assume, henceforth
neither Mr.. Foster nor any of his fol