St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1900-01-06
ADDRESS.

70 the people Of St. Tammany Parish:
As the day Of the primaries ap-
proaches, l desire to lay before
you few facts for your considera-
ton in connection with my candi-
dacy for Sheriff.
1t is hardly necessary to tell you
that have been a resident of this
parish for the past IL years, hay
ing come here boy Of Is, and
lived here ever since, longer than
the present Sherif, marrying right
here and raising my family right
in your midst, where all my inter-
ests are centered, earning my liv-
ing, like most Of you, by farming
and stock-raising, and never here
toforc aspiring to or holding any
public Office Of profit.
If elected, pledge myself to an
efficient aud vigorous admlnlstra-
ton Of the Office Of Sheriff. ]
shall make my best endeavOrs to
assist the court and the citizens Of
the parish in the suppression Of
lawlessness, and in maintaining the
good name of the parish for peace
and quiet, to the end that the parish
shall rank second TO none IN the
State, as j, peaceful, law abiding
community, and you all know how
much this means IN the way Of
prosperity to US all, BY inducing >
good class Of immigrants 10 come
and settle amongst us, and by IN
spring such confidence in outside
capitalists as 10 induce them to
make investments in the parish,
of which we are now sorely iu
need.
In the event Of my election, l
shall make it my duty TO visit every
part of the parish, from time to
time, SO as to keep myself fully
posted as TO the conditions prevail
ing throughout the parish, for in
my opinion it is the plain duty of
every Sheriff to keep himself well
informed on such subjects by per-
sonal inspection.
shall endeaver to do my duty
IN the matter Of the COLLECTION OF
taxes, but shall not be content TO
let my record rest upon my ef'
ti;iency as = tax-collector, fully
realizing that no credit should be
claimed for the efficient administra-
tlou of an Office in which the law
allows the officer no discretion, but
holds him 10 strict account for all
that the tax assessor levies against
the parish, SO that in enforcing col
lections he Is only saving MS o~"
pocket.
1t seems to me, therefore. that
claims to public favor should oe
based upon ones efficiency as
Sheriff, not as Tax Collector, upon
which the present incumbent relies
exclusively, and it is not amlss 70
say that If, in the past Z years, col
lectious have been larger, it is SIM
ply due to the fact that there are
parties whose names have been In
citlentallv omitted from the rolls,
and who came forward aud permit.
ted themselves to be assessed, and
paid their taxes, and not that i y
any new property discovered by
the Sheriff. You are also aware
that there are only two things Ger
tain in the world-we are certain
to die, and we are certain to pay
our taxes.
You will also note that If there
was but little in the Treasury Of the
parish at the time the present
Sheriff came into Office, at least
there were no debts outstanding;
but to-day, Notwithstanding large'
collections, due to higher assess
ments, the parish is deeply in debt
due in = large measure to ser'e,
Of long and expensive criminal
trials, where acqulttals have IN
variably resulted, and no small par
of the cost of which have been Inc
fees Of Office OF the Sheriff.
AS to the claims of the present
incumbent that public improve
mcnts, in the way of better roads,
bridges, ETC., have been inaugurated
and completed during his term oil
Office, l beg leave to advise you
tina: our efficient Police Jury i
alone entitled to whatever credit
attaches to these, as the duty OF At
tending to such matters is vested III
them, and not in the Sheriff.
The custom for you to decide,
therefore, IN this election, is moi
whether the collection of taxes has
been larger, or the public roads O
bridges, ETC., have been improved.
lover neither of which the Sherih
has control,) but whether the Of
flee of Sheriff proper, with IL
large power for good or evil, III
the suppression of lawlessness and
the maintaining Of peace and quiet