The Opelousas courier., 1908-01-18
THE WILKINSON CAMPAIGN


The Wilkinson Campaign Committee have issued the following
statement:
To the Voters and Taxpayers of St: Landry.
The undersigned earnestly call your attention to the important
the two contending candidates for the office Of Governor: Col. 7. s
him self in favor ~ ee of Sa a redu ue ion e OF taSaGo n below tUpf the present snt' rate of Of the
fyemll State tax. Lieut-Goy. Sanders, on the other hand,, IS IS a.
tax should be kept up 50 as to put a large surplus in the treasury
annually with which to pay the State debt which natures seven years
hence. Mr.. Wilkinson proposes that instead of heavily taxing the
people to pay that debt, it should be refunded at a low rate of interest
a ana n SO So as to toe distribute n the a burden OF IL ITS o PAYMENT 1t. over sa a series sol OF years n
til estate State tax, but h, he ahG opposed l the s, bill reducing duo U fagt the ! n n ssdnat2o rate t.
parish taxation to the lowest rate possible, not exceeding: a rate
necessary to pay actual expenses ard indebtedness: We subjoin two
question, one Of them from the Hon; Amede Tate. member Of the Legs
lnfqn6 from on t AssIq@ eg + 10 Ps1 ffon a this t Psr 2the' 5 TGe d 5ss 4 pep:o 5n11 in 1ss;
est that Mr.. Sanders took in opposition to these measures in question is
tSr oe 5seee4 fSs s if m are eef tho sP RisS1ss ey ded t osie5 s1st r f5 5 Re1 psr.o n57fS
Interested against any tax reduction. He also claimed at Abbsville
banks - ard & it GOES aos w IL III 81 saying ct tai It i Is to the Interest Of these
the ahpsssfti State 'd treasury, a Il sps share of Of Which nc = they HssS night S55tt get e en- deposit ro 1t
directly or indirectly and at a low rate of interest.
ship E held 1f by the 51 Ta HS'f bos ssa' Of ' New 'e q i SaGs,' as well VI fn as 'a son 1eu Of the
other reforms proposed at the extra session, can only be secured by
for at he A A5 is sIe Ct !: oS SRo & ! Mr.: Sanders a;,b Be n .s Rstssl att At the e
formidable movement viii be inaugurated to defeat the adoption Of
those amendments. And the people should not incur any risk or take
5 best i in5erssts as' Tbe t nenia sPfsa ' Of TReo. So 5. ' WiEin nefSi for Go 51 s4sr
will settle that 2qfiten Ss5z@H fER sRd Pq c an : Faf & t3 Gd 5fsRf;
Mr.. 7. H. Lewis, Opelousas, La. *.-- "
Dear Sir: In obedience to your request for information as to the
course pursued by Iieut.Gov. Sanders in relation to the two admins
tration measures introduced in the Legislature for tax reduction, | will
that Mr.. Sanders took an active part IN opposition to both bills.
He led the opposition to the bill reducing the state millage ~ mills,
put up such a fight against it that we were compelled to accept a
compromise on the basis of a reduction of one mIl. Mr.. Sanders was
opposed to any reduction whatsoever of the state milage, c%ontending
that the existing rate OF taxation was necessary to meet the current
expenses and interest on the state debt.
When the bill for the reduction of the maximum rate of parish
taxation from ten to eight mills came before the House, he lobbied
This was said in the hotel lobby of the Istrouma Hotel Baton Rouge.
He did not assign any valid reason to me why that bill should be
but put his request on the ground that | ought to vote gainst
it as a personal favor to him. | have made this statement publicly on
several occasions, and it has not been denied.
/ will add that had it not been for the opposition led by Mr.. San
by the Governor, and that | voted and used my influence to Sc
the reduction asked for by the Governor in the interest of
he taxpayers, and that it is now demonstrated that had the bill re-
1ucng state tax by one and a half been allowed to pass, there would
been ample revenue raised under it to meet current expenses
ind interest On state debt. Yours very truly,
t@ "a JNO. N. oGE.
New Orleans, La, Jan. 4, 1908.
Nr. Thos. II. Lewis, City. i
Dear Sir: In answer to your inquiry as to what part, if any,
4ieut-Governor Sanders took in relation to the bills introduced by
Z. Il. Herman for the reduction of the maximum rate of Parish
Taxation from ten to eight mills, / will say that during the tendency
the Bill in the House of Representatives, Iieut-Gov. Sanders but
onhoed nearly every one in the House, including myself, to induce
hem to vote against the Bill. In the month of September last
had occasion to make a speech in the Parish of Assumption, nv
Parish, which was published in the Record of st. Mary Parish. in
which / stated the above fact. Neither Mr.. Sanders nor ay of his
peakers have denied it up to the present time.
Respectfully yours,
FCIS. AMEDEE TETE.