The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1911-10-05
MR.. MICHEL, THE LAND GRABBER.

MR. MICHEL, THE LAND GRABBER
The reader learned from the news col
umns of the Banner last week that John
T. Michel, candidate for Governor, while
Secretary of State acquired by purchase
from the State 5000 acres of land, on
which he is said to have, realized q profit
of more than 100000. Mr.. Michel does
not deny the statement. He cannot in the
face of written and printed proof. But he
is trying in every conceivable manner to
set himself right in the eyes of the electo-
rate of the State and to excuse his action.
The New Orleans Picayune says in his de-
Tense:
"The prices of these lands were fixed by
law. There were three classes of lands,
priced respectively at 1917 cents, 70 cents
and $3.50 an acre. These lands were adj
vertised for sale and were open to all buy
ers. Mr.. Michel, along with others,
whether citizens or not, bought some of
each class, as he had right to do, and
paid the fixed prices. The sales were duly
recorded in the books of the State Land
Office, and were printed in the regular re-
ports required by law of all transactions
in the public lands. Those records and
reports we're always open to any and all
inquirers, and there were and could be no
concealments.
The New Orleans States says:
''Mr. Michel pleads that because his
name appeared in the archives of the
Registers office, which the public never
sees, and in the reports of the Register,
which the public never reads, and because
the patents were issued and signed by
officials of unblemished character, his own
skirts are clear. In the cases we have re-
ferred to the existence of similar records
did not condone the immortality of which
public opinion held those men culpable.
"What Mr.. Michel has done is against
the we'll settled public policy of the State,
and no casuistry of those who prepared
his defense can make it otherwise. Our
law books are full of statutes which pro-
hibit members of levee boards, school Off
Gals and teachers, police jurors, city coun-
cilmen and other officials from dealing di.
rectly or indirectly with the institutions
with which they are officially connected
and it splitting of hairs to attempt te
draw distinction between such transac.
tons and those with which Mr.. Niche
confesses his Identification
The States is correct. 1t is for the peo'
pie to say whether Mr.. Michel's transac'
tons we're morally above reproach-
morally right. But they were not. Mr.
Michel while, holding an exalted Office
within the gift of the people and enjoying
munifcent salary has so far departed
from the code of ethics of professions
men as to speculate in the public lands o
our State. He has used his office as tn
fulcrum and its salary as the leverage il
his speculations in the peoples domain
And all this, reader, while trusted an,
confidential agent of the State Govern
ment. His action was far from being NOR
ally right. It was morally wrong, an
distasteful, and such has before alon
been the cause of booming others to politi
cal obIivion-just as it will retire MI
Michel. All the explanations made b.
himself and friends cannot efface the stig
ma and it won't go down with the people
even with the proverbial dash of sail
Who knows but that Mr.. Michel,
elected Governor, would not be willing t
carry on this same class of speculation o
wholesale scale? Who knows where hi
greed for wealth would end? Who know
how many of the ward bosses and hood
lums Of New Orleans are his pets an
would be favored at his hands? And VIII
wants to see man who is so narrow an
devoid of public spirit, the duties obliga
tory to public official and who is so nc
torusly selfish the Governor of our State
Monroe independents: The president {
the National Reserve Bank of Kanss
City spoke before twenty Eve directors
the bank the other day. The wealth {
the twenty-five men aggregates $4,000
600. He asked each man who had begu
business with capital of $1,000 to stan
nm Nohodv cfood IN To loxuo~ol ~