The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1867-10-23
Loyalty and Plumber.

p eop,ti of" loyal men have been carrl-
oPe aa during the time they have held the
60 VI If mower. During the war, shoddy
Ie'u s,lators fairly regeled in greenbacks, tor
spes .h Il ;s notorious nothing like an equiv
J Vent was rendered; while cotton agents
al usas;ded with government passes, protect,
PiU sv government soldiers, and furnished
ea " means Of transportation at govern
wiz a., expense, overrun the South like a
n mar,u Of locusts, plundering, cheating and
sss ,Ena TO their hearts content. The ar
s as the navy and every branch of the civil
I a.,n'artnent of the government fairly swarm
usp nth living, cheating, but "foyat men.
s eso devoted their time aud all the ener-
s s;ss 4 their dishonest natures to securing
s' eortion of the fabulous wealth which Un.
II Sam was supposed to possess, and
sss,cb was so lavishly and recklessly ex-
ended aa by weak Executive and venal
PP,anoress. The number Of men who thus
0 ."naired colossal fortunes are legion.
T TS are found in every State, county and
IN. INN in the land, and are known not more
w. Wv" the vulgar and ostentatious display
y thew make of their ill,gotten gains,
than BY their loud-mouthed protestations OF
honesty and loyalty" With this class
ofipdividual plunderers, however, it is not
now our purpose to deal. Although they
h h.u helped to swell the public debt most
tsarfully, they are not, in the light Of other
and more astounding developments, the re-
al authors of the financial ruin with which
va are threatened, and which we honestly
hslieye will ere long overtake US. The real
marty to be held responsible for our finan-
eisl troubles is Congress. The worthless
psper money system which that body, by
and with the advice and help of Mr. Chase,
forced upon the country was the beginning
but not the cause of the huge swindllng OPP
srations since 30 extensively carried on.
The cause lay in the corruption, the grasp.
inc avarice, the thirsting after wealth OF
individual members OF Congress. 1t was
this that induced them to depart from
sound principles of financial economy to
embrace the foolish theory that "a nation
Al debt is a national blessing" and assert
that pictured rags, as circulating medium,
are superior to hard cash. Having once
opened the gate to speculation and fraud,
Congress Immediately passed through to
get its share of the spoils.
Everything the Government does is job
for somebody. Scheme after scheme, hav-
iug for its object the issue OF Government
bonds, or the distribution of Government
ereenbacks, is brought forward and rushed
through Congress without debate, but with
CELEBRITY which shows that the members
are posted as to the necessity OF their re-
ceiving Congressional sanction. Look at
the Pacific Railroad swindle! Never IN
any country has more gigantic fraud been
perpetrated. Charters have been granted
for about eight thousand miles of Paclht
Railroad, including BRANCHES. To all these
roads the Government has lent its aid oIy
granting $4,000 $4,000 and $4,000 In
Government bonds, to each mile OF TIM
road made, to be certified by men in tn
interests of the company, the amount to o.
granted depending on the certificates as II
grades, &C., which will, of course, Away
be the highest sum. To this is AIDE.
twelve thousand FIVE hundred acres ofland
worth $l,25 per acre, and in many case
ten times that sum, to each mile Of roa'
completed-equal in all to $4,000 pc
mile. Multiply $4,000 by eight thousane
the number of miles of road, and where ar
YOU? Behold the fgures-$400,0 00,0 900
If it only averages half Of; this amount, tn
sum is fishtful to an already over-burdsSe
and tax-riddea people. I'he stock 81 Ties
roads is taken By the .frie;sssSss Of the men
6ers Of Congress, aobich means themseloe
10 make the robbery complete, and to cbes
the Government out of the bonds issuet
there is no personal liability to the stool
holders, end the law provides that tn
roads nay be bonded and The bonds haV
preference to the bonds Of the Unite
States. Such is the burden which q jacob
Congress, for purely selfish motives, hs
imposed on the resources Of a people a
ready staggering under the enormous loa
they are required to carry.-[N: 7. Elk.
~o~o-o~~~~--~0~-~~.>~>-~~-
ALCOHOLIC MANIA AMONG THE LADn
OF THE PRESENT DAY.-Any philosoph'
who chooses to 90 to ball, aud take b
stand near the buffet, or survey the suppe
table with an observant eye, will see tb'
the old-fashioned beverages which coole
hut not inebriated are indeed supplied, ju!
for forms sake but that they have entire
lost their ancient popularity. he will 81
young women dash off as much champagr
aud-claret in the course of q lively eyenin
aa would have more than suffced the
grandmothers for a month. The ease or
familiarity with which they drink is worth
Of the most accomplished frequenter OF
New York bar. That the results are nj
more astonished than they are is in itself
most satisfactory proof Of a seasoned hea
At dinner one may notice the same tas
for stimulants. The afternoon tea is begi
ming to be tea and something else. 1t !
rumored, no doubt through some marie
ClOdius who has abused his position !
peep in upon the mysteries of the Bon
Dea, that even the taste, of spirit is NJ
absolutely unknown to fair lips. Even Il
youngest mstrons have begun to feel Il
necessity Of that brandy and water, viii!
is prescribed for their over-tasked lord
They too have become persuaded, to u
the doctprial phrase. of the necessity
keeping up thesystem. A woman who b
been q mother twelve-months, if she h
got within earshot of a plausible and syl
pathetic physician, Don catches the q
about the disorders our day being chara
tsristically disorders Of the low type. :,
alarm lest she should bring up an enfeebl
offspring, she flies to the usual spirito
tonics. Brandy-and-water at bedtime
the great disinfectant against the grievo
evils Of our civilization. 1t is the suppt
cd secret Of genial life and q vigoro'
progeny. The consequences ofthis alcoh
icpanic among women are obviously mo
Questionable than its consequence arno
men For women, as rule, are q lit
IDLE and q little vacant. The women "
take vine most literally are commonly 7
most idle and the most vacant OF all. i
eject ofstimulants upon people with acti
interests is bad enough in one way;
edects upon people without active entere'
more than bad enough in another VI
illadies had their rights" and so W.
allowed to work, then they might also
permitted to drink more. But to stimul'