New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-07-25
/ REPLY TO THE CITIZENS ASSO.
CATION.
)FF1cE MISSISSIPPI AND MEXICAN GULF SHIP
Canal CAmnanY New Orleans July %. 1871.


the MAYORS parlor, it was evident that a
terrible onslaught was about to be made.
Some people imagined that the blow would
fall on the Chattanooga Railroad Company,
whose grants of State aid are as ten to one
compared with those of the Lake Borgne
Canal Company, but these innocent per
sons forgot that Mayor Flanders was the
confidential agent of the said company in
obtainining State aid, and that two of the
self-appointed managers of the Citizens
Association are eX-drainage commissioners,
who, notwithstanding the abuse of their
former trust, are exceedingly anxious for
another job-being members of the ''Dredg-
ing Company"
The blow fell upon the Lake Borgne
Canal Company, but as the illustrious Web
ster said, 1--WE still live"
This is doubtless the first instance in the
history of New Orleans wherein the man.
ayers of Citizens Association has de-
liberately and wantonly assailed company
engaged in the prosecution of public
work, the great value and urgent necessity
for which are admitted by all business
men, the object of the attack being to break
down, if possible, the Canal Company, in
order to defeat another equally important
work, viz: the efficient drainage of New Or
leans. The manly way to do a thing of
this kind is over ones own proper name,
and not over the signature Citizens"
Whether the managers withheld their sigma
lures TO avoid arraignment for legal dam
ages for libelous statements, or to escape
the shame of fathering so weak and vapid
an article-one that fell as dead upon the
public as stillborn child leave to others
to determine. 1t was certainly brilliant
stroke of genius to attempt to stave off the
protection levee by publishing the biography
of one Of the humble directors of the Lake
Borgne Canal Company. Hereafter, let it
be understood, the proper way to break
down great public improvement in Louis
lana is, not to discuss its merits, but pitch
into the private character Of its originator,
or what is perhaps easier, to use trick
learned among the Turks (whO are great
conservatives in the matter of drainagel,
assail the character of his mother.
The Office OF the Citizens Association "
must have been visited by every enemy of
the Lake Borgne canal. from Auditor Wick
life down to the editor of the weekly BIdth-
erskite, including the heirs of PhillipOn and
the heroes of the Ship Island Canal scheme.
We have in their article merely a rehash of
the ISLANDERS and falsehoods uttered against
the canal, all of which have been exploded
half a dozen times, and are but empty
sounds TO the public car.
The legal points must have been furnished
by the Thersites of the New Orleans bench,
who airs his dirty linen in the aforesaid
paper and cackles over added eggs-over
fruit that is rotten before it gets ripe. One
would suppose that the managers of a Citi-
zens' Association would be the very last
men to fall in with the rabble of political
howling dervishes, who have attempted
to prosecute the Lake BOrgne Canal
Company, who live mainly on penny
grabs " from the CustomhOuse, and have
about as much interest in the commerce of
New Orleans as Balaam's ass had III the
five books Of Moses.
The Citizens Association, what is it!
No one has greater regard than myself
and the gentlemen who manage the affairs
OF the Lake Borgne Canal Company for an
enlightened public opinion, or is more de-
sirous of the good will of the citizens of
New Orleans. But | need not say that the
selfappointed managers of this so-called
association do not represent the public. A
couple of friends of mine. one of them
bank president, attended one or two of
their meetings. and finding the association
to consist of three four men formed into a
mutual admiration. anti-drainage society,
retired. as they say, with disgust. Its
sriginators and real managers are Mayor
Flanders and Messrs. Davidson and Bailey.
disatfected eX-dralnage commissioners of
the First District, who for years had the
management of this important trust, and
are to-day mainly responsible for the
wretched condition of New Orleans in this
respect. They belong to that small class of
citizens who refuse to pay their drainage
tax. are systematically opposed TO improve
ments. and who are doing all in their power
to retard the execution of the drainage law,
contessedlv one Of the best laws ever
enacted in Louisiana. These gentlemen, to
further their own private selfish ends, have
induced their associates. worthy gentlemen,
all. but terribly conservative, TO enter upon
a crusade against the Lake BOrgne canal;
and Mr.. SlOcomb, very excellent gentle
man. but ambitious of an office at the City
Hall anything. Milford .o-tsee his adver-
tisement as a candidate year or two ago.
has been ind uced TO act as presiding officer.
Mr.. Slocomb says that, personally, he be
lieves in the Lake Borgne canal, and in the
thorough drainage of New Orleans. Then
why does he assume the vain and thankless
task of leading the opposition against our
company He knows that we wish to fasten
no job upon the city that we are willing to
make the building of the whole protection
levee dependent upon the success of a small
piece Of it, put up for trial.
Are you sure, gentlemen of the Citizens
Association, that none of your managers
''are on the make - that none of them will
presently turn up as prospective canal dig
gers
While the publishing fit is on, however,
let us have from the Citizens Association
what has repeatedly been asked fOrl a com
plete history of the First District Drainage
Commission Ito which Messrs. Bailey and
Davidson belonged. its nice family arrange
ments, the work done, the moneys paid for
office rent tableaux, plans, etc; in fine
complete history of that famous commission,
which was a splendid arrangement-"How
not to do it." Throw in, also, by way of
illustration short sketches of the Nashville
railroad scheme and other institutions no
longer in existence, but whose "bOnds" still
survive to vex the pockets of taxpaying
citizens.
Nearly three-fourths of the rambling and
lncoherent article published by the Citizens
Association is devoted to the manner in
which the writer hereof obtained possession
of the PhilippOn plantation-a matter in
which not ten persons of sound mind in
New Orleans have the slightest interest |
bought for $4,000 cash, and $4,000 in canal
stock, DR.. Merritt's interest in the plantation,
which placed me in possession, the estate
having already been in court several years.
Does anybody object to that! | was COM
PEELED to make this purchase by the Philip
pom heirs dwelling in their chateau at
Montmorency. near Paris" and their repre-
sentative in New Orleans, who stubbornly
set their faces against the canal, and would
listen to no proposition for purchase on our
side, except at Shylock rates. Raise the
100000 mortgage, said they virtually, and
you can have the plantatiOn-to-day not
worth $4,000; otherwise, you shall not dig
the canal. Even the managers of the
Citizens Association are progressive men
compared to those with whom | had
to do. No Dutchman in the Mohawk Val
ley ever opposed the Erie canal more vio-
lently than did these men the Lake Borgne
project. Nothing short of a surgical opera
ton could get the idea into their heads that
the land would be benefited and enhanced