The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1871-06-28
condemned in Their Household,

tray the infanIy of Radical reconstruc-
ton at the South. The four years of
peace, so-called, Immediately succeed
ing the war, have been rendered inf
hiteiy more disastrous to the prosperi-
W OF that section than the four years of
war: Reconstruction was simply the
isgallzation of robbery and oppression.
1ien have been placed in office by Fed
eral coercion-by the grossest frauds
perpetratcd under the rule of military
satraps, whose sole object has been to
plumber the people-to enrich them
selves at the expense uf the public
In this manner States have been en-
numbered with burdens of debts which
must ultimately result in reputation
or depopulation.
We have repeatedly referred to the
rascalities of the carpet baggers and
scalawass who have had power in
North aud Soath Carolina, iii Florida
and Arkansas. The record of Radical
doings in those States is enough to
doubly damn any party. But thcy are
not the only victims. Louisiana, where
the Radicals have had full sway, shows
quite as revolving an exhibition of cor
rnption. What Butler and the army
OF thieving spectators, which found
protection under him, left during the
war, the Radical officials placed in
power 10y bayonets and fraud have
been making their own. A Northern
man, writing from New Orleans to the
Springfield (Mass.) Republican, re-
publican paper, whose reliability the
said paper vouches for, speaking of tho
condition of things in that once pros.
porous State, says "there never has
been in the tide of time such utter fail
ure OF human schemes as we see in the
result of demonstrations this State
A more corrupt, disreputabfe, low.
down, oppressive government than
that of Louisiana never before polluted
human records. 1t has not deem
aspect nor redeeming feature.
l have faith in my people sufficiently
strong to believe that if the body o
men called Legislature, just adjourn
ed in this State, had done to the peo
pie of Massachusetts what they did t.
Louisiana, they never would have lef
Boston alive" This writer (who de
clares he is emo politician') goes on t,
state facts to sustain his charges.
1t may be judged from the followin!
! figures whether his characterization o
Radical rule is too harsh: In 1865 tn
debt of Louisiana was about $4,000,
600. According to the Auditors re
port it is now $25, O2l ,763, comprises
of State bonds, S22, $40, 1888 warrant
and certificates, 81, $685. miscellan
Gus, Ss67 ,533. Add to this "accruin
debt" being endorsements on worth
less railroad, ship-canal, and othe
swiEdlcs, amounting to $l5,395,0
and there is a total Indebtedness c
$40, 4l6,7I3! From 81, 000, 900 to NOR
than $4,000 $1,000 in six years. The LET
ter concludes:
cit is idle to expect men to be salts
fed with it, and to rejoice at the sigh
of the 'old flag and talk of the 'be'
government the world ever saw whc
they are living under robbing, swim
ding, indecent pretense of govern
meni. Yet Louisiana is quiet. d
~fnot think that even Compression;
4 smelling committee could report u sin
gle case of COURAGE" in the State
Shame on them, say /, that they al
quiet. But all this planting and W.
tering must bear fruit, and what wi
it be? The time will come when Fec
. tral bayonets cannot be so easily il
voked as now, and then trust the o.
cupation of carpet-bagging will con
, to the end it so justly deserves
Is it not wonderful that people thu
maltreated aud robbed should not ri
up and hang their oppessors9 An
!, yet. as the writer says, Louisiana
quiet. This, under the circumstance
is to her credit, but it is to the shan
of the great Northern States that the
are quiet-that they have suffered the
representatives to inflict this gre;
wrong upon the people of a sister Sta
!. . that they have been made parties
the most stupendous crimes that ev'
disgraced any age or country. Blu
9 thank God, they are not disposed to II
= !. main quiet much longer. They al
. waking up to the great occasion al
begin to see the threatened danger
Democratic institutions. Neither III
!, KIux bills nor bayonet election lay
i reign of the corruptionists. Ne,
years election will wrest the Exec'
tive Department and the popul
) branch of Congress from the despoi
> ers, and then the party, no longer he
{ together by the cohesive power
a plumber, will fall to pieces OF lima
. corruption. So mote it bel Sa
Francisco Examiner.
81 SAVING FOR OLD AGE.-No one d
+ mics that it is wise to make provisit
- for old age, but we are not at all agree
= rs to the kind of provision it is best