The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1871-04-15
Radical Rule in Louisiana.


Grant was present, and at which Morton and
Colfax issued the Presidential edict to the
faithful, that Grant must be renominated in
1872. announced as the great issue on which
the contest of 1872 is to be tou ght. the ques-
tons Shall reconstruction be maintained
Shall the constitutional amendments be up
held ? Shall the colered people be protected
in the enjoyment of their rights z" and these
inquiries he groups under the name OF the
Southern question"
Morton is man OF brains, the most adroit
politician in the radical party, and in an
neuncing the programme of the presidential
contest of 1872 speaks by authority. Not
even Sumner or Shurz will have the temerity
TO rebel against his cdict The foreign poll
cy OF the government, the San Domingo ques
ton, the great questions of finance, the tariff,
national debt, currency, &c, are thus to be lg
nored, and the great issue is to be, shall re
construction be maintained?
In this view, the inquiry as to how recon
strlction is working in the south assumes a
double interest. In another article, we give
some account Of It's present working in South
Carolina, and to this we now propose to add
brief chapter on its working in Louisiana
The Message of the Governor of that state,
in January, informed us that the present
state debt of Louisiana is $4O,O0O,OOO At
the close of the rebellion the state debt was
s50O0,000, so that an addition of $35 200, 900
to the debt of Louisiana has been made by a
purely carpet-bagger or reconstruction
rule in less than six years CT profound peace
And here is the manner in which the money
has been expended. For the past year.
The little item of "salaries" absorbs Sab 49,
charities and charitable institutions take 1857.
800; schools take S576,OO0 printing S39GOOO;
interest on bonded debt $1,24700O; compensa-
ton to assessors and collectors 1888 S51 militia
$15,OO0 and miscellaneous expenditures $970-
457.
The total appropriations of the Legislature
just adjourned amount to over $4,000, 900!
Such figures, in state of about one-tenth the
financial ability of Illinois, will give the peo-
pie of the north some idea of what gigantic
system of spoatlon radical rule in the south
ern states is.
And what have the people Of Louisiana got
Tor this frlghtful expenditure? Nothing.
The money has been stolen. 1t has gone to
gorge the pockets of negroes and carpct-bag
gers.
correspondent of the Springfield (Mass.)
Mpubttcon, radical paper, and the cores
pondent himself Massachusetts, radical.
writes to that paper from New Orleans, un-
der date of March 9th, as follows:
I am not politician, but see how things 90.
and at the risk CT controversy and hard feeling
Will venture TO say, and my language is plain
and 1t IL "lhe he!t of my judgment" that there
has never been, in the tide of time such an ut.
ter failure Of human schemes as we see in the
result of reconstruction in thia state saw .tbis
state because an here and know how it is my.
sell Possibly 1t is worse elsewhere. A more
contemplate, disreputab,e, low down, oppressive
government than that Of Louisiana never before
polluted human records 1t has not a decent
aspect nor redeeming feature, and as revolutions
90 not move backward, see no prospect of ia.
yoraole change at present have faith in nv
people sufficiently strong TO believe that if the
body OF men called Legislature, Just adjourned
in this state had done to the people of Massa.
chusetts what they did to Louisiana they would
80 ~" W ic.O i'ostoh dii'o. Inc complaint is
not merely that these legislators are "Radicalp
IN politics; or that many of them are ignorant
oiack men, who but yesterday wero slaves; or
that the majority of the white members are base
carpetbaeslng scaawags from tho North. with
no knowledge of the state no pride in its osst
history, or interest in It's future, elected after
Ten Gays residence in parish by the convenient
machinery OF registration and commissioners"
anu inspectors, of elections, appointed by
governor, himself the creation of similar frauds.
Tor is 1t because small minority of them are
the ineanest southern white trash men without
~. "a last place of residence soaked in whisky,
GVing wish negro women, and smelling like wet |
aosS, rs lhey eisoW about the LOBBY openly sell.
ing their votes; for even such a collectiop of
foul birds might be got rid Of and the state hara |
a1uture. But these cormorants have NOT or,v
plundered, looted and sold out every v;.;hi.
ching, but they have so mortgaged the state
that the noble domain Of Louisiana. mn rcbassd
oy Jefferson from She first consul # France |
once rich in sugar and cotton land il. to-day
without credit or available resources.
IL is whether an internal system that leads
60 Sucn results shall be perpetuated that Nor
oeh proposes to make the issue upon which
'he people are to re.elect President Grant in
le'z' and 1t is to further this diabolcal pro.
Ject 10y force and fraud that congress- has
oeen preparing the way during its present
session by passing enforcement and so-ca,Iea
anti-ku-klux bills
INCOME TAx.-The supreme court of the