New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-06-21
WHO rs TO BLAME

| WIN Is TO BLAME
Another error occurred in the Bulletiy
yesterday, and this time the mistake is
one that landlords will not relish. Saith
the commercial organ, the lack OF
tenants is attributable to the rate OF
rents. Very wrong. The lack of tenants
is due entirely to the lack of population
and population is wanting because there
is no adequate trade to support even the
people now here. New Orleans is an I'M
fortunate city for the time being, since
she is undergoing process of revolution
IN what concerns her most important in
terests. Her commerce is changing its
character, and her people are resisting the
inevitable transformation She is losing
her old trade and putting on a new one.
Every merchant of discrimination will
acknowledge that the old system of sup
plying the interior with goods, taking the
coming crop for security, is disappearing.
Commission houses are becoming fewer
every day. Where thousands rushed into
business at the close of the war, there are
but few scores left to remind us of the
ancient guild. Then the country is buy
ing less. The people are economizing
both from necessity and from choice.
They are patronizing their local
merchants, and these traders buy in New
York, Cincinnati and st. Louis. Hun
dreds of runners were sent out from the
West two years ago, offering credit to the
Southern retailers. AS the negroes were
good patrons of the country stores, and
as Northern men kept these local estab-
lisnments, they preferred to make their
purchases not only where they could buy
the cheapest, but where they could trade
without being abused for their political
notions This one cause alone drove
millions of dollars from New Orleans 1t
was forgotten that while Southern mer-
chants were cursing the radicals and the
negroes they were driving the trade of
these people from their doors And while
our people were abusing each other, Gin
,innati stepped in and carried off the
'rade of four millions of people. Let the
Bulletin be accused of having big hand |
n this suicidal game.
New Orleans enjoyed the trade of the
negroes before the war through their mas
ers. 1t was pinched and contracted
business then, consisting of orders for
blankets, osnaburgs, red shoes, cotton
lats, cheap calico, bacon and molasses.
Ifter the war these same people were pre-
AIRED to deal directly with this city, and
hey wanted all the goods that had hitherto
cen sold to the white people. Under
be inspiration of the Bulletin, Times and
resent, regular Ku-Klux organs, a
attack was made upon the
egroes and their friends, and the conse-
uence is seen to-day in the fact that
1ese people have been driven to do their
,ade where they were abused less and
'eated to better bargains. New Orleans
'st her main grip at once; for when the
ldical merchant opened the way to
incinnati the Democratic storekeeper
allowed in his track, and we lost both
lr white and colored customers. The
erchants in the Western cities
lvertise for clerks that can con-
oil Southern trade. Cincinnati
oes not stop to look at the color of a
an, nor does she ask his politics, in Or
sr to supply his order. And for doing
lis the niger gives her his trade, and
e chivalry follows his example because
can get better bargains.
The loss of all these customers who
ice spent their money and their time in
ew Orleans has depleted our resources,
ID this depletion empties our houses.
le less trade the fewer people. House
Mt is cheap where the population is ,
ming away. Venice and Genoa offer
faces at the yearly rent of moderate l
ttage in New Orleans, and yet when t
csc palaces were built they were
immense demand With the loss C
trade the value of real estate de- d
rted. So it is with US. If we do :
It recover our commerce we shall never
ed any more improvements, and the
'uses that we have will fall into still
IS requirement. With prosperity rents a
IL advance. In adversely rents will q
II seek lower depth.
Such papers as the Times and Bulletin
We injured New Orleans by driving =
'ay her trade, and now they are seeking 81
lay the burden of their crimes upon s