The weekly echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1868-1876, 1871-12-16
ADDREsg
TO The People Of Loulsiana.
Rooms Of the Democratic State
Central Committee,
New URIlRANg, Nov. 80, 1871.

I
of Louisiana was ConvOked, at New Or
leans, on the 22d of November instant.
The meeting was largely attended by
Delegates from Ell portions Of the
State.
/ The Committee have anxiOusly and
4 patiently considered the attitude Of par
ties in this State with reference to the
Reform Movement. They have uuan-
imously agreed that the paramount
issue of the day is the redemption of
Louisiana from misrule and goYern-
ment, and that, to achieve that pur-
pose, it is necessary 10 maintain the in
tegrity of the Democratic organization,
stunning all political alliances with
either wing of the ruling party of
Louisiana
The Democratic party is not RESPONSE
bic for the maladministratiOn of our
State Government and, to-day, it is as
deserving of public confidence as it was
in the memorable canvass of 1868.
When it succumed under the Recon
struction Measures Of Congress, it left
the public finances ia O healthy condi-
ton, without having resorted To bur
densome taxation. The party In power
is alone responsible for the increase of
taxation beyond all precedent and the
three-fOld increase Of the State debt,
resulting mainly from venality and
speculation, and evidently tending tO
the eventual cOnfiscation of the proper.
ty of an impoverishe d people.
To illustrate the extent of our fnan-
cial eInbarrassments and the urgent
need of reform. consider that the an
nual interest, alone, on the bonded debt
of the State, exceeds the sum of One
Million Dollars. Under the existing
Revenue Laws, fifteen per cent. of the
amount of taxes collected win barely
cover the expense necessary to place it
into the vaults of the Treasury. The
constantly decreasing value of property :;
the increasing deficit in receipts, com
pared with current expenses the an
nual payment of this enormous interest
account; the impaired credit of the
State the imcOmpetency of our fnan-
cial agents, together with the depressed
condition of trade and the favorable as
pect of our agricultural Interests-pre-
sent to the intelligent and thoughtful
financial prospect calculated to arouse
the most serious apprehensiOns and to
stimulate the most aphthetic to earnest
and persistent action.
The very Warrants of the State, not
withstandlng the heavy taxes wrung
flOm the people, are hawed about the
streets at fifty cents on the Dollar, as if
possibly the State might be on the verge
Of bankruptcy. And Reputation, the
very idea OF Which was one so repulsive
has become q familiar word with the
people whose credit and good faith were
proverbial under Democratic admins
trations
Under these circumstances, any pro-
position to disband the only party ex-
can't, actively engaged in battling
against the perpetuation of such sys-
tematic corruption, is ill-timed and
fraught with danPer. The aim of our
adversaries is to confuse and disinte- |
CRATE the conservative elements which |
make the strength of the Democratic |
party, whose aspirations are for On hon |
est and economical administration of |
the Government. With this view the |
twin factions, as q bid for public favor, |
propose, at this late hour, to repeal,
amend or modify some Of the laws which |
weigh 80 heavily on the body polite.
How sincere they are in these new pre-
tensions, time viii reveal but, without |
doubt, and they are conscious of it
they would benefit by disruption Of |
the Democratic party and by the inc. |
Vitable confusion and weakness result
ing from transition to Third or Re.
form Party, still in the wont Of time.
The Democratic party is now, as
heretofore, essentially q Party of Re.
form. In the coming canvass il will |
chiefly and vigorously agitate the para.
mount questions Of reform in our State
and local administrations. It will con-
fidently rely for success upon the aCtive
cooperation Of all Conservative citi.
zens, whatever may have been their DO.
htical antecedents and predictions.
PFOminentamong needed measures Of
reform, are
!. The revision Of the Registration,
Election and Constabulary Laws which,
at ruinols expenses, defeat, instead Of
affirming, the will Of the people al the
ballot box;
2. The revision Of the Printing Laws
so as, first, to shield the Press against
the demoralizing power Of partizan
Yenaity and, secondly, to cut down this