The Opelousas courier. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1852-1910, 1872-06-08
The Peoples Verdict On Gov.
warmoth.

Gov. Warmot1 demandsa a verdict from
the people, and surely it is but right that
the people should speak of him and of
his administration. We maintain that
the half of the misdeeds of the State Gov
ernment for the last four years have not
been told to a wronged and abused peo-
pie.
The facts stated by Gov. Warmoth are
pregnant with evidence of his guilt. On
all sides, he says, he hears of his con-
demnation. The public press tnat he
brands as "venal and subsidized" he
says, condemns him. What portion of
the press is venal ? What paper is sub
sidized To which does the unerring
instinct of the public impute venality
and corruption
Will Gov. Warmoth affirm that no por-
tion of the press has been under his con-
troll and has not been and is not been
subject to his influence
Is it not a fragrant as we'll as fagatious
fact that the public interests have been
disregarded by Legislature and Execu-
tive in order to establish a control for
him over a venal and mercenary press
What has been the cause aud object of
the enormous bounties to newspaper es-
Establishments by acts of the Legislature
disposing of the public printing to subsi-
die press but this?
Gov. Warmoth admits that among the
leading and prominent men of the State
his friends are few. We go further than
the Governor. There is not man in
the State of character, independence and
worth, out of office, who is his friend.
He has some supporters. Has the Gov
ernor ever asked himself how he acquir-
ed them. and by what tenure he holds
them! Does he not know that if he were
deprived of his patronage and power to
apply dOuceurs, that nine out of ten
would not allow him to unloose the
latchets of their shoes? Has any man
among his supporters (so-called) been
willing to say for the Governor what he
says for himself? Has one of his recruits
declared that he was an able, honest and
patriotic Governor We know that
there is shame faced, downcast and un-
acknowledged adherence to the Governor
among a portion of men in the State who
might have been prominent.
But Gov. Warmoth does right in treat
ing such support and supporters as mean
and interested, not worth the count.
Gov. Warmoth, were he capable of ap-
preciatiDg the dignity or duties of his
Office, would find no difficulty in deter
mining the cause of the uncomfortable
aversion to any further association with
him by the people. But he has not, at
any time, indicated the slightest capacity
of the kind.
For four years the powers, resources
and faculties of the State have been
steadily and persistently employed for
the promotion of the sordid ends and
aims of a few unprincipled and dishonest
men. There has been corruption, prod
igaiity, fraud injustice among those who
have had command and control of the
State. Private prosperity has become
difficult, political freedom limited and
domestic happiness predarious. Men
are afraid to look into the future. Pre-
corporate grants and franchises to per-
nicious extent have been granted. In
some of the most detestable of them the
Governor is coTporator.
We lind those persons who associate
most intimately with him are beneficial
ries in the same cases of transaction,
We shall examine with some care the
legislation of the last four years, we shall
deal with the various acts that have
been passed, and we feel but little doubt
that the verdict that the Governor de-
mands will be that of unqualified con-
demnation.
cisely at this juncture Warmoth and his
confederates grow rich, and are arrogant
and overbearing. They tell us how they
become rich. They speculate on State
securities. -.
Those very securities that are so
prodigally, wantonly and iniuriously
issued, which impose a burden upon
the industry of every laboring man,
furnish the opportunity for these specu-
lators to grow rich. We want no better
testimony of the Governors unfitness
than the fact that he specnlates in State
securities. During this same period,
1t will not answer for Gov. Warmoth
to assume tone of defence or of injur-
ed innocence. After having deprived
us of SO much we hold dear, he must not
expect US to allow ourselves to be de-
bauclled of our understandings also, nor
that we shall call the crooked straight and
the black white.-N. O. Picaywne.