The semi-weekly Republican. (St. Francisville, La.) 1872-1872, 1872-06-07
Political Sninersa ,,lt.

The following article we COPY iron
the Patriot-Democrat, Of Feb, 6tl
1872. No one would think afte,
reading n few of the last Numbers o.
the Patr1ot-Dtmoc,ut, that it was
from the pen of its editor. In flu:
tute numbers we shall try to explain
the cause of this great change.
T'I1E STATE FINANCES.
We afe Indebted to the courtesy
Of Hon. L. B: jerks and Of the all
thor, for copies Of u subject, entitled
Facts and Figtires, Or Useful, and
important information for the Peo-
pie of Louisiana by .. B. Brag-
dom"
This work is the first fortnut1 de-
Tense of the Financial operations of
the present State administration
which VIC have seen, and is notice
able not only on account Of the clear
ness and precision of statement, and
the fnlness Of development in its cx-
ecntion, but because it most signally
vindcates Gov. Warmoth from as
persions which have been SO often
repeated, that they are generally ac-
ccpted, as matters confessed and un-
dcniable.
After q full and careful prelimina-
ry statement Of the debt of the State
at certain times, and according to
the several shapes in which it now
appears, Mr. Bragton narrows the
subject by showing an absolute in
crease of the State indebtedness du-
ring the present administration
amounting to about seven millions
Of dollars, and which he proposes to
account for and defend. He then
goes into a minute examination of
t,,c various onjee1, VI ,nese eXpendl-
t,ires Some were necessitated by
the desolatcd and depressed cohdi-
ton OF the country at the close of
the war; such as rebuilding the IT,
wees, lvhabil.tating the State peni-
Tertiary, and funding the floating
debt. In making this Development
of his Argument he has gone into an
extended examination Of these top
les, and has illustrated the subject
with q atcpiousness of information, and
precision of statement, which are ut
least convincing evidence Of the au-
thors sincerity. and which furnish
absolute means fer impugning his
conclusions, if his data are not cor
rect.
He then goes into statement Of
the policy Of the present govern
mcnt, relating to fostering internal
improvements, which to us are fully
satisfactory and convincing. He
shows in the first place that this pol
icy is concurred in by Democrats as
we'll as Republicans, and he then
makes an interesting comparison Of
the value Of these Improvements
with the amottht Of expenditure
which they involve. In this policy
We are out and out, heart and soul
agreed. The steam engine is too
potent I'M instfumentality i'll the fur
therance of general prosperity, not
to he accepted, even at hard bars
gain aud ut the sacrifices Of mihor
considerations. We must have pro-
gress. We must not sleep in torpor
while the great world goes by in
the sliding grooves of change:
Better moment of Christian Eu-
rope than q cycle of Cathay /; and
better railroads aAd factories and
the busy whi,'r and rattls Of machih=
cry, than the drowsy somnolent ease,
which infects the body polite with d
dry rot. These improvements have
not only their material aspects, but
their economical results extend be-
yond the ent1meration Of dollars and
cents. They are educational they
quicken the vitality Of a people. they
bring the national pulse into har-
mony with the quick energetic throb
IF fl,n r;t;l;Hu1 r,ovometita 0f the