Rapides gazette. (Alexandria, La.) 1869-187?, 1872-11-23
The Reason VIM.

We are glad to add our voice to those al
ready demanding fair connt of the votes of
this parish. We believe that peetecty eair
registration and election and q correct count
of the votes will, at any time, secure Repub-
lican success in this State. But we are Tor q
fair count without reference to those who are
to gain it. Therefore, we do not come with
our invocations in the name of the long suffer-
ing people, who compose the Republican par
ty, nor in that of the taxpayiDg widows and
orphans, whose tears and groans he FickgaRe
is so fond of parading III this contest between
selfish men who are scrambling for Office We
want fair count for the sake of justice and
right and il the success of the Republican
ticket recalls from college some young man,
whose father left him with slender means, we
hope it will at the same time send other equal
" worthy young men to school, whose fathers
have by their honest, unrequited toll made
nearly all the wealth of this State. Neither
of the three principal political parties now
eontending for supremacy in this State and
city intends, if successful, to pay the taxes of
a single widow, nor go to any EXPENSE to pre-
vent the flow of her ophans' tears. Their can
didates are striving for place and power for
their individual gain, and the newspapers
support those among the contestants that are
supposed to be their friends respectively.
Neither party can, by any possible manipula-
tions of their platform, by any plan of reform
yet proposed by their conventions, do any
thing in the way of reducing the necessary ex-
penses of the city or State. None of the can
didates who have put out their money TO Sc
cure what will be called the favor can be de-
pended upon to be the first to introduce into
his own department such system of econo-
my as will render him liable to be accused OF
meanness by his flocks of hungry and DEEPEN
dent friends. The cure for our evils can not
come from politicians. And the partisan who
promises much relief in the way of retrench-
ment measures which he aud his friends pro-
pose to introduce, stands in the footsteps of
one attempting to obtain goods under false
pretenses.
Relief for the community can only be obtain
ed through radical reforms in our industrial
and social habits. Political extravaganza re-
presents the losses from tOp-cutting, from lop-
ping off in too prodigal manner the matured
fruit. 1dleness and high living strike at the
roots and kill its growth. Waste and increase
are perfectly in accordance with the laws of
nature, but when one preponderates over the
other, evil results follow. In this CT there
is too much waste. For one producer we have
half dozen or more consumers. We have
too many gentlemen and ladies, 400 many ser
wants to wait upon them, and too few arti-
sans. Our male population is not distributed
like that of other large commercial cities. The
so-called learned professions are Overstocked,
while the industrial occupations are neglected.
We have more priests and clergymen than we
have shoemakers and as consequence order
our shoes from Boston. We have more physi-
clans than cabinet-makes, and Cincinnati fur
nishes us with bureaus and armoirs. We have
more lawyers than carpenters, more sporting
men than blacksmiths, more rum sellers than
painters, and more idlers dependent upon their
relatives for support than there are of indus
trial people altogether. The female popula-
nf Nayrn r1n ,c 81 r1nnr n fpd
plane. They are ai:sci".ely deha...ei, rom
earning an honest living by work by the force
of public opinion. The good housewife who
is ashamed tn let her neighbor know that she
does her own cooking because she can not
afford to keep a servant looks down upon a
girl who is willing to earn her bread by her
needle or in any other manner. The presump-
ton seems to exist that we are all rich, city
OF nahobs and that hard work is not pecessa-
ry People entertain each other in style
above the abilities of either the host or the
guest, and all the time there is no fixed III
come. Some have made show of retiring on
the income of little property r-orth ten or
twelve thousand dollars, and are surprised TO
find it inadequate to their wants. If however,
the tax collector could be evaded, say certain
politicians who are not just now in Office, the
burdens would be hghtened sufficiently to
give, perhaps an extra sOciable year.
While our public affairs have been admins
tered ON q scale of too much extravaganza,
they have 30 more than kept pace with the
prevailing fashion in private life. The people
are the fountain and the public officers are the
streams leading from it. If we would have
clear streams we must first purify the source.
Therefore we have little or no relief to hope
for from change of city officials. The sue
cessors of the incumbents, whoever they may
be- will never succeed in fulfilling the extra
VACANT expectations raised by the rash prom-
SEES of the past campaign. They will find
themselvea as powerless to bring about a
complete reform as were the Israelites of old
10 make bricks without straw. But still we
say give us fair count, and let those fairly
chosen by the people have the chance to try.
IN. o. Republican.