The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1873-01-25
Gov. WaFmOth's VaIediCtOry
Address.

Address.
Mr.. President, Gentlemen of the Gen.
eral Assembly, and Ladies and Gentle
men-In retiring from the Office of Gov.
ernor of Louisiana do not deem it ir.
relevant OF improper to say u few words
in regard to the unusual difficulties with
which my pathway has been beset from
the time / took my seat in 1868.
Inaugurated Governor of Louisiana
when but 25 years of age, and q resident
OF the State but three years. Elected
chiefly by the votes of q class of people
who had just been liberated and fran.
chised, and against the votes of those
who had always before controlled the
political power Of the government; with
the most intelligent classes of the people
combined against me, and ready at any
moment to contribute to my overthrow
with the taxpayers, the press, and the
National Administration against me, ]
was at once encountered with embar-
easements calculated to appall a timid
man, and to require all the nerve, pa
thence and f~Orbearance I could summon
to assure peace, and to effect even a toll
cradle administration. The Legislature
was constituted in the main of men who
We're without experience, and with little
aptitude to comprehend the duties and
responsibilities of legislators. They
were the easy dupes or instruments OF
the. Intriguing members of the lobby
and gave their votes to measures, now
as JileIr passions, and now as their Gu
pldlty suggested. There being but If
tie inference between the members rep
~resentlng the two political organizations
1 IN Thhan I4acfNanrc - Tuo = - -
restrain excuses inIegisiatiOn, limit the
expenses of the government. and Dre-
vent an increase OF taxation above the
rate actually necessary to meet the de-
mands of the government.
The expenses of the government were
necessarily large, and to meet them, il
was necessary to increase the rate of
taxation. By the wal the taxable prop
erty had been reduced one-half by the
loss OF the slaves, while the real estate
was prOp%ortiOnately reducedin value by
the consequent loss of labor to till the
lands. .
The State had been in default in pay
ing the interest on its bondeddebt since
1851, then eight years. The coupons
were still unpaid The government had
collected but little if any taxes during
all the years of the war, while at the
same time warrants had been issued by
the Auditor on the Treasurer, and were
in the hands of the people to the amount
of millions of dollars, demanding pay.
ment. :
The leyees had been almost entirely
neglected for some years, and the neces-
sites of war had contributed to cut, des-
troy, and ruin them. The expenditure
of several millions of dollars was at once
necessary to save the people from mum
dation and ruin.
The people of the State were without
adequate railroad communication with
the rest of the country, and wise states
manship suggested the experience OF
sister States mWorks of public improve.
ment, and induced aliberai, perhaps toe
liberal aid, from our credit and money
to foster and se~cure.tle construction OF
lines of railway to Shreveport and tC
Texas. The penitentiarY had been dis
mantled of all It's machinery and imp1e-
ments of industry; and hundreds OF
other subjects demanded attention, and
required money and issues of bonds to
construct, replace or repair some of the
public works or to repay some debt OF
Obligation of the State.
With greatly increased demands, and
with taxable property reduced by more
than One-half, taxation was necessarily
greatly increased. To this necessary
taxation af1lFtfler increase was occasion.
ed by the fact that but little over one.
half of thetaXes assessed were ever paid
The result was that with each year to
the debt of the State was added the sun
of the unsolicited taxes, and thus ap.
pears a sun of from fOurtO FIVE millions
of indebtedness Oecasioned solely by The
refusal of the tax payers to pay and the
failure toeolleetthe assessments deemed
necessary for the support of the govern,
nlent.
To these legitimate embarrassment
havesbeen added those of political anG
personal character. The machinery 01
the National Government has not beer
used to promote good administration OF
state government, buttle Federal office
holders have been constantly infeIfeT.
ing with the State offieefs-fOTcingthem
selves into State positions and into thu
Legislature. and using the patronage
under the Federal Government to en-
harTasS the State administration or tC
further schemes of Dlunder and gpolia.
ton in which they were themselves in.
terested. There have been many times
when the combinations Of the lobby
We're stronger than the Government it.
self-and the yetoes of the Government
We're swept away before the irresistible
rush of the Legislature without discns.
sion, and IN some instances without fht
veto messages of the Executive being
read.
During all this time party strife ant
race conflicts have been fierce and ter.
r1hlea It seemed impossible to hold NJ
attitude Of justice and impartiality. II
selected men from the opp0sition party
to fill offices, however important. or nm.
Important, or vetoed foolish civil right!
bill, It was at once assailed with thu
charge of conspiracy to create a 2 white
mans government, When ] signed .
inst and righteous civil rights bill, pass.
ed IN pursuance of a plain provision 81
constitution of the State, and appointed
eol0red men to important offices, / wa
denounced f0rtrying to Africanize Lou
lslaIa, md when these extreme Olitica
elements fused together and e0nspiret