The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-06-05
POOR LOUISIANA.
The Opinions Of Dr.. Thomas Cottman, the
Commissioner Of tho Government to
Examine the Condition Of Louisiana.
Carpet-Bag Rule Worse
than the Flood.
"Ihere Must Be Change or Civil
War Is Inevitable"

1 w "a - AAAOVAt0OAOs
Tho desire to uDderstsnd and, II possible, better
appreciate the condition OF Louisiana since the
terrible devastation BY the Mississippi overflow,
has been universal The people OF the North could
| not well understand why Providence should at the
same time send two such curses as carpet.bag
| government ana deluge upon the poor, suffering
citizens OF one State OF the Union. SO, when the
news OF the latter calamity came, the people
fastened the more readily to give their aid to the
suffering, because 1t was hoped that In It the dire
full calamities then burdennR the State might be
washed away. The departure OF DR.. Thomas Cott-
man, an old resident OF Louisiana, for the DESC
lated country was understood to indicate the
! authoritative promise OF governmental investiga-
tion and relief. The report or DR.. Csttman to the
! Executive Department at Washington only
tended to confirm this opinion. The Doctor re-
turned to the city last evening, when he was met
by HERALD repre- sentative. The following In
| terestlng conversation took place:- r.... .r .a
THE DEVASTATED COUNTRY.
"You have just returned from Louisiana, l be.
lieve, and the HERALD would be glad to print the
result OF your observations there. How did you
find the State generality"
''Between the hood and the complicated condi-
ton OF Its politics." replied DR.. C0ttman, 81 must
say tnat think Louisiana Ia In the most unfortu-
nate condition imaginable. In fact 1t Is qups-
| ton IN my mind which Is preferable or the two
namely, to be drowned out or to live in anarchy"
"First, should like to know the result OF your
| observations regarding the devastation by the
OVERFLOW said the HERALD representative.
"The water is rapidly recedingn began the Doc.
tor; .res whites have food enough but they have
not sufficient to divide with the negroes The gov
eminent supplies rations regularly to the latter
Y Dolnv and I'm
frightnl ravages of famine, but I saw nothing
equaling the condition OF the poor whites and me-
groes in the inundated districts OF Louisiana.
Misery, wretchedness, want despair, are the con-
slant companions OF these poor wretches."
AID MUST CONF FROM OUTSIDE.
"what are the business men Of the South
doing ~
"The New Orleans Chamber Of Commerce will
send Ex-Governor Hebert and Professor Forshey
to this city. They will lay their statement OF the
condition of the people before the New York
chamber OF Commerce at its meeting on Thursday
next and ask the assistance OF that body to keep
the laboring population out OF want until the
planting season begins. This will begin about six
weeks hence. The assistance must come from out
side. There Is no money in the State"
"What viii be done to prevent recurrence OF
this nood9n siH
.sThe general government must take charge Of
the levees. The state of Louisiana cannot furnish
the means. 1t will be several years before the
country can entirely recoverr
THE COTTON AND SUGAR CROPS.
GLOW are the crops beyond the overlooked
regions ~
"where the country has not been overlooked"
replied DR.. Cottman. the crops are the best they
have seen since 1928. have In mind the sugar
crop, especially. The cotton region is all over
flowed and the crop literally annhiated for this
year. II 1t had been planted before the flood there
would be from three inches TO fifteen feet of sand
and soil on tap OF It, In regard TO the Gotten CROP
alter the decline OF the water the leaf is eaten up
as soon as II appears by small black bug. The
corn. likewise. Is stripped BY worm. This con-
Ibervnie, Assumption and st. John the Baptist are
but slightly affected by the overflow. They con-
tain most OF the sugar plantations. In parishes
OF Avoyeles, West Baton Rouge, Point Coupee st.
nard, Paquemine and vermlllion more than half
the sugar crop destroyed. In all the large
people are on the verge Of Starvation" ''1 '"'
PUBLIC CENsURE OF THE LEvEE COMMISSION
do the s sxd
their appearance you would suppose that they be
ionged to an amphiDlous class 81 humanity. fhey
wade In the water and walOw In dirt, For the
most part they subsist on fish,"
who do the people blame for their unfortunate
.srhe feeling against the Levee Commission is the
bitterest conceivable, and numerous suits have
one OF the commissioners alone twenty suits have
been Instituted. Nothing Will come OF this, how
ever. Nobody ever gets Judgment against State
THE PEOPLE GRATEFUL FOR GOVERNMENT AID.
slow DO the people stand In respect to the rule
| OF the federal government I"
They ali complain more of governmental inter-
ference tnan OF the devastation by the food.
satraps. with only one exception, which shall
cite further along, there are no officials under the
general r government who were residents Of the
"What IS the effect of the assistance which the
| government is giving upon the citizens ~ asked
| the HERALD man.
"The citizens OF the towns and villages have
come to the conclusion to support the federal gov
eminent II possible, as 1t is now assisting them
They are anxious to recprocate recent Iavors
All are repudators however. The negroes espe-
deots. They have been taught that the proprie
tors will not be able to pay them ftney 1.-THE employ
do not care about any other Kind Of politics they
believe: just that much, and do not care TO know
more" Al @4N
REPUTATION THE NEXT ISSUE
"rhis is likely, then, to be the next issue in
at certainly will be the issue in the next cleo
ton; but 1t Will not be confined to louisiana. 1t
will spread Wherever there are negroes-all over
means at hand Tor the whites to pay the taxes.
This the negro knows, and he naturally feels that
the upper hand OF the argument and can dictate
his prices. The employer Is to blame for this state
OF analrS. he mas taught the negro co believe that
| III tax must come from reduction OF his wages.
But as said, the great trouble Is that there Is alb
s0lutely no money In the State. Last year negroes
| could earn $50 per month, while now they are glad
to get $ls for the same amount OF service The
reason for this is that, whereas the proprietor
could last year borrow the $40 to pay his man, he
now finds tnat he has not the credit to acquire the
$l3 which he must have before he can engage his
help"
| FUNDING THE STATE DEBT.
'1s the condition OF the state finances as bad ~
"The state Will never be able to pay It's bonds"
l n m wi
the FUNDING commission to try to fund the state
deDt. The interest on sixty per cent of the ACE OF