The Caucasian. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1874-1875, 1874-07-18
Co!1niunioa I'd.
Acssrs Editors: .s,f<rFxE az
<,~A~frca5 II vof1r generosity and

! c.s,sscsa u yot,r eorn.ro4t, and
'fair dealing in all things, we ask lit
tile space in your valuable. paper for
tho expression Of our private opinions
versus your editorial opinions; at the
t,ime conscious of tho advantage Of
your position as Editor. We ask this
favor first, because we believe your
honesty and iptsrest in the prosper
lily of our parish and State is far
above your personal feelings and pre-
ljudices, and because we happcn to
know the Circulation Of Your paper
doubles thatpf Any psperI published
in the tow of Alexandria.
Gentlemen yon really wax warm on
the subject Of "Kail Ways" and we
truly hope yon wi'isncceed IN direct
ing tho attention of thepeop)e, todis-
Ecuss the most interesting. subject Of
E1snil Roads. Unlike yourselves, we
Fbelieve our State and parish need
nail Roads interviewing it in many
parts, to develop its vast agricultural,
mineral and. mechanical resource.
In the first plnce--once,a we were
truly rich and are now poor and
thriftless, because our internal i'm
provemcnts were entirely overlooked
in our. prosperity. With the great i'd
vnntsges Of soil and climate, the va
ried productions Vegetable and ami
NAL, the mines Of sulphur, coal md
iron Of incalcuhble wealth, when we
lost. our labor, we suddenly fell; from
tho woal.l,iest, to tho poorest; from
the thriftiest to the most thriftlcss;
from tho proudest to tie most hum
Bile; from the'freest to the most de-
pendent; md this onco blessed poo
ple nre now poorest md imagine
themselves most helpless md pow
erless, because Of the neglect Of inter
nal improvements. That one chan
mel, slavery, through which they de-
rived their wealth and greatness is
lost, md there is no'progrcss for tle'p
and they arc on The rctroga'le. The
money saved ut tho time the slave
WINS taken from them, has been a,1nE
in attempts to exact from tine once
priceless soil its past yield. by the Ia
Dor Of his former slave; with the loss
Of his money, his credit hos left, and
that oncd fruitful soil for which one
hundred dollars per acre was refused
ind now equally productive, viii not
bring one tenth Of its former value.
We are constantly toll this is be-
cause Of excessive taxation. Tax pay
crs of tho parish Of J;npiae%, this is
entirely n mistake; that son Are taxed
heavily, outrageously and wrongfu!ly
is M indisputable fact; bnt lad the
amounts filched from yon been APP
piled to Rail Roads, manufactures
md developing the general resources
Of this Parish and State, instead OF
being applied to enrich tho Radical
rings we would be prosperous, hap
py ind accomplishing, not feeling
tho Lurthcn Of taxation; because OF
the enhancement Of property and
the influx OF 4 sturdy lal,oring md
enterprising white population, who
tho world over travels the avenues
to wealth nndo see!; homes where
there is an abundance Of Inbor and
money to pny them. In this article
we do not propose to do more thau
advocate q Rail Road from New Or
leans through Rapidcs Parish v,aAl-
cynnl'ia to Shreveport or to inter
sect th5 Southern Pacific Raii Kood
at some point West' from ibis. 1t
will be time enough tor our put in,
when the Police jury submit the
proposition Of Col. Kellogg, dircc-
tor and agent Of the Louisiana Cen
trail Rail Way to tho voters of the
Parish Of Rapidcs. We are decided
ly an advocate Of Rail Roads, but we
would be unwilling to tax the Pnrisf
for q donation. subsidy or cuom to
tale stock to q small or iaryc amount
'wcrc wo not convinced tho people
OF the Parish wonId DO proportion
ately benefited; If we arc to be ben
Gifted and it is necessary to our
thrift and prosperity that the prop
crty DO trebly taxed on its present
valuation, we say tax it and to what
ever amunt it may require to make
us thrifty and prosperous, these arc
the questions to be discussed and
not the amount, Of the donation, sub
sidy or bonds to represent stock
The question before tie people is
will the building Of Rail Roads
through tie parish, via Alexandria.
The central point between New Or
leans aud Shreveport, tho point
which in tho, necessity Of the times,
from which n rail road iand for
which there has been a charter grant
cd) will run to intersect the Kansas,
Missouri and Texas rail road at
some point in Arkansas and make