The weekly echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1868-1876, 1874-09-19
q the Yoters u -
FoaEsr GBoVE, CAIcAsIEU
PAhIsH, La, Sept. a, 1874.

lMN 3J2IAn1 ia NllB next LN10ASiabtNeV u
I hesitated for some time, knowing
my limited capacity g meet the
talent Of the State that is reason
ably expected would be select
ed and concentrated id our legis-
lative halls for the purpose Of en-.
acting laws. which are to govern
you and nae in the future. Not
only feeling my limited abilities,
fellow-citizens, but my domestic
affairs and family require my
presence to provide for their phys
ioal wants at the present, and try
to lay up something ia store for
them when old age shall have.
blunted my energies. L reasoned
with nv friends that we had in
our midst other worthy men Of far
superior talent and ID better cir
cumstances to sacrifice the time.
than myself. I am no aspirant to
Office, and but for the earnest so
licitations of friends, and the be-
lief that I have entertained that
it is the duty Of every citizen to
serve his country whenever called
upon, however humble, il practi-
cable, without neglecting duties Of
paEamountimportance, / felt that /
should have to decline the distin-
guished horror.
In accepting the invitation to
become 1 candidate, I feel it du-
ty / owe to yOu, fellow-citizens, to
lay Rbefore you my views upon
some Of the questions now enga-
ging the public mind, and some of
the obnoxious laws imposed upon
us since che late unfortunate war,
which has entailed upon our State
an enormous debt that every
thinking man must say is grinding
into death our best energies with
the iron heel Of oppression, and
il not arrested by retrenehment
and reform, Judgment must be
pronounced against her, and her
tombstone inscribed; here lies the
once thrifty, happy and proud
Louisiana; now dishonored. bank.
rupt, dead.
The frst item that claims our
attention is the Leyee Bill. The
act that fastened this imposition
upon us, was passed in 1867,
whereby you and ], and every tax
payer within the limits of the State
of Louisiana are bound to pay,
although we may live upon the
banks of the Sabine, Calcasieu,
Whishkachitta or Mermentsu,
where our crops are often swept.
away in a single night by the rain
floods. We must pay 81 mills,
upon each dollar of hard earnings,
to protect the favored farmers
Of the Mississippi valley. Yet our
good Legislature did NOT say to as,
come to the public crib and buy
without stint, we have an mex
hanstible treasury that can never
fail. 1t has failed, fellow-citizens,
and such evil legislation must en-
Gulf the whole finances of the
State. ..Tbe legislature could, with
equal propriety and justice, tax
the farmers Of the Mississippi val
lev to fence our farms of Calca-
sieu, to protect them from horses.
hogs and cattle. About ona-third
of our taxes are for levee pur-
poses to protect the Mississippi
farmers, in which, we have no in
terest save our wishes for their
happiness, success and prosperity.
Suoh unjust and unequal taxation
and legislation must meet the
condemnation of every thinking
mind. AS Che Hon. J. r.. Smart has
said, It enriches q few carpet-bag-
gers and eoalawags who wall new
81 be content until they suck the
last drop Of blood 81 Che hard
working yeomangy Of our once
proud, bat Ho# bankrupt State.
The next item we shall notice,
Is tho Office of Parish Judge. MY
friends, there IS not an act, except
the one Just referred 70, that is bet
TED calculated to blunt your ener-
,ies ~ brinu v0pr children %