The Caucasian. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1874-1875, 1874-08-01
B. Th.ir Fruit. Shall 70 aqv Them.


examine some Of the principle statutes
p..sed by tho Louisiana Legislature
since 1868.
We think that this examination viii
exhibit systcm "f the most corrupt
the most prescrirtive, tire most tyra"-
meal, and tho most vcual Leg's'nti"n
that disgraces The annala Of any people
except, r-rhapa, the negro Legislation
Of South Carolina.
The fret of these statutes in order
q. we'll as in venali,y. prescription and
corruption. ia the Printing Bill. Acts
1868. page 9. Perhaps this efat"fe is
the most Ingenious invention If all the
statues caucocted and devised for pnh-
Tic plumber by the negro legislatures Of
Louisiana. De Toquevillr, f"rty years
ago, pointed out our Police Jnries and
Municipal Corporations. rs the f"nn-
tains and safeguards Of popular free
dom. They secured to every Parish
and City, the control and management
of their local. we may almost say, their
domestic affairs. 1t was under similar
Municipal Corporations. that the first
great contest for English liberty was
successfully made. But the first as
sumption made by the negro legisla-
tnre and Governor Of Louisiana, was
that the people in their Parochial and
Municipal affairs, were incapable Of
self government, and by this statute
takes from them the right Of selecting
the journal to do their printing, or of
fixing the price at which it must be
done; and confers that right upon the
Governor, Lieutenant Governor and
Speaker. II eft to themselves the pco-
pie might have been 80 insane MS to
have contracted will, some journal to
do their printing for one half the price
the Legislature was illing to pay for
it. But a negro's idea of what consti.
tutes Republicanism, is what all other
people hare imagined constituted a
despotism. The price fixed in this bill
for Public Printing and Judicial a.lver-
tisements, at One Dollar, for a space Of
ten .snes Of solid agate, is worthy Of
the fraud aud villainy, which b ought
1t into being. Thousands Of printers
would I've glad to do it at less than half
that price, per honest printers square.
But double price was not sufficient to
glut the avarice Of legislative plumber.
A space Of ten lines Of solid agate, is a
sentence worthy Of the j"sglery Of Sig
nor Blitz. Each little vampire which
this bill has cscated, now contends that
it is the space and not the size of the
type, that in the rule; that the space Of
ten lines Of solid agate. may he filled
with any size type. That the phrase
bears sncl' q construction is toe appar.
ent to be denied, and that the sentence
was deaignedlv formed to conceal such
a meaning, is in harmony with the
fraud and villainy Of tie whole BILL
But as rotten and corrupt rs these pro-
visions IF the bill are-they are bu. the
ontworks Of the enfrcnchment from
which the vast raids Of public plumber
were to be made.
What shall We say, and what will
the world say, Of that provision Of the
Bill, authorizing the Governor, Lieu
tenant Governor and Speaker. after
these laws have been thus twice printed.
and published, to make contracts for
having them repubIished by official "a
pers, created in ever; parish, at an ex-
pense Of $75, 900 to the State; and about
$500 to each piper; provided the Gov
ernor, Lieutenant Governor and Speak
or thought it necessary and proper
What would the world think If the leg.
's'ature, instead Of authorizing the
Governor to have the laws republisllcd
in every country paper, at an expense
Of S75,WO it had authorized him to ,
have the Bible thus published. None /
can doubt but that its pure and holy {
would have a moro moral and
Dolig''tening influence than the purus- !
81 Of negro and carpet-bag legislation; c
every page Of which, 10 rocking with c
moral and political corruption. Bnt Il
would not the world regard pucl. a |
Of t'.c Bibte a. utterly =
useless for placing its pages before the b
public, and but thinly disguised t
scheme Of public p'nnder3 Is the J!
'cheme to republisl the laws in papers a
which no ono reads. less thin1y dis. 5
gotscd ! Bnt nothing can paint the ii
niqnity of this statute and the yi|lainv !,