The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-10-06
CAUSES AND EFFECT.
TAX BURDENED LOUISIANA.

Tire correspondent of the New York IliheS
writes from New Orleans on the Goth inst on
the present financial and business condition
of Louisiana, from which the following ex-
tracts are made: The condition of the South
ern States has for some time past been such
as Il, warrant the gravest suspicions or ex-
IRENE msrule. The traveller who. passing
along he skirt of wood, is encountered Dy
n hideous smell of corruption, ana ices
wheeling above the tops OF the trees swarm
OF csrrion birds, mentally exclaims. mere
is dead body in there" So it is with the
south. Nowhere is this more prominent
than in Louisiana, and moro especially In
New Orleans, which is not only the capital OF
the State bnt the metropolitan city OF the
Southern tier of states. For here, in former
wears were gathered all the staples OF the
South, and from its magazines, in exchange
the planters received not only their neces-
stiles, but all the luxuries which they
loved. This gave to New Orleans marked
and special appearance The stores
were enormous, the banks numerous, the
offices fitted up with an elegance and splen- /
dor which more than rivaled New YORK,
and the merchants who were accus-
toned to a very lucrative business. lived in |
what NAV be fairly termed princsly man !
ner Politically the consequences of this !
state of things has been To unite the we'll
disposed whites of the community with the
small dastardly clement of intractables who
are now conspicuous as the white leaguers,
who have been Ku-Ktuxes. and who, under
different names have filed the land with
horror at their atrocities. This element
is composed of men of ruined fortunes.
who iniued the confederate armies not
from any special motives of patriot
ism, but as a means of promotion, an opppr-
tunity of possible plumber. In the NORTH
these men would belong to the criminal
classes, and would graduate at Sing Sing
Here they are considered patriots, because
the anger of the respectables has been so in
tensified by their pecuniary difficulties that
they look upon these men as wei-meaning
but rash. These captains and colonies OF
the lost cause live upon the sentimental
feelings with which the community regard
their beaten flag. Some of them are
NORMALLY FARMERS,
having taken up small farms of so acres
where large plantations have been broken
up, and pretend to cultivate cotton. Ifthey
chose to work at their cotton fields they
might do well, but they are no more work
ers than the panel thieves of New York.
Their profession is terrorism, their vocation
to look out for thriving negroes, and to
murder them and rob them under the
pretext of irreconcilable race feeling. 1t
would be thought that public sentiment
would operate so powerfully against these
men that their occupation would be gone.
But the political situation which gave>them
birth sustaiHs them. The Creole population
of Louisiana. both by tradition and inclins-
ton, is well disposed to the colored race, and
the idea of irreconcilable race feeling BE-
tween them is most preposterous. But they
have been bitterly incensed not only by the
pecuniary condition of the State, but also
by having been in a manner expelled
from the small local Offices which
they were accustomed 20 hold These are
now held by colOred men. who are in al
most every instance utterly unqualified for
the positions. There remains to be ccnsid-
cred the effect of maladmnistration upon
the American whites. The planters,
who hold large estates. are, like
the Creoles, very warm friends OF the
colOred race, and as TO any race feel
ing between them, the notion ia absurd.
They are used to the negroes; they like
them; they make allowances for their short
comings, humor their waywardness, and
try and promote their interests in every
way. One would have thought that the
rulers would have endeavored to con-
ciliate men who were so disposed to be
their allies, and whose interests, moreover
marched hand in hand with their natural
inciinations. But such has been the spirit
of rapine Of the men who have governed
Louisiana, that no class has been more
s,lundered than tue planters. / have before
me- as | write, the
ITEMS OF PARISH TAXATION,
furnished by police jury to a gentle.
man who owned land in the town of Natchi
tOches. The assessed value of tire land was
sl,35o. The taxes were as follows:
Special parish tax-s5i 90 Keainey ......... g Il
parlsh ..-..-...---. z 20 Serving notice..
a
This is between six and seven per cent OF
land unlmproved, and from which the own
er Will not for years receive any income
Here is another tax claim for another piec,
OF land in the same parish, valued at Sill sos
Special parish SI64 2
a. 20 II
1Si!oOi - "
NedIney % 2
Serving
S14S q
This land was a small plantation which ha
barely PAID expenses since the war, and has
never returned any income. Add 10 this thu
State tax of Sl6S %, and the average of taxa
ton is over eight per cent. How can men pay
TINS under ali the disadvantages of changeC
system OF LABOR? And the manner in which
the special parish tax is often in
creased would be laughabie if it were
not so Ubiquitous. Invariably there i
board, either as a member or as a clerk, anI
ne teaches the negroes how the thing is to b.
done la Tweed. One case which was tolG
me OF another parish will repeat A law
Yer had occasion for map OF the parish, an,
as there was not one he paid surveyo
500 TO make one. Afterward be determines
To settle in business elsewhere and b.
made the town present of bis map. Tn
police. jury, after consultation, determined
TO have larger one made, so they fouut
a man who agreed to make an enlarged cop,
for small sum, and they boldly charge,
s.. 800 for it Besides the planters and tn,
irreconcilsbie whites are the Commercial
and financial classes. Money has no opin
ions, and hence is sure to be impartial
Banker and cotton brokers, store-keepers
provision merchants and dry goods dealer
would be friendly to any administrator
that would render
THE COUNTRY PROSPEROUS.
They are a unit against the present govern
kI.<.s,- ia 10
governed by the financial situation entirely
i shall consider the political position dis