New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-02-13
Glenn Out the Carpet.Baggers.

Inc case OF LOUISIANA IS really OeSerVln
of pity and relief. Out of l25 members O
the Legislature, more or less, probably one
fourth are not natives of the State-mer
rascally carpet baggers, born in the North
with foreign tastes, affiliations and instincts
These men have procured, by partisan
means, their election to the Legislature
and, by uniting with the renegade nativ.
Louisianians, they domineer the origina
lords Of the soil. These evils ought to b.
redressed: and Congress should not allow
the agonized petitions of down trodder
Pelicans to fall upon Indifferent ears
What is Congress tor, If not to redress
grievances
1t is also proper for State Legislatures tc
join in the effort to emphasize the griefs OF
sister States; and the action of the Illinois
Legislature in this respect is worthy of ap
proval.
But it is always more influential to make
common cause in these cases of usurp alton.
BY union greater force and volume is &C.
cured, and when grievances are of like
nature, there is economy in combining to
secure redress. To this end we call the
attention of the Springfield Legislature to
trated upon free people. To be sure,
relief will involve the dissolution of both
houses at Springfield. But we much mis-
take the temper of the patriots who now
control affairs in these bodies if they shall
prove unequal to the obligation Of self
sacrifice when it becomes necessary to sus-
tain the great principle of local self-govern-
ment.
The truth is that Illinois is far more COM
pletely given over to carpet-bag rule than
Louisiana, and the evil is the more disgust
ing on account of the insidious way in
which it has managed to obtain a fOothOld.
The fact has come out, however, in a
little publication entitled Legislative
Manual-lS75," just issued at Springfield.
Here are arrayed the names of the men,
bers Of the State Legislature, their ages,
occupations and place of birth. With the
two former We have nothing to do. A
farmer, lawyer, doctor, preacher or insur-
ance man has right to go to Springfield
and help make laws if he can secure votes
enough to elect him. The matter Of age is
also Indifferent. But the nativity is i'm.
portant We wish no carpet-baggers in
this State to eat out our substance, espe-
cially no Southern carpet baggers.
Illinois was admitted into the Union in
1878. and enough time has elapsed in which
to grow all the legislators needed for home
consumption. At least the native born
citizens Of this State are entitled to their
proportion of representation. There can
be no doubt Of that.
DuC now SC0nQ inc l8CLS! In the 1rHt
place, by the census of 1870, Illinois had q
population of 2, ,539. .89l, of which ,1S9, ,494,
or nearly One-half. were born in the State.
Louisiana had at the same time popula-
tion of 726,9l5, Of which sol, ,4O9 were born
in the State. In general terms it may be
stated that five-sevenths of the inhabitants
of Louisiana are native born, and One-half
the people of Illinois. Now, then, look at
our legislature. Out of fifty.one Senators
and l53 members of the House, making a
total OF 2O4, only twenty-nine are natives of
the State; and among the carpetb baggers
thirty-four are natives of Southern States,
chiefly from Kentucky, Virginia and Ten
nessee. Twenty-nine out of 204 of our legis-
lators are natives of the State! Only one
seventh OF the men who make our laws are
sons of the soil; while the South is repre-
sented in our councils by vote of thirty
four, or an excess Of fva1over the total
number of native Illinois men in the Legis.
lature.
These startling facts demand. attention.
We do not counsel violence; although
there are trees with limbs upon them near
Springfield, and ropS could no doubt
be bought at wholesale. with percent
age Oft! But, first, by all means try
moral suasion. Let these foreign gentle.
men know they are not wanted. Treat 'em
to little social Ostracism; snub their child.
rem at the public schools; let the natiyea
cut their wives and daughters il thew meet
them in the street. In short, let gentle
persuasives first be tried; failing in them,
resort must be had to stones Chicago Post.