New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-05-07
TIE WANT OF ENTERPRISE.

: war taken occasion to remind its reader
# that want of enterprise on the part
! the merchants, business men general
o and property holders OF New Orleans ha
D been one Of the chief causes of its gradus
e decline; and now it is compelled to poir
to further proof Of the fact-one tina
now stares the people boldly in the face
1t Is asserted that We have in our midst
very large number of unemployed per
sons who are anxiously seeking employ
ment to keep starvation from their doors
1t has been estimated that this army O
idlers from compulsion numbers well O,
to 10 900, and it is positively known tina
they make no extravagant demands, bu,
hold themselves in readiness to do al
honest day work for such pay as will afford
them the means Of obtaining the common
necessaries of life. Without meaning to
encourage or justify the distinctions that
some of the New Orleans press have en-
deayored to establish between our old and
new citizens, We will say that this army of
uon-producers is made up principally of
! Old citizens, laboring white men whose
sympathies and prejudices were early
enlisted On the side Of the rebellion, and
who helped materially to fill up the ranks
OF the regiments raised in Louisiana. The
condition Of these men and their families
was bad enough a. the close of the war,
but by continuing, after the war had been
crushed, to cling to the fortunes and teach
ings Of the wealthy classes that furnished
the leaders and brought on the war, their
condition has been gradually growing
worse, until 1t has reached point that
demands some kind of immediate relief
In the past, dating from the commence
ment of the work Of reconstruction in the
South, these men have done the next
best thing to fighting for the Southern
Confederacy-they have voted the Demo-
cratic ticket whenever an opportunity
presented itself. For their faithfulness
in this direction few hundred have &C.
caslonally been accorded the privilege Of
working on our streets at wages, if the
pay had been given in cash, barely suffi- |
Gent to clothe them and keep them and |
their families in bread and meat: but
when this pay had to come in scrip that
did not command fifty cents on the dol |
Lar, because the rich Democratic property
holder would not pay his taxes, the benefit
OF the privilege OF working on the streets, in
The public schools and on the police must
be considered very doubtful one. And
yet that privilege is now denied a great
many and wide extended charity is
fought to be obtained to give relief to an
army of many thousand involuntary
oilers, men and women, young and old.
Who stand ready to work at reasonable
ates and thus aid in restoring prosperity
lot only to themselves but to all who are
n any business in our city. Now, it may
"a asked, what substantial aid can pos
IDLY flow from any relief that is given in
he way of charity alone? That would
elieve the sufferers for short time only.
nd would take from the wealth of tie |
tate IN the hands Of individuals while
would give nothing in return but the
abstraction of knowing that a small tenn {
orary relief had been afforded those who
re on the eve Of starvation because they
re not furnished with work. It is very {
lain that if our capitalists, business men |
nd property holders were men Of brains, I
nterprising, sagacious and progressive, S
hey would find some way of putting this z
rye army of laborers at work that would q
OF only prove blessing to them and their c
miles, but source of profit to their e
nployers and wealth to the State Men S
lat would step forward in establishing t
'orks that would afford labor, and with S
rains sufficient to inaugurate and ma Il
re them successfully, would indeed
:ove public benefactors in Louisiana,
Id would be deserving of the highest
lblic honors that can be rendered by the t
ate to well deserving citizens. Such n
en- would become deservedly popular Il
it'll the great mass of our people, and Il
ould possess more substantial claims for Il
cir suffrage than can be claimed for the s.
nple reason that they are Democrats. q
In the New England States many pub 6
men OF distinction have become so J
entering into large enterprises that af- al
.ded labor to the millions. Manufac- Il
ries of all kinds have been successfully
-ablished there, and men like Banks. q
ilson (our Vice esident), and many ii
hers who have beenconnected with works
this kind have been raised to stations i,
the highest honor in public life because y
ey had first made themselves useful, and r.
that means popular with the laboring =,
.sses. Other men have made them e.
yes justly popular by inaugurating great VI
bic works. In the State of New York :,
Witt Clinton made himself Governor &C
'ough his inception and successful ad- oS
cacy of the building OF the Erie canal. cc
2 OF tie greatest enterprises of the En- ar
e State in the way of public improve II,
nts--one that gave the city of New =,
TX an immediate and decided ascen- ~
icy over Philadelphia, and caused it to IT
recognized as the commercial me- e.
polls OF the United States nc
We cite these instances to show what ne
n OF brains and enterprise progressive in
n-have done for other States; and to I'll
liAsokur people once more that it is en-
n of ,>or-iLJ,- | -