The Opelousas courier. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1852-1910, 1875-06-12
opelousas Parish of st. Landry, La, June H. 1875
The state House.

L +
The Baton Rouge AdUocGte, in its issue of
the 9Th inst, contains very reasonable and
excellent article on the subject of the removal
Of the scat Of government from New Orleans
to Baton Rouge. The 4dsocasc complains that
none Of its contemporaries have seconded its
article on the same subject, published some
weeks previously. The CoURTER could COM
plain with justice that none of its confempora-
ries have & seconded several ARTICLES ON
this subject, published, not several weeks ago.
bnt upwards of o year ago.
We then advocated removal of the STATE
House from New Orleans to some central no.
eition in the interior, or, If this could not be
done, to Baton Rouge. We preferred that
some central position in the interior should be
selected and we indicated Vermflionville. iii
the parish of Lafayette; Opelousas, in the
parish Of st. Landry, where the State owns
upwards of one hundred acres of land, sifu-
ated on beautiful ridge, touching the North
ern limits Of the corporation; Alexandra, in
the parish OF Rapides, and Baton Rouge, as
the most proper places for the State House.
The thren GnsE sIIzsss ttfe IN the IN
terror, are geographically central and are i'm
mediately on one Of the projected lines Of rail-
road from New Orleans to Texas--a line that
must and soon viii be built, If the people Of
New Orleans understand properly what is me-
ceasary to the commercial prosperity and su-
prcmacy of their great city.
Baton Rouge has It's advantages, and We
pointed them out, we thought, with fairness
aud impartiaiity. Among these were the
presenee Of a State House which, at cost Of,
perhaps, $l50, 900 Or 500, 900 could be pnt il i
perfect state Of repair for the use Of the Legis-
lature and State officers, and its location, on
the Mississippi river, accessible from every
portion Of the State, either ~ rail or steam
boat.
We remember now but one contemporary III
the State that noticed our articles, aud that
was the New Orleans Picagaae and this pa
per, with an ere single 70 the supposed best
interests Of the merchants and property own
ers Of New Orleans, undertook to ridicule our
feeble attempt TO call the attention Of tile
press generally, and Of the country parishes
particularly, to this subject, and to secure =
combined and cooperative movement among
them in advocacy Of our projected removal of
the seat of government.
We have never changed our views in regard
to the wisdom Of this measure. We still re-
gard it as one that, II carried out, will prove.
1of great benefit 70 onr people generally.
We are in favor Of locating tie State House
at one Of the four places mentioned above;
we repeat that we prefer one of the tlffsee first
mentioned; but if eur views and wishes ii
this respect do not meet with the approval Of
. aas5ority of the people, Or even of the press
.of the country parishes, we 60 in strongly for
Baton Rouge. We are not welded to either
sof tie other places, TO the exclusion Of the
1latteri and we are exceedingly glad that the
Adroeute has taken slp the snatter of a re-
moval of the Stats House. We hope to see,
ere long, a combined and determined move
ment On the part of tie country press, Ii
favor Of tho praject.
The country parishes have heretofore been
prineipaliy Instrumental IN removing the seat
of government froEa New Orleans, aud have
also defeated tho return thereof 10 that city
more than once. Let them but Be true To-
themselves, and they will carry their point
again. With the AdsOeate re say: e Keep
the ball rolling and neEcr cease the fight until
this necessary reform has been accomplished