The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-02-23
THE OTHER SIDE.
THB LHatsbATURH AgD FHH IHrEH
G1IEPsNY.
The Poor Est= to be sHinnsa Again.

lHlAAHEb btt HH9 mAHbaF Uf Vie I5nvHn lufEs "
published by you This week.
The legislative committee who rep1rt on tbs
matter OF the Leves Company res1rnt,spdl
III That tie contract with the Levse Company
be ahhalled, and that board Of 1iauidatiet, be
appointed for tha settlement of their affsirs and
means be provided to pay The indebtedness OF
the State.
s'2. For such protection In future from overflow
aH We are able 20 achieve, TO provide thsb the
State be divided into districts, eaeh district to be
iii charge OF d competent engineer. ste,r
But before this The eotnmittss undertake 10
shlightsa the community hs 10 The origin and
progress OF bhe IB,iisiat Layes UetnphnyI They
tell us that the company was originally organ
sad under Tie general law Of tbs State, Feb. II
1871, and that d contract was entered into with
the Sta 9 for The manisnAneg NJ The Isvess. b.
act M. Of ths Legislature Of 1871 aud that this
att Was amended by sgt No. 45, March g. 1873
Then they give 1s, "in brief" tls terms OF this
latter contract
This IL. SO far, nh utterly incorrect statement sf
The case: propose 10 nHk5 II tittle clearer for
your readers.
parcel ofupprlneplei and speculative seatnps
did, Id 1871. organs4 the Louisiana Isvae Com tsa
ny. and they did subsequently ehbsr into sSaaIis
ed contract " III 'Warn0th's 3 LsRisa nra, under as
No, 1, OF 1871. This not Ia signed by Gss. w.
Garter. spsaksr OF the House. Usgaf j. Dunn
IieuiensHt Governor. etc., and II. o. Wafmotb,
Governor.
What ars some sf The more prominent ebisss
tihnahls features Of this contract?
First That the esHpsnv was vested with tho
sole and exclusive custody, management and eoas
trsl Of the evess of this State for the period Of
tH Hentystria years."
Second That special tHx OF two4teutbs If
one per cent ION ths assessed yait,e OF The tssa.
bic property within the State" WAS 10 be eellset.
cd from tbs people and handed over TO this ooms
parry
d. aThas said company shatl have full right
power aud authority to mortgage said funds.
ete.," being the property OF The psupie.
A.. That the said tan being not immediately eol.
isehbie, sud this set OF vampires having TO
pf the ssste IL sieby authorized aud required to
Issue tho bonds Uf The State 10 this company 10
The amount Of one million Of dollars
8. mThat no person shd0 e,yej,, The collection pf
said tases, Or any part nasreV Or the payment Of
said funds, D, ,ay part Metet. unless he a.aa
such injunction. te1ether. Nth The petftisn duv
geHed according 10 tage, his obligation In fab0J If
He L5usiaHa Leuee Company IN ao,ttie Hte amount
If ute sum qf The Tar. Or f Hts payment qf said
t,eo sotua persons, seltp staA te 1eetetlers atsd
t1ho shat reside t1iHttn The 5tHatsdtettgi df Me
court Hat on The trial 4f said injunction NE SURG
tieB on The bond stdN be considered az Hftyftes
plaintiff! and IN ease he injunction, fa dismissed,
ne court shat, ts The same judgment, condemn
The plaintiff and staetiea, jointly ind segerattu. 10
pm 10 said company t,6iee The amount If Meta5
or finds e,yojnaa ~ danagesi md The stretifs In
such cases shan not be ai6tssd to apaH Themselves
Of Nte plea Of dtseussfoa.'-sse Aets OF LotisiAaa
fofts7t.
Was there single rsdeeming fstt1fs< Ii, this
infamous act or tso.eslltdj contract Yes, nj
follsWs
"That On and after The completion Of any and
I'LL sattiofi# OF said lHvGsa, said Gumpany sIh
tnaptain The same up ta thB standard dimensions
required by the report OF said commission. and
In the event OF said corporation failing or
negleating 10 do 10, 1t shall be liable in damages
To any person or persons Injured by reason Of
said neglect or failure"
We call this fedesfning feature. In dealing
with amy honorable and responsible many il
would be 80 considered. DO far as Itae men
who formed The original company are concerned.
nobody ever dreamed that ID would be operative In
case of their failure or neglect.
As these original contractors first put their hiiI
before WarniBsh's Legislature it contained even
the appalling clause OF specific tsx TO b6 levied
by them on the sugar, molasses, rice, cotton,
etc., grown by the plbnter. There was, OF course.
m universal expression Of horror and iudgna.
tion n regard to the whole thing, aud the iayying
OF this specific kax wss shown 10 be 10 fiagrantly
violative OF all Fundamental law and right that u
modification was made, and act No. 4 stands as
the record.
But the expression Of public condemnation of
this act No. WAS not confined TO the streets, ft
took fern In the calling OF II meeting OF planters
at Parlor r, st. Charles Hotel, TO which we were
invited. The presiding officer OF that meeting
stand he has slice boon prominent steekholaer
In the present company, and one OF the most
aotiyo men In the proceedings has been and Ii D.
prominent manager OF the existing company.
Words wers MT minced ut tho meeting: any and
all schemes for the conduct of the levees by COM
paniss were denounced, and there was not u dis
sentiug voice.
And now we come to'tho third act In tts play
Of leyee companies versus tho pockets OF tho
people.
The original company did nothing, Of course.
and one day ~ was announced that they had sold
cut their franchises 10 a company Of "our best
"largely intero ted In the welfare
Of Louisiana" or, ~ our Legislative committee
handsomely pitt Ii, "who are, for the most part,
gentlemen largely Interested In tho maintenanee
81 leyees In tho State" Naturally, other people
Interested In tho leyees began TO inquire who
thess patriotic individuals were, when 10 it Was
meeting Of denunciation In Parior P, SO. Charles
Hotel lamong them the chairman Of that meet
inR) were stockholders. They looked again. and
they saw, that q famous whisky operator (srnce
convicted OF fraud on the revenues) WAS president
or the company.
And now for act four Ia the play Of patriotism
versus pockets.
Turning TO acts Of Louisiana for 1874, we find
10 act, No. 5e, signed by Lowell, Antoine and
Kellogg, In their respective official capacities,
ge,.s" are reeped from ali penalties for DAMAGES
aceruing 10 the people from The failure Of the com
pany to prevens oDerJtow Of their lands, IN CON
alteration Of The nsagnantnao,As act on their part
Of consenttng TO the reduction Of the tar from fos
10 three n1ilsl
Let us aBalyze matters ss far ~ we have gone |
Under the Infamous regime OF Warmoth, when |
his Legislature notsfiousiy sat with palm open |
to the purchase OF every adventnrer and scoun- |
drel In the land, one of the most iniquitous laws
"a law even denying the citizens OF the State the
privilege Of contesting its validity under severe
penalty-was passed, which openly robbed the |
people. Not an honest man could be found who |
had read 1t or he4rd It's features cited without |
Ii. II was condemned as both fla |
grantly oppressive and utterlg violative Of the r
gapic law Of the State. Shocked by the enorraity
II the law, and family hoping that the protest Of
those threatened to be robbed might possibly |
avail some shat, the meeting in parlor 2 was |
called. Thsre honest indignation at least had |
tree expression, and in that room there could |
have been found not one man who would have |
Jared TO brave the loathing and contempt OF his |
fellows by saying one word in favor OF the Law. |
Ihers Waa not one word aasd ftThar fhan daounx |