The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1877-07-07
Abuse

among 4 certain portion o. writers
and speakers to make a point to
villify and abuse the people OF
Louisiana, by charging them on
every occasion with a want Of
public spirit, anu nigardl.y eco
nomy in refusing to subscribe TO
and invest their money in p%rojec-
ted railroads, canals and any
other schemes that the parties in
terested see proper 10 think the
only things that can bring back
prosperity to the State, and ger
inmate fortunes for everybody.
which ''everybody" constitutes
the favored few at the head of
these contemplated works or OBJ
jects. They would. have every
man, woman and child to sell his
last acre of land and his last COW
to raise money to- build railroads
and so on, to deprive themselves
of the actual necessities Of life in
order to invest money in flying
machines by which a man could
visit his neighbors in the moon,
and the Lord only knows what
else. The people of Louisiana
twelve years ago were the most
impoverished people that were
ever seen i'll an enlightened Ma
ton.
Thousand of families had not
even a tin cup to drink a cup OF
coffee iffthey had money to buy
that luxury, not a piece Of turni-
ture in their houses, not Il plow
or a mule, not a hoe or an axe,
with their lands, if: any they had
knee deep in mortgages. It has
cost no little labor, no little pri-
walton and suffering to accumu-
late those absolute necessities,
re>stock their farms, pay Oft old
debts, and tit up their homes so
as to enable them again to enjoy
some of the comforts of life.
Now these grumbiers want them
to sell out again in order to in
vestin railroads sc and doubtless
many Of those who rail the loud
est wonld he pleased to advance
them the funds to invest in those
public improvements, at the % to
i, so per cent interest secured by
. mortgages on their plantations.
:. which they have finally wrestcd
,, from the clutches of the money
lenders, and which they propose
to keep out Of their iron grasp il
the future.
No sensible man can doubt the
prosperity and wisdom OF a PEG
pie which actuates them to con
-. struct works of public utility
\ that will increase their commerce
+ bring them INTO closer contract
with their distant neighbOrs, an@
open up new market for the
t sale of the products of their la
Dor.
Il But such public works SHOULD
be made with the surplus fund:
OF the people.
# "A people who will involve then
S selves in debts which they ar,
unable TO meet will only brins
ruin upon themselves.
It The Masses Of the people O
S Louisiana have been bowed un
3 der a burden of debt for ten O
5 twelve years that few people eve
would have borne, but rattle
81 have given way to despair. Thos'
debts have in a great measure
If been paid, or placed in "a position
t that they will be finally settled
l And now it is not likely that thos'
who have been struggling 70
, years to unload themselves O
. such burdens as they have CAR
o ried are likely to place any NOR
y such loads upon their heads.
) They r now beginning +
: have some surplus funds, an,
y those who have them will not h
} state to S them in public i'm
provements believed to be for til
! good Of the general public.
!; These GROWERS had betterceas
i their uniustifable grumblin;
:" for the present. There Is not
more liberal, more entertrus;ng
4" more public Spirited people in e,
istence than can be found in 10y
,s er Louisiana, but they are no
r going to give what they have no
nor are they going to rush int
"a the slavery Of debt again 70
N any imaginary good that may b
anticipated. 1t would be Il wis
: thing for these GROWERS in the f
= ture TO add to their articles an,
G. speeches the amount of their ow
# subscription.
~ -Ih hlo Chorlnc 10