The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-07-15
REGENERATED LOUISIANA.
LIEUT.. GOV. WILTZ' VIEWS ON THE
OUTLOOK IN THAT STATE.
Peace ana Good Order, ana Every PrOs-
pect Of Promptly Meeting All
valid obligations.

Peace ana Coed Order, and Every Pros
pect Of Promptly Meeting All
Valid obligations.
IN. Y. World.l
Lieut.. Gov. l.. A. Wiltz, OF Louisiana
now stopping at the New York Hotel. In
q conversation yesterday with q IIOrld
reporter, gave q very encouraging re-
port Of affairs in his own State. Com
pared with other sections of the coun-
try" he said, 'the citizens Of Louisiana
way. There is less complaint made.
h hod EVERYBODY wtHH zbo is assurance na% ''t sh
the political impediments to the
success of the State have vanished. The
change which few months have
wrought is most remarkable. In the
city OF New Orleans and the country
parishes the same report Of confidence
and renewed endeavor is made, and
while the residents of the State do not
expect an unusually prosperous epoch
just now, when all about them are sui
fering In common business depression,
they see and feel change amounting
almost to revolution.
Financially the State is sound,
though In the matter of assessment and
taxation there are inequalities and
irregularities requiring adjustment. The
State as a whole will meet all its obliga-
tions During Republican domination
it had become practice to heap the
burden of taxation upon the city Of New
Orleans and make the weight very light
upon the planters, whom 1t was desira-
bic to win over and hold for political
purposes. This was done by irregular
assessment. For, while. the prop
erty in the city was forced to @
full valuation, and in some instances q
triHe over, in the parishes the valuations
were very low. This, it is hoped, will
soon be reetifled, and efforts are now
making to collect data for an intelligent
handling Of the subject. The Funding
Board Of the State is now busily en-
gagged in funding the entire State debt
That which is bona tide and acknowl-
edged by them amounts to nine
million and some odd hundred thou
sand dollars. But in addition there
is million and over, about which
litigation is in progress, and ex-
actIy how it will be arranged 1t Is
impossible at present to even surmise.
Surprising. however. that the State Is
made responsible for the full sum, the
State debt will even then not aggregate
over $11 ZOO, 900, and this on taxable
ValuALlOU dt SIfV,uUU,uUu VIII w ShSlly
managed. This valuation, however, on
an eauable assessment, will be raised to
$3.50, 5000 or 5000 100000, which will
enable the State without any trouble to
meet its interest whenever it falls due.
Property in Louisiana is advancing in
price, and the coming crops OF cotton,
cane and corn present a very good ap-
pearance.
1.-The prosperity of the State has been
checked by the very fact Of our pros
perity. When State bonds got up to 30
and 80 people who were holding them,
and who had purchased at 10 or there
abouts, began to think it q good time to
unload, and they sent their securities to
New Orleans: for disposal, overran the
market, and the consequence was a
slight dropping off in the quotations
but that will all wear off. The feature
was assisted in a measure by the drains
of ready cash from the banks on
the cali of their back-country cor
respondents, to meet the demands
of the farmers for loans to use in their
crop work. But as long as this con-
tinues speculation can safely be allowed
to wait. These circumstances will ex-
plain how 1t comes that while the State
is really prospecting the sales OF her
bonds and obligations should decline.
When the rushing in OF offerings from
timid holders is over the rate will go up
and Louisiana will rank with any State
in the Union in her ability to fulfill all
and every one OF her just debts"
On the question Of the indictment OF
the members of the old Returning
Board, Gov. Witt said he had left the
State on the day that public attention
was again turned to the topic by the
bringing in of the indictments. "It
was not" he said, part of any special
plan that am aware of. The judge OF
the criminal branch Of the Superior
Court called the attention Of the Grand
Jury to the action Of the board in his
regular charge to them. 1t was purely
voluntary act on his part, without any
preconcerted arrangement with any Of
1t Is not any sudden move at all-atten-
ton being first called to it in January, [
believe, and again at intervals since
that time by the presiding judges ia
charges to the jury. 1t may prove to be
matter Of no moment, and then, ii
pressed, 1t may bring out in legal form
some interesting facts touching the
manipulations of the returns after the
last election"
In concluding, the Governor said
"The people of Louisiana are working
together tremendously for the good OF
the State. The Governor, In my opin-
ion, will never be called upon to use
force to execute the laws"
Gov. Wilt is Vice President of the
State National Bank-fnancial agent OF
Louisiana-and his visit North is partly
on business connected with that insti-
tuition. Ten years Of arduous political
service, however, as Alderman, Mayor
and Lieutenant Governor during the
troublous times Of that decade, entitle
him to the two months rest he is now
taking.
Music In the Russian Army.
There is only one band to each divi-
sion and il affardS music at intarYala