The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-07-14
THE OALuAsIEU IMBRoGLI0.


Federal courts should have adjourned
for the summer without reaching a final
solution of the Calcasieu troubles. The
case Of the lumber men is one Of ex-
ceptional hardship and, by reason OF
the large number OF innocent people
involved in serious distress, something
should be promptly done to afford them
relief. Besides, it is greatly to the in
terest OF the government that settle
ment Of the case should be reached as
speedily as possible. r.
We have reason to. believe that the
value OF the property seized has been
greatly overestimated, and, granting
that the government can establish its
claim to the whole seizure, it can be
done only after prolonged and costly
litigation that would in the end ca t up
the entire proceeds Of the property in
dispute.
Under vigorous enforcement Of the
law all Of this timber may be forfeited
to the government-thati is, all that Is
proved to have been cut on government
iands-yet, even In such cases, there
are equities which forbid any such ex-
q ction on the part Of the government.
The sufferers are very poor people,
and their violation of The 'lawis entirely
devoid of anything like Intentional
cri minality. Under these circumstances
all that the government can justly de-
mand is the actual value Of the timber
as 1t stood on the land. This is but an
inconsiderable fraction Of the market
valtie In. tide water sot at the mills.
Fully five-sixths Of this attaches to it
from the labor of these poor people who
h ave cut it and borne the cost of its
transportation, and it would be q great
oppression On the part OF the govern
mentto seek its own aggrandizementsat
the cost of the labor and sufferings
Of these miserably poor people. II the
government can in justice claim in
demnity only to the extent of the actual
value of the growing timber, and 1t is
only to that extent that it can possibly
b ave suffered loss, sthis value should be
made the basis of the sappraisement OF
the logs and Of. a settlement OF the case.
We have no doubt that by such an un-
derstanding q. satisfactory end to this
whole affair can be speedily reached
and the grievous sufferings OF
these unfortunate people relieved.
We,i therefore, feel it our duty TO sug-
gest that the marshal, whom we believe
to be just man, and entirely without
any wish to prolong or exaggerate their
troubles, shall 60 over and see these
people, and after apprising himself Of
all the facts Of the case, make such
to the government as
will secure the necessary relief. When
such widespread and universal
wratchedness results to q whole
community from the rigorous en-
forcement of the law, it can be
justified only by the most extraordi-
nary circumstances. These, we conceive,
do not exist In this instance. The loss
to the government can be but trihing in
any event, and the indications are that
these people were entirely unconscious
of the criminality of their acts. But,
aside from this, the benefits to be ats
tanned BY the government are entirely
disproportioned to the loss Of the lum-
Der men. ~
In proof of this, and 10 show what the
government shall realize in the event Of
establishing its claim to all Of the prop
erty seized, after bearing thesexpense of
prolonged litigation, we submit the
following facts, taken from a communi-
cation from correspondent on. the
ground, who is evidently entirely con-
versant with the facts. He says;
1t is claimed that there are under seizure
here about $1,000 pine logs, of the value say
Of s15o,ooo; we will suppose that every log
Calcasieu, prior to this seizure show that
their lumber was worth, on from thirty to
ninety days, 50 per 1000 feet, board measure
let us say it is cash at this. 1t costs the mill
So per 1000 to reduce the log to lumber; logs
the mill The best authority makes an aver
age log 252 feet say $50 feet, or four logs per
1000 feet of lumber and beyond dispute the
actual value of this lumber at the mill is just
81 so per log. CO., -,
water. say II, coo logs; deduct for sinking
and other waste 10 per cent, leaves less than
10000; deduct also from their mill value
twenty cents, the customary price Tor towing
or $4,000. and say 10000 logs at the mill valued
at Sl5,O0o less the towage, or $4,000; Well,
where are the remaining 10000 logs? Seat
tered from the head of tide water to the
stump, ranging in value from 81 ~ 10 2U
cents, or averaging 10 cents per log. Deduct
from this 20 per cent for loss and waste
leaves Sc cents per log, or the lot may, be
worth SO, 400 Add to this amount the value
of tide-water logs, and we have, not $3.50, 600,
but S39, 400, which the timber would bring
in cash from the mills, If it were
But it is badly damaged and is really not of
more value than So, 900, which is to indemnify
the national Treasury for an expense OF S75,-
600, perhaps more; besides untold wretched-
ness to thousands of suffering citizens. But
worse than this it is we'll maintained fact,
and will be so proven in court if permitted,