Richland beacon., 1878-05-25
The Country Press Of Lou.
isfaAss.

The Marksville (Avoyelles parish) BuIe>
Tin says:
I'VE like the general tone Of the press of
this State. They are divided upon many is
sues-express themselves freely and unre
servedly-stiIl upon one point they are
INIT, and this is the complete humiliation Of
Radicalism in the coming campaign. 10 dis
cuss political opinions and probabilities thus
early is Indicative Of the fact that they wish
to dispose of these minor matters preparatory
to the great onset The Democratic press of
Louisiana has been tested on many and try.
ing oocasious and never found wanting. In
the coming campaign without single objec.
ton, il will do it's duty and do it nobly.'
This is just tribute to the Louisiana press,
especially TO the country papers. During the
ten years Of reconstruction, when there was
little credit and less money in fighting the
thieves and adventures who held possession
of the State, the Democratic papers in the
parishes, as long as they could collect money
enough to keep going, held up the banner OF
the people with a courage and pertinacity
which entities them 10 the everlasting graft
tude of their constituents. Printing laws
were framed by the Radicals to sustan and
even enrich the publishers OF Rad cal sheets,
devoted % the defamation of our people, and
TO crush out the Democratic papers. In a
measure these infamous laws were success.
full. Many Democratic papers in the country
were-comPelled TO succumb, and . swarm Of
dirty, unscrupuious sheets sprung up in the
State, TO support which the taxpayers were
,nercilessily robbed. But the Democratic pa.
per, which survived this sort of ST. Banholo-
NEW ,nsssscre OF decent journals did the
State infinite service. They kept the fires of
resistance to Radicalism alive and burning
brightly. Their indignation never wearied;
their courage never fal,ercd; their vocabulary
of denunciation Of wrong and robbery was
never exhausted. The enemies Of the State,
the plunderers Of our people, won all power
and wealth; hut there was one victory they
could not gain; they could neither debauch
the country press nor entirely annihiate it,
and it lived to scourge them and often to
make them ashamed of their purple and fine
linen. More to her country press Louisiana
owes her redemption from Radicalism than
TO any OF all other agencies.
IL little singular to note, therefore, the
illibcrality with which the first Democratic
Legislature we secured dealt with the coun.
try papers. The printing law, as It apper.
,ains to the country press, reads as il our
Democratic Legislature considered that ere
was no difference between the vile, SANDER.
Gus and infamous sheets which for eight years
rnaligned our people and fattened on the
money stolen from them, ard the ue wspspess
which, through poverty, adversely and sore
temptation, fought the battles of the State and
did 20 much to win the victory. lnded, there
were some worthy and wis: Democratc-Con
sentative gentlemen in the last Legislature,
elected on the tide Of victory impelled by
the press, who seemed to have az great a hor.
ror Of newspapers as the devil has Of holy
water. These great statesmen, who owned
their political birth to the breath of the com,
try papers,. were haunted all through their
brief tenure of greatness with the dread that
some Democratic Journal would get two cents
per square more for a public advertisement
than it cost the publisher to set it up, and they
were never happy except when Matching up
a bill to reform the Democratic press out of
dollar OF two. Intoxicated with power and
greatness, they were wild aud furious with
the dclirum tremens Of renenchment and re.
form, and newspapers with serpentine elon.
cations and voracious stoinachs swarmed i'm
their boots and twined and twisted around
their desks and necks, and all through the
session they were furiousty busy with bills to
exterminate them.
Happily, however, the energy, patriotism
and real ability in the Democratic press is
building it up again. and it is now a power
in the land; power too, that is certainly
potent for the good OF the people, the
strengthening and consolidation Of the Demo-
cratic party. There is no portion of our edi.
torial iabors more pleasant and instructive
than the reading: of the uttierances Of our
country COUSINS" and there is no column Of
the Democrat which is more interesting and
generally read than thar which is headed
Views of the Country Press" Louisiana
should be proud of her country journals
" D. Democrat