The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-10-18
BATON ROUGE VS.. NEW ORLEANS.

the State capital from New Orleans, the
metropolis of this State, to Baton Rouge, O
coaling station somewhere up the coast, be-
tween this point and the mouth Of Red river.
This Is one Of the pet projects of the monopo-
lies. The removal Of the State capital from
this city, where the daily operations Of the
government are watched by the vigilant eyes
of the city press, and where at ell times of
the year intelligent and influential citizens
from all portions Of the State are continually
brought together and thus afforded the op-
portunity Of observing the management OF
public affairs, to an obscure and remote vii
lage, where no one would 60 except upon
an official mission, and where we should
never hear of the government or it's doings
except through meagre weekly bulletins,
would be most excellent arrangement for
the monopolies and all similar institutions
whose work Is done In the dark.
At Baton Rouge the State government
would be as absolutely removed from the
scrutiny Of the people Of the State as II it
were located in Alaska, and carried out it's
functions and made known its behests
through the medium of returning whalers or
Arctic expeditions. This would be all the
ringsters would ask. Hidden In an Arcadian
seclusion, removed from the eternal vigilance
and constant supervision of the PRESS with
none to expose their projects there would be
no limit to the scheming Of this class Of men,
while the officials themselves would find O.
larger license In their exemption
from supervision and criticism. Every
sinister influence In the State that Is now try
ing to engraft itself upon the politics Of the
State would take new lease OF life were this
| amendment carried. No longer apprehensive
| Of exposure and denunciation, they would
consolidate and the politics OF Louisiana
would soon become but an Intricate and tan
gled web Of conspiracy and fraud.
But the most deplorable result of this pro-
posed removal Of the State capital to Baton
Rouge would be In the facilities that would
be afforded for influencing and corrupting
the Legislature, and the effect it would have
In lowering the standard of Legislative quail
fications in the delegations from New Or
leans. Hotel and other accommodations In
SO small place would necessarily be matters
Of no slight Importance. An attractive club
| room and a hotel, whose accommodations
were dispensed with proper discrimination,
would be very powerful, and yet very insidi
GUS, influences, OF which no rich monopoly
would fail to avail itself.
In regard to the character Of the members
Of the Legislature, both from the country
and the city, we are satisfied the removal to
Baton Rouge would have o very appreciable
effect for the worse. The Legislature con-
venes at the very busiest period OF the COM
mercial year, at a time when no man engaged
In active business pursuits, whether profess
sIonal or commercial, can afford to leave the
city. 1t can be invariably assumed that the
man who can absent himself from the city at
that season, without detriment to his private
and business affairs, Is a professional poll
tician or schemer, who has no regular
avOCatiOn by which he earns q subsist-
ence. He must be either q gentleman
of leisure, a mere political dlettante, or q
characterization Of which, by reason of their
lack of interest and sympathy in the serious
affairs that affect practical men, are fit repre-
sentatives Of a live and working people. The
result then, of removing the seat of govern
ment from this city will necessarily be to
operate the exclusion Of business men and all
such as are actively engaged In professional
or other pursuits from the Legislature. The
consequence will be that men of this class will
invariably decline to in the legislature,
and the character Of the city delegation will be
materially lowered. It Is now very difficult
to obtain the services of this class of our
citizens, but If they had to go to Baton
Rouge and absent themselves from their
business for a month or more In the busiest
season Of the year, they could not possibly be
induced to accept legislative honors.
The reverse Of this proposition maintains
In the country but the result is the same.
After the first day of January, when the
planter has concluded his arrangements and
hired his labor for the year, he can very well
afford to absent himself for season. A trip
to the city at that season is relaxation the
country gentlemen, be he a professional man.
a merchant Or a planter, can very well afford,
and without serious loss or embarrassment
to his private affairs. That Is the season or
the year when the country people generally
make their annual visit to the city. Every
man who can possibly do so comes here
at that time for week or so. But
who ever goes to Baton Rouge
Nobody. With the Legislature here the mem
bers would see, every day, influential citizens
Immediately from their parishes, with whom
ethey could consult In regard to local affairs,
while their constituencies would hear from
them almost daily and know exactly what
they were doing. These are great advantages,
which, we feel assured, will outweigh in the
estimation Of the people Of the State the sole
claim of Baton Rouge, which Is based on the
possession by the State Of an old rookery in
that village, which, tradition says, was form
erly used as State-House. Vote down the
Baton Rouge project.
The account Of a novel expedient for float
irg a stranded ship comes from San Fran
ciGcn The accnllnt Saws.