St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1878-05-04
The Facts Of the Case.

During the recent exceptionally mild
winter there have been little or no OPP
portunities for crime offered to the plumb
ers, and hence it was generally supposed
that great distress existed among them.
Good men naturally rejoiced at this
state of things. Many excellent fathers
of families pointed out to their children
the supposed fact that the plumbers were
starving, as an illustration of the truth
that the way of transgressors is hard, and
hundreds of Sunday-school superlnten-
dents pictured to Mortified children the
death bed of the gaunt and hungry
plumber, with the view of warning them
that even in this world wickedness someo
times meets with its proper punishment.
There are probably few kind-hear'ed and
philanthropic people who are not firmly
convinced that delightful amount OF
destitution and most encouraging NOR
tality have prevailed among the plumb
era during the last few months. 1t Is,
painful to dispel these pleasing illusions
but it must be done. If the community
is suffered to be lulled into false
security by the erroneous belief that
plumbers are rapidly becoming extinct,
it will be so much the worse in the end
for those who have embraced that COM
forting delusion
"But how" it may be asked, "can
plumbers flourish where there are no
water-pipes to mend ?" Before answer
ing this question it may be mentioned
that about four months ago newspaper
protesting to bessthe organ of the plumb
ers made its appearance. 1t was
remarkable that instead of boldly
defending plumbers and pretending that
their trade was necessary evil, which
should be regulated by law rather than
prohibited as crime, the plumbers
organ devoted itself, apparently, to
aesthetics. Each week it gave up the
, greater part Of its space to discussion
, of that beautiful and affecting topic,
, drainage. It dwelt upon the evils Of
false taste in traps, and set before the
+ people the purest and noblest specimens
of waste-pipes. It called to its aid The
service Of the draughtsman and the
engineer, and published the most
exquisite sketches Of interiors, showing
. the beauties of good drainage, and ths
! most admirable landscapes, with Gle
CANT sewers il the fore ground. Slow
but surely it instilled into the minds 0
the readers the belief that rude, uncul
!, tivated drainage is the source of all evil
and that an entirely new sort Of pipe
- and traps must be placed in every hous
a in this city, unless we are prepared t.
. die of half dezen Objectionable diseases
il At the same time there appeared in othe
i Journals elaborate critical essays upo]
,, the need Of renaissance in drainage, an'
- lecturers Upon the principles and practic
q of drainage suddenly began to infest tn
lyceum and to advocate what they calle
% the great drainage reform.
4 Now, although not a word was sal
20 concerning plumbers in connection wit
10 this agitation concerning drainage: it
4 perfectly apparent that no change 9
20 improvement in drainage Ican he mad
80 without the aid of plumbers. There ca
L. Io,,l4 hot ~ 10 To Tho
\ Vaccinations Of these subtle and fa
seeing men that this whole drainag
-. agitation is due When the recent mil
T winter deprived them of their usu;
T booty, they formed a plan by which the
r could more than compensate themselvt
il for their losses. They employed agen
to fill the public minds with distrust
10 the present methods of drainage and
~ convince every householder that 'un1e
II his house should be supplied with ne
- and costly apparatus for drainage,
- aud his family would contract diphtht
ria, typhoid and scarlet fevers, choler;
= softening of the brain, morbus Cox
- broken legs, consumption, railway CO
- lisions, ch;cken.pox and a score Of oth'
diseases. This nefarious conspiracy h;
II been completely successful. Everywhe1
the plumbers are overwhelmingly wit
II orders for drain-p pes and traps, and b.
~ fore the summer is over every plumb
AZ in this city will be man of independel
-: fortune, and will lay upon us yoke
charges so heavy that either it will crus
~ us to the earth or will compel us
, resist with arms in our hands the rule
the plumbing power.-- N. Y. Times.