The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1879-07-09
THE DIE Is CAST -!

tne convention mas at taSts atttt
protracted labor, arrived at the con-
clusion that Louisiana is rich State,
overlooking with wealth, and the adj
ministrations of Warmoth and Kel.
logg pure and without reproach.--
The debt remains as it was, a mort.
gage on all our property for all time
to come, while the bondholder, to
appease the wrath of few men with
fogy ideas that the people have some
rights, graciously consented to a
small reduction Of the interest. So
far as relief to the tax payers of the
State is concerned, it is mere baga-
teIIe, and worse than all, it has dis
appointed -tenths of the people
of the State. Over sixty days has
this body, pregnant with promises,
been in session, but on delivery it is
found that this line Of Horace is pc.
culiarly applicable to it: Montes par
t,viunt ridicalas mus, est noscitur--
the mountains have labored, the RI
diculous mouse is born. Aud why
the great loss of time, the expendi
ture Of money in such labor is a
question yet to be answered. To
place the browning stone on the py
ramid of this folly, it would be emf
nently appropriate for the Democra.
tic members who sustained the
fraudulent debt, side by side, and
under the leadership, it seems, Of
Warmoth, to PASS q resolution Of
apology to that distinguished leader
aud in sack cloth and ashes lament
over the many wrongs they had in
the past done him and his party
What q time! What a country!!
But in all this Misrepresentation of
the people, this back down on the
part of individual members WHO
claim to belong to the Democratic
party, there is one cheering fact,
that majority of the Democratic
members stood by their colors and
sustained the name, integrity and
honor Of their party. A minority of
the Democrats allied to Warmoth
and his crew, did the work, and in no
way do we claim that the party is
responsible for them. Delegates who
went to the Convention knowing that
their constituencies were in favor of
scaling debt which they denounced
as dishonest and fraudulent, were
the first to back down and from the
recorded vote it seems were the most
obstinate in their opposition to the
demands of an over.burdened peo.
pie. The bondholders had the most
no doubt, and as one of
the oldest and most distinguished
members Of the Alexandria bar said,
we should be glad that it's no worse;
for, said he, at the rate the Conyen-
ton was going on, should they re
main sixty days longer in session,
the principal and interest would both
be increased.
Happily the bondholders will meet
with sterner stuff when they ask the
people to ratify the work of Dele
gates who have been recreant to their
trust. 1t is not an easy matter to
deceive those WHO have to bear the
burden, and nnless we are very much
mistaken, the debt question is as far
from settlement now as it was
three months ago. The Convention,
we fear, is a failure, and will result
in an injury to the State and party.
More thoroughly convinced are we
every day that our opposition to the
calling of a Convention was correct,
aud recent events will no doubt con-
vince every thinking mind that it
was the best policy to have adopted
the amendments to the Constitution.
What did the Convention meet for
except for the purpose of scaling the
debt and relieving US of taxationa--
This is the question asked by almost
every one you meet with, and there
can be bat one answer, that is, the
Convention has failed Of it's purpose.
We say this in sorrow, for after such
long struggle to obtain the politi.
cal ascendeney in this State, the
Democratic party will be called on
to shoulder the responsibility of its
failure.
The people Of Rapides, nine enths
pf the taxpayers, demand the seal.
)hg of the debt fifty cents on the dol
lar, with four per cent. interest,"
Should they conclude to vote for the
Of the Constitution as a
choice of evils, they will elect their