The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-06-09
THE COUNTRY PRESS AND TIE DEBT

The unanlmity with which the country
press Of the State has sustained the positlon
III the DEMOCRAT on the reports o. the COM
mittee on State debt, 10 exceedingly crafty
inr to us. Prominent among those papers
which have aligned themselves with us In
condemnation Of the sweeping reputation
scheme advocated In the majority report,
may be mentioned the Shreveport Times, the
Natebitoehes Nsssdicator, the Amite Inde-
pendent. Bt. Mary Revieac, Baton Rouge
Advocate, and West Baton Rouge Sugar
Planter.
AS vet the Shreveport Standard IL the only
paper among the country press that has
given the action Of the COMMITTEES on State
Debt an unqualified Endorsement and support.
This paper gives the majority report Its full
approval, and demands the adoption OF every
one OF It's recommendations, at the same
time assuring the Convention, with every
assumption Of authority, that such ID the
overwhelming sentiment Of the people Of
North Louisiana.
But as these asseveraHons Of the Standard
are, SO far as heard from, contradicted By
every other paper In the State, we may DO
pardoned II we refuse to accept the state
ments of that paper as conclusive.
Or the fourth instant the Standard, In an
article entitled 1.-THE Semmes- Warmoth
Special Pleading by which Ia meant the
minority report oil the Committee ON state
Debt, indorses the reputation scheme out
lined In the majority report on the ground
.tthat no part Of the Kellogg government
which existed Id Louisiana from january /,
1879 to January |, 1877, was legal"
1t Is matter Of history that the Kellogg
government never Issued any bonds, except
consolidated bonds, which were issued to re-
tire debts contracted prior to 1873 at the rate
OF sixty cents ON the dollar. The Standard
writes ON elaborate article to prove that from
! 1873 to 1877 there was no legal government In
Louisiana, and therefore that anything done
during that period is not binding on the peo-
pie Of the State.
Wedo not see what relevancy this has to the
recommendations Of the majority report OF the
Committee on the State Debt. There are no
bonds issued during that period that are
questioned. The bonds this report declares
| To be fraudulent and invalid, and which IL
recommends not To be paid, were issued UNI
der acts 81 the Legislatures Of the years 1928,
1886, 1853, 1865. 1867, 1868, 1869 and 1870. The
ST., OOO, 600 levee bonds were issued BY the Legis
latures OF 1865 and 1867, which were composed
OF the very best men in the State white men,
Taxpayers Democrats. The truth Of the
matter Is that our own people are responsible
for great proportion Of this debt, and we
really cannot see what the legality Of the
kellogg administration OF 1s73-1s77 has to do
with the question, especially with the honesty
Of debts created from 1928 to 1870.
But, as we have repeatedly said, we cannot
consent to discuss this question upon any
such grounds, and, In SO far as 1t touches
this phase of the question, the majority
report OF the COMMITTEES on State Debt
ID mere quibbling. This is great ques.
ton OF public policy, not one OF legal
technicality. The only law Of the case Ii
that the Convention is vested with an abso.
lutte power to dispose Of the matter as 1t seer
fit In doing this there Is but one law, one
justification, for aught that 1t may do, anc
that Is the ability OF the people to pay and tht
honor and fair fame Of the State. Upon these
grounds, and on fair and full showing. We
can justify any course that necessity compels
us to take. But we cannot even excuse, much
less justify, any thing on q mere legal bubble