The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-04-01
THE STATE.
VIEWS OF THE COUNTRY PRESS ON
THE STATE DEBT.
tHouma Courier,l

Louisiana nor ruin her credit, but on the COT
trary will elevate her financial standing
commercial circles.
Baton Rouge Capitoian.l
We want 1t distinctly UNDERSTOOD th PHI, u
Capitolidn Is not an advocate OF TepuuhlaIio o
We are in favor Of the payment q Inc nones
debts of the State, but are unsWervlngl.
hand In hand with those who don't bellev
that the honor nf Louisiana Is lnyoiveu Wie y
ii ia proposed to pitch overheard the fraud
1ilent claims that have been heaped upon th
r,eonle against their expressed protests. II !
NOT Reputation to refuse claims that the Stat
i1as not obtained value received therefor
+ SEINE of these are not worth any more thai
Il forged check.
LLivingstonian.
The convention need not wrangle over re
pudiatiOn or consider the State debt In an,
way. They should incorporate an article Ii
the constitution limiting all State, parish ant
municipal taxation to five and d half mills
and deny any privileged creditor; then al
the trouble about State bonds and Stati
finances will settle itself, and by the first o
January, 1880, State consols will be at or neal
par, and our State will move smoothly on hel
way Of retrenehment and reform, with sole
credit abroad and with faith and confidence
OF her people In their officers at home.
[Marksville Villager1
Now that the election for delegates to the
constitutional convention Is over and the re-
having secured an immense majority In that
body, we trust when the convention will meet
the Democratic members will go to work In
good earnest and frame such o constitution as
will meet with the popular demands OF to-
day. We hope the people will not look to that
body III vain for immediate relief, and that
relief must be afforded in substantial man
Hler, which will give rest to our Over-taxed
population. 1t is hardly necessary for US to
point out how this result may be arrived at.
Suffice 1t to say, the salaries Of all the State
officers must be cut down, unnecessary offices
abolished, and the fraudulent debt repudiated.
With these results accomplished the rate Of
taxation will be materially diminished and
our people breathe easier.
[Richland Beaconl
The New Orleans Ficayane pretends to find
In the meagTe vote pOlled for delegates to the
convention proof positive that the people did
not want constitutional convention, and
that the measure was forced upon the Legis-
lature by the clamors OF a few hot-headed
advocates. 1t is very much mistaken, or pre-
tends to be; for the people did want con
yentiOn. The whole secret Of the smallness
OF the vote Hes In the fact that their candi-
dates had not opponents; hence, being very
busy, they saw no reason for turning out and
voting, for men who they knew would be
elected anyhow.
Basing It's arguments upon this bypothe-
Bis, the PcGyla,e has also discovered that the
people do not want the fraudulent debt of the
State repudiated- for 1t denounces those who
this measure as repudiatorS-and
warns the City members not to meet the
country members In caucus, and thus bind
to the reputation OF the debt
No one, we presume desires to repudiate the
just debt; but IL the convention does not re-
pudiate all fraudulent claims, reduce the Just
debt as much as possible and cut the interest
down to A aper cent, it will have failed to dis
charge one OF the most important duties 1t |
owes the people. Relief from this important
burden is what they demand at the hands Of
their delegates; and unless the convention
offers them this relief they will not indorse
and ratify its action.
They may be called regulators, or what
sver the fraudulent bondholders choose to
call them, it matters not to them, 50 they are,
fraudulent bonds; and they will hold their
responsible for faith su dis |
charge of this duty. The country delegates, |
We presume, can get along In caucus without
5he assistance OF the city delegates, who have
not all the brains Of the convention.
IMarksville Bullehn.l
The New Orleans Times is much pleased
With the composition OF the city delegation
% the convention, and says that with few ex-
,eptions, these gentlemen, assisted by the
many good and true men coming from the
parishes" will be able to maintain the credit
Il Louisiana. This implies that New Or
cans has elected delegation in the interest
4 the bondhoIders and against the loudly ex-
ressed demands of the taxpayers We re-
ret this, because we had hoped that the city
Tould haye Joined the country In the attempt
D relieve the people or the crushing burden
nat has weighed them down for the past
welve years. The taxpayers Of the Crescent |
lily have Slumbered while the hOndhOIders
'ere vigilant and active.
Fortunately the country parishes have done
ointed In the hope that we will give it assist 5
nee to maintain the present public debt In )
10 country the great issue OF the campaign
as the scaling Of the debt and the reduction 7
the interest. This matter was widely and
xtensively discussed, and in almost every !
ariSh the opinion was universal that the !
ebt should be thoroughly sifted, the bad :
from the good, and the interest re- \
lced to at least 4 per cent. The delegates
ON the country parishes have been elected !,
ould be fool-hardy and short-sighted who
ould join the bondholders in upholding
hat they call the public faith" The coun- !;
v people know that their taxes are exorbi- n n
mt, and they ask the cause. They know z
lat the State is in abiect poverty, and they :,
o inquiring for the reason. They have seen !,
le long looked for change from Radicalism 4
Democracy, and with this change they ex- !
,cted relief, but thus far in vain have they y
oked for those blessings promised them. I
\ all this is the large dishonest y
bt now existing in this State, the :,
inous interest exacted and the certainty
at it must take nerations to cancel this q
nv debt. Their delegates to the convention !,
we been selected and elected with view of u
them and not the boDdh0lders. 2
Id the city need not count upon country ~
pport id d matter Of such moment and i'm Z
rtance to country taxpayers. We have no !,
nds In the parishes, and let those who have y
lept with the dogs" be bitten by the feas. q
! for us, we want the public debt most y :,
sfted, the dishonest portion y
minated from the good and the rate Of IN y
rest reduced to per cent. We object to see : :,
z the tears Of the widow and the groans Of u
g orphan coined into gold that debt Gre = =
ed IN fraud and iniquity should be paid to a. a,
g last dollar. No such impulses can actu- i
Q people who have cursed the hand that u
l0te them, and on every occasion warned g
Q capitalist that il he INDUCED il specula- "
20 upon the misfortunes Of our people he n
so at his risk and peril.
The debt and interest must be reduced. III
mot be otherwise.
West Feliciana Sentinel,l II
" Will not only be necessary for the consti- ii
Iional convention to closely scrutjniZe the Il
legations Of the State now outstanding. and II