St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1879-02-08
The Sugar Industry of LoIg-
isEana.
Now Orleans Demncrat-l


Tie. claims made by the Louisiana
sugar industry before the country and
her Congress assembled, for Just con-
grounds, and the operation of this large
interest involves and affects so many
different classes, that Il review of some
OF Its most important features cannot
fail to show how widespread would be
the disturbance caused by any inter-
Tuptl0n OF Its present status. 1T Is 4
matter of calculation we'll established
that the cost of cultivatiDg without
fertilizers and manufacturing into sugar
one acre Of cane is $13-l sum annually
disbursed to laboring community and
to the growers of Western products.
Its magnitude is enhanced by the in
creased number OF acres OF cane III
annual cultivation, and to what an
extent its value to the laborer and
Western farmer may reach in the tu-
turc, is easily computed by the figures
proved by the past. The number OF
acres Of cane under cultivation IN Lou
isiana during the crop season OF lSU-IS
was 100000, and the cost of Cultivating
the same, in cash money actually dis
burscd throughout the year. was SILL
GS0,0OO, plus the amount paid for fer
tiliZers, which, at $50 per ton and allow
ing 500 pounds of fertilizers to the acre,
would further increase the disbnrsc-
ment by an additional sum of SS00,0O0,
making the total amount expended i'll
cash S12,4S0, 900, or, in round numbers,
900.
This large annual disbursement of
cash is factOrln any community winch
is not to be ignored, it being the bread
and meat Of thousands of laborers and
mechanics. Can any government safely
deprive a seething, restless class Of work
conflict which already has made the
North and East theatre of civil war
Forty thousand laboring men, actual
tolers 10y the day, depend upon the
daily cultivation of the sugar cane in
Louisiana for bread and meat, and 200,-
900 souls, by families, are dependent
.1pon this toll for the bare necessities OF
life. A suspicious, restless crowd of
struggling humanity, turned loose, be-
causr of the inability Of the employer
to further provide work, becomes at
once either a terrible engine for spolla-
ton and anarchy or dependents upon
the charity Of the general government
for support. Is the government pre-
navel' to recreate freedman's bureau
Tor Louisiana upon the policy adopted
towards the Indian, and distribute cloth
ing and rations to the negro laborel
nd infAitam, or il she prepared to stu
furtller subsist, in addition, the white
MECHANIC whose living depends upon
the sugar culture of the State? Where
shall he 60, with a family, to better him.
self? Tie laborers of the North and
West are crying out against capital that
ii carr- 'ot provide work for those that
are there. The States are enactine
tramp laws to protect themselves against
q growing evil-and growing 70 become
in the near future threatening danger
not because of any idle vagrant pro
peusity Of the laboring man, but be.
cause thousands are driven to vagranc'
by the inter impOssibility to Obtain
work. There is no room elsewhere fol
our iaborers, and the people are, sui11
GENTLY taxed now, without creating a
government expense new elymosynar}
institutions. Protect the industry which
provides food and Paiment for SO Large
a number of working men and yol
eliminate this factor from the coming
evil.
Again. $4O,000,O00 Of assessed capita
are invested in land, machinery and i'm
movements. No section of the country
can stand the loss of this large invest
ment without paralyZing not only the
States tributary TO it, but also the com
mercial centres of the whole Union
The general prosperity of the whole
country is not SO apparent that 1t cal
withstand a further blottihg out Of val
neg and the utmost caution is needed, i
view of the outcry against the contrae
tion of values, brought about by re
sumption, pot to precipitate even ioca
financial panic. The success OF tht
plan of the Secretary OF the 1reasurr,
is assured, uniess it's enemies can lay II
its account sudden financial crash
an event sure to happen when it NJ
longer becomes possible for the Lou
isiana sugar planter to maintain bl
position. Legislation adverse to hi
industry will engulf his capital and wipe
out S4G,0O0,000 Of the actual riches O.
this State.
The States of Missouri, Iowa, Wis
consin, Minnesota, Indiana, Ohio, Ken
lucky aud Tennessee look to the Soutl
for an outlet for their surplus products
and of this $12,500, 900 expended in Lou
isiana fully $7,500000 went West TO
meat, SGain, implements, machinery anC
mules The working force of mules il
Louisiana is from $4,000 to 10000, con
stantly being renewed, and the supply
drawnffom the West. Can these Statei
afford to eliminate these annual pur
chases from their stocks without suffer
ing a corresponding epressioni in values
The demand of the sugar industry TO
these Western products enables the far
nler to Calculate upon a better marke
and firiner prices. What steps have
Seen made towards building up the gen
eral prosperity not only of this State
but of The country at large, is apparent
when we compare the present crop Will
that of 1865, Just after the war. The
crop in 1865, the first year after the war
was 1900 hogsheads; the crop OF 1871
was 10000 hogsheads, and the estima:
ted crop for the year 1873 is 200, 600 hogs
heads.
With increased production there is g
necessity for increased expenditure. and
a larger number of laborers and Yves.
tern producers enjoy the benefits. Con
sidering the obstacles overcome during
this period, it will not do to blot out sc
much live energy in any country.
Seventeen steamboats, are engaged In
the special carrying trade Of sugar and
molasses, and this year five boats were
employment to the ship yards of New
Albany, Jeffersonville and Cincinnati
and the mechanics of Indiana and Ohio,
and every few years these boats are re-
built.
It's idle for importers and refners of
the North to magnify the Importance of
their own industries to the detriment of
the great agricultural industry of Lou
isiana.
Millions of dollars are invested; thou
sands of laborers are dependent upon
it's being; skilled mechanical labor looks
to it for support; the carriers of trade
live by its prosperity the Western far