St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1879-02-01
SianIering Louisiana.
New Orleans Democrat.

I A Washington correspondent OF tile
| New Orleans Times writes as follows:
| very lively interest is felt and expected
here and i'll New York relative to your consti:
| tutlOnal convention. BY most 1evel-headed
| people it rs looked upon us a scheme to rcpu
| diate the debts and liabilities Of the State. in
| order that the money necessary to the welfare
| and happiness of the needy hummer in politics
| may no longer be donated from his gaping
pocket to the creditors OF the state: Ihat the
| reputation OF the debt would i'll any degree
| tighten the burdens of the people no one be
lievcs. In fact, by the necessary land uNncrcs-
sary) expenses OF Il convention, their burdens
are at all events to be increased. We do not
| hear that any of the patriots are so anxious to
| formulate new constitutions for you IL c ready
to serve the commonwealth without the usual
| per diem and mileage.
The monkeyish pranks of the patriots i'll
power with You have damaged the credit and
| good name Of the State more than ten years of
| honest and stable government can repair.
| Many here who sympatflzcd with your strl ggle
| to capture the control of your own government,
supposlnS that your success would bring econ
ony, industry and peace, are grievously dsap-
| pointed.
AS was said to me yesterday by a New York
| merchant well known among you, 81 don't
| care to have much at risk among people who
reputliate or default their public obligations.
When, in addition, they insist upon the luxury
| Of three elections within twelve months, you
| may count me out"
The above is fair specimen of the
defamatory dispatches and letters fur
nished the Northern Republican press
| from WaslIinton. Indeed it seems as if
the bondholders had made up a vast
| slander fund with which to hire every
scribbler in Washington to denouncc
| and misreprcsentth this State. The Wash
| in gton correspondent of our neighbOr
| is but very weak imitation of the chief
hired liar of the New York Times, &C.
CO.. and the hirelng scribblcrs of the
Northern bOndhOlders in other Northern
and Western journals.
1t is true that this State has dcfaulted
in the interest on its debt. But it is also
true that prior to 1877, for ten years or
more, the State had been plundered and
impoverished by the men who contracted
the larger portion OF its debt by fraudu-
lent processes practiccd under the power
of Federal bay0nets; that pestilence
has succeeded carpet baggery, and that
resumption with its depreciation of
values has followed upon the heels Of
both,
These facts should have influenced the
holders Of Louisiana consOls to deal
leniently with the State, and regard
with something OF consideration it's op-
pressed taxpayers. But such has not
been the case. An army Of slanderers
has been organized, and they have
filled the papers Of the country with the
most abusive attacks upon the State
government and the people of Louisiana.
So far has the avidity of the bOndnol-
ders in the North carried them that
they have threatened to enjoin the pay
ment of the salaries Of the constitu-
tional officers Of the State II the inter
est is not provided for, or if any steps
are taken by the Constitutional Con-
vention to reduce the rate of interest
from per cent.
Now there has never been an infiuen-
tial voice in this State raised in favorof
repudiation but the masses OF the peo-
pie understand the situation. They
know that the resumption policy of the
administration haa reduced values in
the State fully forty per cent; they
know that the value of their plantations,
their farms and their town property
has been reduced to a gold ya|ua';; ION.
F1urtheF, they know that the price of
their cotton, ,rlce, sugar a..lu tobacco has
been reduced to God basis, and hence
they are determined that the holders of
Louisiana bonds, who were parties to
q reduction of the interest OH their
bonds. Nor is it improbable that the
Constitutional Convention, representing
the sovereignty OF the people of Lou
lslana, will insist upon Ovcrhauling the
debtas it stands; investigating the fund
ing operations prior to the Inaugural ton
OF the present government, and elimi-
mating the fraudulent portion of the
debt, which is estimated to be fully
four millions of dollars.
The violent expressions of the North
ern bondholders are only calculated to
damage their interests. It they resort
to the extreme measures they threaten
the consequence will be that repudia-
ton sentiment will be aroused through
out the whole State, and their bonds
will, in the end, yield them as little as
the State has derived from their issue.
We advise the bondholdars to call a
halt to their brigade of slanderers; to
consider the condition of the impover-
ished people of this State, and to consent
to an adjustment of the interest and, if
necessary, the principal of the debt
they hold against the taxpayers of Lou
isiana. We speak in the interest Of both
sides, in the interest OF the taxpayers
and in the interest of the holders of the
honest obligations of Louisiana. These
are words of wisdom and we warn the
bondholders and the spectators in
bonds to listen to the admonition of
journal which represents the sentiments
Of the people Of the State, rather than
to the words and meaningless rawlings Of
papers which are mere Interpreters OF
fhn wiShnS oF the hnu1 nlIarc