The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1880-01-28

integrity of this right and to secure
the purity of the ballot. box are among
the highest duties Of wise aud patriot.
ic Legislators.
BUREAU OF AGRICULTURE.
By article l79 it is left to the discre-
tion Of the General Assembly tn create
Bureau Of Agriculture, define its OBJ
jects, designate its officers aud fix their
salaries, whenever the financial condi-
ton of tile State may, in their judy
ment. Justify such expenditure. An
immediate organization of this bureau,
would be as wise use of the public
money as the Legislature can make
within the prescribed limit of $4,000
per annum.
The agricultural interest in this
State dominates and involves all other
interests. The cultivation Of the soil
is the source Of subsistence for I'll g
masses Of the people. The only in
crease in prosperity which Louisiana
can expect must be drawn by labor,
skill aud capital from her prolific
fields. l recommend the early estab-
lishment Of this bureau as guide to
agricultural investments, as a meane
of gathering and distributing informa-
ton useful to planters and farmers; as
q fountain Of useful knowledge per-
tanning to the productive resources oil
the State; as a help to all future legis-
lation bearing upon the interests OF
hnsbandry; as an aid to strangers at
tracted by the natural wealth aud ga
lubrity Of all sections Of the State, and
as an cffectual means of bringing into
practical use all the light which SCI
ence and experience are developing
from day to day for the benefit of the
nOblest aud mast useful industry in
which the hand Of man was ever en-
played. In my opinion, the board
should be composed of enlightened,
practical planters from each congress.
sional district, selected with special
reference tO their fitness and the inter-
est they take in the promotion of agri-
culture. None but tue executive off,
GERS of the board should receive COM
pensation, aud these only according to
the capacity required and the service
rendered. Of the limited sum allowed
by the constitution for the annual use
of tho board, a considerable share
should be used to procure and to pub
lisil in other States and in Europe in :.
formation respecting the advantages
offered by Louisiana to those who are
in searcl, Of homes aud productive
lands at low prices in au attractive
and healthy region.
One Of the chief advantages from
this board will be in directing hilher
some of the immigration which comes
from the Old World to help tn occupy,
develop and enrich the new American
farms now furnishing grain and meat
for Europe TO tie valne of hundreds Of
millions If doltars each year. After
transportation R,ree or four Thousand
miles by land krd sea. the wheat of
the Mississippi BAILEY is placed at the
doors If the hest farmers in Europe at
prices below what it costs the latter to
raise it. Besides feeding millions Of
Europeans, America furnishes tho raw
material upon which, the labor Ut these
millions are expended. Wages of me.
chanics, operatives and farm laborers
there are less than half of those paid
in this country, while the cost of sub
sistence is much greater. The Amcri-
can demand for European manufac-
lures, even under the stimulns of an
active and increasing demand for our
products abroad, is visIbly declining.
European artisans and laborers, as they
become more and more enlightened,
are growing more and more weary. Of
toiling for the support Of privileged
classes, enormous standing armies, ex-
travagant dy nasties, and all the hordes
of non producers whose subsistence
comes out Of the proceeds oflabor, and
can come from no other source. I'm.
migration to this country is the practi.
cal recognition aud natural result of
these facts. 1t is the dictate of the
simple economy of common sense that
the intelligent workingmen of Europe
should come where living is cheap,
where land is plenty, where labor is in
demand, where motive power and raw
materials are unlimited, and where
low taxes are paid for economical gov
eminent.
1t is for Us to say whether this inflow
of desirable population shall be tor the
exclusive benefit IF other States, which
Invite and welcome it, or whether
Louisiana shall share in this benefit
in proportion to the advantages she
offers. In my view, the importation
of a single ship load Of healthy and in
dustriOus European families adds to
the wealth and prosperity of the State
more than the export of many cargoes
of our surplus products. For our own
welfare we must heed the sound econ
omy which demands that consumers
and producers shall be brought nearer
A we'll managed Board of Agricul.
ture will afford great help in promo
ting snch results and attracting innli-
grants to our fertile lands. ~ z.
EQUALITY OF TAXATION.
Article 203 requires the General AS
scmbly at its frtt session ITO provide
q system IF equality and uniformity in
assessments, based upon the relative
value Of property in the different por-
tons of the State" 1t is in vain to
declare in our bill Of rights that taxa
tion shall be equal and uniform when
property taxed is valued high or low
according to the peculiar methods or
arbitrary judgment of local assessors.
To be just and equitable, a tax must
bear with equal pressure upon proper
ty in strict ratio to its actual value /:
and this vafue can seitiom h, trntv 90.