The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1880-08-21
Gen. Garfield 4 Practical Friend
tO Louisiana.
TIE MIssIssIPPI RIVER.


/ To NO member Of Congress does
Louisiana owe more, as Gen. Gibson
Of our First Congressional District
will doubtless gladIy testify, than
Gen. James A. Garfield. He has no
bly, cllainpioned the claims Of the
Mississippi river, in order to make it
the servant OF all the people, aud to
| blieile it by the skill Of man and make
it snbservient to the interests Of COM
| Haerce, = or rs he has remarked 10 his
recent letter Of acceptance, 1.-The wis
dom Of Congress should be invoked to
devise some plan by which that great
river shall cease to be Il terror to
those who dwell upon its banks, and
BY which its shipping may safely car
~ the products Of twenty five millions
Of people,
With equal judgment, unsectional
earnestHess and candor, General Gar
field grasped the question of
THE NEW ORLEANS MINT.
Let the Congressional Record speak
Forty fifth Congress, second session,
page 2D37
Upon the re-assembling of the House
on April 30; the committee Of the whole
proceeded to the consideration Of Mr..
Gibsons amendment:
Mint at New Orleans-For salary Of
the Superintendent, $500; for the As
sayer, Melter, Refner and Conner, four
in all, at $500 each; Cashier, $1,000;
Chief Clerk, $1,000; Weigh Clerk, Depos-
~ }np.Iy IL l.
all, $4,000. For wages Of workmen and
adjusters, $57 900. For fuel, 1luxes, light,
lead, copper, acids, chemicals, cruciDles
penses, $3.50, 600; for repairs and machin-
DRY, $75, 1000"
During the debate upon the amend
ment, aud near its close, Gen. Garfield
said:
Mr.. Chairman, during the several years
that / was chairman Of the Committee
on Appropriations, when there was not
enough coinage being done to require
the rehabilitation Of any Mint, and even
when we were providing for the sale Of
Mints at Charlotte and Dahlorega and
other points, we still kept the New Or
leans Mint alive by keeping IN the form
OF appropriation, giving small sum Of
money, because if we had not done SO
under the terms Of the grant it would
revert to its former owners. We are
bound, while we own it, to keen it .
Mint.
Now, SO far, Congress has held it alive.
believe it ought to keep it alive for ac-
tive and positive reasons. If there were
nothing ut New Orleans if there were
no plant, I should say, if the United
States were to establish a new Mint. It
ought to establish it there and as we
have the plant, for still stronger reason
we ought to maintain it there. It was
established, as the gentleman from Mas
sachusetts G Mr.. Butler) said, because of
its nearness to our great foreign supply
OF silver. | was told this morning by 4
gentleman, who happened to be here,
connected with a banking house in New
York, that in the last ten days his house
had received S1OO, goo Of Mexican silver
delivered to that house alone. Since our
recent legislation the flow of silver is be-
from Mexico in its old way.
why, then, ship it to New York when,
by this rehabilitation Of the Mint ut
New Orleans, we can do the work there 2
u the time comes, as come it doubtless
Will, when We shall have q Southern
line OF Pacific railroad completed we
shall have way opened to what | be-
lleve will lie the richest silver country
on this globe. u mean Southern Arizona. |
Its natural flow to the United States will
be along the line Of that road. That
country will naturally pour its treasures
INTO New Orleans as the first great point !
OF deposit, and for that reason. in aldi-
ton to the reason named iii regard to
however many other Mlits we |
may see lit to establish, we ought Ger
tainly to rebuild this Mint at New Or
eans. IT was proper enough to strike /
Town the MINIS at Charlotte and DabIO-
Fega, because the gold mines in those
regions had been worked out. But the
sllnt at New Orleans is one Of the great
necessities OF the country, made more SO
'y recent developments and recent leg
station. And whatever may be done as
% other places, however it NAV affect
,ffer States-and know Ohio is asking
OF Mint would be ashamed to strike
Town this Mint which, for good reasons,
ought to be continued in the hope that
hereby might save something for
)hlo. believe the amendment ought
o prev all.
When the vote was taken (by tell
'rs) Gen. Garfield voted for the adop-
ion of the amendment.
THE SUGAR QUESTION.
1t is we'll known the Northern De-
hocracy has sought to break down
he Republican sugar tariff, by which
louisiana has been SO proftably pro-
ected. The House Of Representatives
hving under consideration Bill No.
l34, to regulate the duties on sugar.
'ebruary 2G, 1879, General Garfield
aid:
The pending bill, like ali bills which
elate to custom duties should be consl- {
red III Its relation to four great inter-
SITS the revenues, home industries, for !.
ign trade, and the interests Of consu-
sess. FIRST, as a source Of revenue for
nc support Of the Government, VIC are
seelvlng about 100000 i'll coin per
hhum from duties OH sugar i'll yarious
arms. This Is about one-sixth Of all our
evenucs from all sources. The effect of
ny measure upon SO large a part OF the
evenne is vital TO our finances and to
le fiscal credit OF the Government. a
Second it affects two great PRODUCING /
'dustfles OF our peOpl.. The first OF !
lesc is the growth of cane and the pro- :
action OF cane sugar, to foster which !,
onsrcss has for a long time levied a :.
scflninating duty, though oaEy a single
fate q pnfaaing ne industry Notwith- II
andlng the fact that sugar IS Que of the o
Acesslties Of the daily life Of our peo- o
e, they have consented to pay !. tax Y
h.ch, under existing laws, average $
bout Us5 per cent. al ralorcH, upon all :
'e sugar they consume. The burden is :
'rne cheerfully for the purpose of pro- :,
citing and promoting great home IN Il