The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1880-07-31
Our State and its Future.

Western anu SOuLn. WcSLernSLaCtS
with by no means equal natural
advantages, have greatly increas
ed in material prosperity, since
the war, Louisiana has remained
stationary, and to remain station
airy, in a commonwealth, is al
ready a sure sign of decay.
1t is a sad subject to reflect up.
Oh, that a State, so blessed by
Providence, with a soil of almost
unexhaustible fertility. with natu
raj resources nowhere excelled,
should be thus tagging behind in
the race.
Louisiana is, by nature, an
agricultural State. Its staples,
cotton and cane, will always com
mand remunerative prices in the
worlds smarket, and its broad
acres could produce a hundred
times thekamounts they do at
present, and at a much better
margin of profit.
The two great wants of LOuis>
lana are capital and intelligent
labor, and unfo1 tunately, we
have had no influx of either,
since the great change in the sys
tenn, caused by emancipation.
1t has been often asserted. that
the vile system of Government,
under which our people have
been grooming since recOnstruc>
ton, which robbed them by whole
sale OF their hard earnings, was
the principal cause of the disin.
c;ination of capitalists to invest.
OF immigration to seek our
shores. For the past three years
a change for the better
has taken place in that respect.
and yet there is no progress.
This fact shows, that the caus
es. why we cannot ':increase aud
multiply" as other portions of
our country do, must lie deeper.
and a glance at the past twenty
years will clearly demonstrate
them.
Slavery being dead, a new sys
tenn OF free labor had to take its
The landowners, crushed by
heir losses during the war, were
n no condition to pay their labo
'ers monthly in cash from their
'wn pockets, and were compelled
o resort to advances from com
mission merchants. The mortga
res bearing upon their planta-
ions added to the interest on
advances made the charges very
Most Of the planters
we're unable to cultivate more
han part Of their available lands
lille no additions were made 10
he area in cultivation.
Labor contracts were made un
Ter the supervision of the Gov,
'rnment. Laborers were contrac
ed for by the year at rates vary
ng from $10-15 per month, and a
amount of land was re
erved for the labOrer for the pur
'ose OF raising his own provisions
nd domestic animals. The labo
er- was granted Saturday after.
Don for the purpose of c~ultivat
ng his own crop.
Soon, however, notifications
ad to be made in this plan. The
aborer soon became partly too
NY and partly too discouraged
exc out his subsistence, by
his own provisions. Steal
'g became SO prevalent, that
ne industrious portion had to
i've up producing anything for
lelr own use, and to RELY alto
etler on their scanty wages for
le support of their families. On
ne other hand the whole of Sat
rday was demanded as u holi
and generally used. not for
setu' occupations, but for loaf
g, drinking and gambling,
nile even during the week, days
nd half days were spent in idle
ess under the most himsy pre-.
noes, most Of the time averag
g only 81 days per week. Tins $
q amount earned became al !
aiys smaller and beautifully less, ]
bile the expenses OF the laborer {
III family went OH increasing at {
trlghtful rate. Jockey hats i,
u feathers, silk dresses, brass |
lss and brooches for the ladies. {
e barroom for the gentlemen. {.
erything in the way of provi {
'os bought from the store, it is t
Ear that the laborer had to be L
ways in debt aud was unableu
hay by for a rainy day. \
VI course from such a state Of, y
airs dissatisfaction, both on :
9 part of the planter and that :,
the laborer, was bound to en- =
:. The lab0rer became tired II
being nnahla IN or,+;f, ~. 1.~~