St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1880-12-18

lection or Of suit being instituted {
against a st. Martinsville merchant, and
since more than a quarter OF a century
there has not been future among the
merchants there" At the same time 1t
complains of the "lethargy" OF the
people, and says the place" has not i'll
point of view kept pace
with its neighboring villages OF New
Iberia and Vermillionville." The Oh-
server is good paper and deserves
patronage, and in the very article we
quote from it praises st. MarstlnsVllie
and its people, its natural advantages
and attractions, ETC.; but we can not
discover from the advertising columns
of the Observer that there are any mer-
chants in St. Martinsville. Any town
without paper is very ''small potatoes;
but paper can motive without patron
age. and it should come mainly from
tl,e merchants who do the bulk OF the
buying and selling. Here, some OF our
merchants feel the necessity OF having
local papers, and contribute their share ,
to support them but if the local press
had to depend on those who DO not al
yertise, newspapers would exist here
spasmodically, as they seem to do III st.
Martinsville, for the sixth number OF
the first volume of the Observer, was
the last one issued. Everybody should
contribute as much as he can, to support
the local press, for newspapers are the
light Of the world, and the better they
are supported the more light they give.
Are the political exiles, socialists,
communists, nihilists, etc, who leave
Europe for their own good or their
country's good the best of the population
there ? If they are this country ought
to improve rapidly, morally and other
wise, by such accessions, and Europe
retrocade in similar respects until 1t
| becomes unfit for civilized people; If,
on the contrary, the hordes who come
here yearly are, as a rule, the worst OF
Europe, what will become OF this coun-
try in another hundred years.
According to the Secretary of the
U. S. Treasury, the cost OF the war to
the Federal government was ST, 796, 1885,
500, 1t is estimated that the cost to the
South, not counting the value Of slaves
emancipated, but only the expenditures
of the Confederate government, was not
less than $4,000 100000. The cost Of both
sides therefore amounts to over ten
billions of dollars. The cost in other
respects-the destruction of life, prop
erty and morals, is incalculable.
1t is said that tue negro exodus te
Kansas increases daily, especially from
Texas. We suppose there are too many
idlers in Kansas, who will not work fol
love or money, and the negroes OF the
South, who can find no employment
, here, are going there to supply the de
, mand for labor at high wages.
:, As little as you may think about it
! the people have not near so much conf
, dence in any business that does not ad
vertise. They are Of opinion that ever
house doing a legitimate and fair bust
g ness can afford to advertise. Think Q
b these tllings.-[ Bossier Banner.
= -----o-------------
If those who want to replace negr
labor in the South, with white or Chi
nese labor. would persuade the negroe
:, to 90 to Kansas, the object would b
y accomplished at once. II the Chimes
did not come in then and do the worl
we would have white labor or none 9
IS all.
~ A Bogg got Swindled, or Swindl
. got Begged, in Claiborne parish, recent
ly that is, a Mr.. Boggs and a Mis-
u Swindle got married. At any rat
i more Boggs than Swindles are likely t
y grow out Of this transaction.
e. The Supreme Court has rendered
v decision that the election for city of