The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1882-07-29
A WELL.MERlTED REEUKE.

A WELL-MERlTEDR EEUKE.
Such is the heading we give to the
following communication appearing in
the I,ichland Beacon;
Mr.. Editor: l take the Planters
journal, and scan every number to get
what sense there is in (which gener
ally dosen't take long-and in the last
two issues l noticea wholesale, move
| up-all- along -the-line sort ola charge
against the government and people of
the State of Louisiana. The writer
seems to have elevated himself on the
| Nicksburg hills, that he might the
more easily squirt his venom over the
whole of US. Such things need an an
swer, aud it should be your paper, that
our people may see what journal
seeking their patronage says about
! them.
In the first article, on the subject of
the ", S. &. =. II. R.-iu the June
number-thc startling proposition is
made that, s:tho misfortune Of the road
was in being located in the only State
LII NAt CIV Al III" slpliAN''. W I'll :,
we don't care much for that-thc
writer is only printing his own igno-
rance-but in tho same sentence he
says that our judges decided according
to their personal idiotic notions-Which
/ suppose he means is the civil law
our juries are ignorant and our lesisla-
tors are vcnal. When did jury decide
Il case Of vast Importance against the
railroad? When did the legislature
ever make a law against the interest
Of the road: It's vcnality consisted in
giving aid to the road to the extent of
a million dollars and then authorizing
the read to pay it back to the State
with its stock. The writer seems to be
under the impression that the fifteen
years litigation has been in the State
courts, when it is wei! known that they
have had nothing to do with it. The
only case in which the title TO the
property was in question in the State
court was decided oyer 10 years ago, in
favor OF the occupants.
Was that Judgment idiotic? Ifso, an
advocate of the road should not COM
plain. The next suit in the State court
was the tax suit, of which shall speak
further along.
The writer rcloads, increases the
-chargc and in the July issue fires again;
| aiming this not only at the judges and
jurics but pours it into the masses gencr-
ally. He says that we are hcnightcd-
probably so-heathens-in comparison
with him at lcast--and worst Of all,
dishonest. Now why all this? Because
the state has made the company pay
its taxes. Tho bcnighted heathens
along the road have used the Supreme
Court as a pair of judicial shears
to fleece 4 lamb! The road came to us
as an angel Of mercy, and we have
cropped her wings and plucked hcl
plumage. lie is not aware that the
people along the line paid thousands o
dollars toward the establishment of tho
road, for which thov uovcr got II con
: back, ana that they have paid NOR,
than an equivalent for all the benefit.
over received. The suit was 'sa dis
honest compulsory preceding, urge.
by citizens,' which proves thnt Their
is Il mnliEu spirit rNtant in i.nui@htr,
Louisiana, opposing enterprises tina
will lead (wr) ''ErathrnS into the sun
light of modern civiliHatiun.' Th
want OF Intelligence " hich puts hinder
ancCs i'll the way of the road is so drplu
r,,bIo indication OF barbariSm whirl
crops out in such cases.
ThroC-fourths of the bcniEhtcd citi
Zens for whom the above phrases wcr
written 1 don't suppose ever heard O
the tax suit; bat had the Judgment 70
taxes, obtained through 'thr miSchic
vous litigation and paltry trickcry'
used in the joints of law, been i'll fac
the result of their efforts ii would hav
been right, and was, anyhow, in accor
dance with the decision of the Suprcm,
Court of The United States and in uccor
dance with law, Justice and common
sense, the wcighty() opinion Of thu
writer to the contrary notwithStand
| ing.
He seems TO think that the pressn