The Opelousas courier., 1883-05-19
I'm the sweet Bye and Bye.
fBaton Rouge OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES.

when the good people OF fair Louisiana
would acknowledge that they were en-
,joying the blessings of good govern
ment.
With the exception of that class who
made the Republican pot boil, during
the Warmoth and Kellogg regimes, by
buying UP the stacks of securities that
their legislators threw upon the market
by the basketball, to be funded into II
per cent, interest bearing bonds, the
clamor was general that the State had
fallen into the hands of a band of free
hooters, whose tenure of power existed
but by the grace ofthe bayonets OF the
army of the United States.
Under the free and easy Constitution
of 1868, the taxes and licenses were
raised to as high a figure as the people
could possibly stand, or rather fall I'M
der. At one time the State alone levied
o tax of 21a mills, while its exactions
for licenses, applied without regard to
the amount of business done by the
merchants and tradesmen, were heaping
fabulous amounts into the Treasury to
feed the constant divides that were
going on.
1t was but natural that a people op-
pressed in the name we have partly
described should have been driven to
work their redemption by sheer force OF
arms, as was done when the Nichols
government was installed on the 9th of
January, 1877.
That accomplished, it seemed as
though the good people, having at the
helm a trusty Executive and a Legisla-
ture of their choice, would have reach
ed a state of contentment.
Such was not the case. The Nichols
administration had hardly acquired a
firm hold than the Press, yoicing the
bitter complaints of the people, urged
the necessity of assembling a conven-
ton to frame a new Constitution that
would eliminate the debt f~raudulently
created by the Republican party and
reduce the unbearable rate of interest
which was consuming annually the pro
ceeds of a tax Of fue mills.
Obeying the demands OF the hour, the
Convention, with Cesarian frmness
reduced the rate of interest or scaled
the debt; cut down the salaries of Off
Gals and abolished numerous useless
Offices limited the taxing power OF the
! Legislature to sie mills, as the tota
! State tax, and of Police Juries and Mu
. inequalities to ten mills prohibited tht
creation of furthur public Indebtedness
and otherwise erected safeguards wholly
!; to the interest of the people.
4 The debt was scaled, either in thu
principal or through the interest, in th'
q face of a violent opposition who hell
T that dishonor would be thereby brough
upon the bright escutcheon of Louisi
ana.
Unmindfal of the objections, arising
in many instances from interested par
9 ties who had dabbled extensively il
/ State securities when they were quotes
away below par, the demanded relic
was ordained.
q A heavy load was lifted from tn
I shoulders of the people at n stroke
Yet they were not happy.
Q Three years have elapsed, and thougI
some of the provisions of the new Con
. stitutlon have been eluded by the Leg
islature, that instrument has been fruit
full of a vast amount of good.
: Confidence has been restored sloWl
% the administration of the laws has i'm
proved the taxes have been material
reduced, and the licenses, properl
graded, are no longer the burthen the
y used to be; railroads are being built
4 court-housesh have been erected; in man
d instances parishes and municipalitie
y have emerged from Indebtedness til
y appropriations having been limited
= the the public credit of th
e State is approaching a sound basis; til
at State University, Insane Asylum an
e other public institutions are prosperine
: and private enterprise is everywhere
Z work effacing the ruins left in the wax
of the dark period.
Still Louisiana is unhappy, and I,
day, without blushing, men say that Il
Democratic party is no better than WI
: the Republican party under Warmot
a and Kellogg.
Cd And it has become fashionable to 81
he ofthe Office holders, whose salaries La
been brought down to a fine point, th
they belong to the ring, and ought to
lie kept very close to the eye of a fin
suspicion.
It is anything but desirable now
days to occupy an Office, for public tru
Z rather brings opprobrium upon its hol
d, er. The "outsn do not base thu
claims for preferment so much up,
ne their superior ability as they do up,
the assertion that the "insn are rlu
7. derers, or are for other reasons nnwe
J thy of confidence.
From the Arkansas line to the Gil
u - xr@AS. o. -a Z@H y 49,. &G@NEE