The Opelousas courier., 1883-09-08

nlcatiOn OF a citizen of NatcLitoches par
lsh addressed to and published in the
n. o. Times Democrat, showing an ad-
verse view Of the subject matter, and |
hope that in q spirit of fairness you will
give il IA conspicuous place in the col
umns of the COURIER in its next issue.
Very fesnN., L. 5. FoNTENOT.
Natchit"che. Parish, La., Aug 3, 1888
TO ia" Editor OF The Times Democrat:
nnte in y"llr issue ot July % the remarks
Of . No Fence Law The question is being
tgitated in the interest OF the non resident
land owners. large proportion OF the Red
River bottoms belong to New Orleans and
Shreveport merchants, who have taken it in
fer debt The most of them do not own mule,
much less cattle, sheep and hogs. They rent
the land tn the highest bidder, and have to
allow the lessee so much for repairs of fences
and buildings. Now, who tills the soill The
negro and poor white man, who have cows
and y few hogs, the value of which is so small
that the assessors do not assess them and,
therefore, not one sixth Of the cattle aud nogs
are on the assessors roll. Ii is rule on all
farms aud plantations that every man, woman
and child have to turn out when called on by
the owner or manager, to repair the fences,
fer which service they have the privilege of
letting their cows and hogs run at large in
When you deprive the laborer OF the above
privilege, he will move to neighborhood
where he can keep his cows aud hogs without
the expense and trouble of having to watch
his stock day ald night. So much for the bot
tom lands. Now we will take ride through
the hills. 1t is an admitted fact that over
une-half of the cotton comes from the hill
farms. and the greatest frugality and pres
perity is to he found III the bills. We find
that the little farmer owns from 40 to l60
acres OF land that he has csws, calves,
one yoke of oxen, 10 sheep and Is hogs, aud
all the expense he is put TO for 10 months in
the year is for "a few bells, so that the stock
can be easily fonnd the better he feeds the
other two months, that much greater will be
the value of his stock. Ii his stock goes on
his neighhor's uncultigated land, his neigh
hors come Oh his, and the accounts balance.
The fences are repaired when he can do hut
little else bat oak after his stock and keep
the fsa burning. As his house is built for hot
weather he is not prepared for the cold snaps
without his big log fire. The fence is bniIt ut
at Idle time and costs him very little; in fact
nething, for if he did not have the fence to
look after instead of finding him at home he
would lie idlng his time away at the cross
road grocery
Take the other yiew-no fence-what do
we tin,i The hill farmer without even milk
COW liz, sheep. M hugs, aud his oxen so poor
they can hardly walk and bis crop mortgaged
to get the meat he shonld have raised at home.
Helis. farmer, hows tbisl When | passed
her. -t wear yonf oxen were fat; you had
t,irt, tsWs calves. ho%s and sheep; what has
become Of Them We'll yon see, ! voted tor
no fenef ali while | was jilewing my corn |
left MY little f-year old boy to look after fhe
stock. aud he, being so little, forgot all about
them aud they went into Mr.. Jones corn, and
his stock -!ninder (Son know | did not have
enough stock, and was too poor anyhow to
have Il stock ,nnderl drove my stock before
he Justice and sold them to pay costs. You
know il is hard work to make rails but We
poor farmers are forming club to have the
Law changed We have paid enough for the
fun 1T having moi hihe TO do in the winter,
when we used to fix up our fe' ces. Why, !
thought yau said there was no rail timber!
Rail timber! Rail timber! It was real lazi-
ness Why, ,My God, have not all the news
papers been crying for Ii Years that the North
would have to come South to get timber, and
that it would take 100 years to exhaust the
present supply. To say nothing abonf how fast
all kinds of timber grows here. We have our
eyes open. Why, sir, had ta mortgage my
crop this year to get meat. u thing have not
done for ten years; always made all the meat
could use without any trouble: hogs got fat
on the mast. Now, Mr.. Jones is the ouly man
that has hogs for 10 miles around. and will
get aii the benefit of the mast.
Give US gand fences and repeal the lion law.
and LET rs marcinn. Ii the non resident land
awilers can't lease their land under the present
laws, let them put it OH the market at the
same prices they scooped it in at. but he care
fui not M put more land in their hands. The
prosperity Of tile lahorar-yea at Louisiana
depends OF the increase "f cattle, sheep and
hogs. and hot cotton. NARROW.
A correspondent who is disposed 30 be sar.
castle. but who appears to he les9l-headed
nevertheless, writes us as follows:
Mr.. EDiToR lit is yet nearly eight months
before the next State election, and the pre-
monitois symptoms of that t'eariy campaign
whose premature opening yon wisely depre-
Gated suine months ago, have already dsvel.
opel themselves 80 qaiie Interesting de-
gree. Several uf the leading papers Of the
State have already cGnciasivefy demonstrated
the eminent fitness of their respective favor.
ties for the office of Governor, and us conciu-
sively established the total unhtness of the
other man." aud while theSdiseussion has bat
Just begun--with more than seven months
IoBger to run--we find among the Political
heroes trotted out far the coming race a score
or more of patriotic statesmen, perfect pOiiti-
cal angels, and qnife AS many more vi inenm-
petent, selfish aud corrupt politicians. The
fact Is, if that early camnalgn business is
kept up in the same spirit it has started, it is
more than probable that we will have TO seek
u suitable Democratic Siute ticket outside of
Louisiana by the time the election comes of.
AIsft- WHHH We SEaiI nave R0titB InEUUsH with
that " full, fair and free discussion siscl as it
is),if there is anything left of the Democratic
party, we can 20 to work to save the pieces,
and make the best showing we can under the
circumstances for the Presidential and Con-
gressioDal election which takes place D No
yember following. Yours, DEMOCRAT.
There is more food for reflection in the above
than appears on the surface. IF the acrimo
mons noltieaf discussion now going on in the
newspapers Is not tempered somewhat or
brought to Il sudden halt, tue dire calamities
We feared aud predicted some months ago will
he very a,,t to oycrtake the Democratic party
of o.tr State. split il in twain, impair its nse-
fnlness and even endanger its success az the
peits III April, as well as IN November, 1884.
The proceedings of The Ayoyelles Levee
Convention. held at Hamburg Sept. lst, ut
which delegates from the allnvial sections Of
Avoyelles and st. Landry were present. were
received on Friday morning, too late for in
sertion in this ISSUE A resolution endorsing
the action Of the Leyee Convention lately
held in Baton Rouge, aud pledging moral
support to the Governor in carrying ont con-
traets lie may enter into for building levecs,
was adopted and q committee consisting OF
Messrs +, NJ. Haygood, Anatole Coco and r
p Hamanson. Of Av0yelles, and L. s. Hazard
and L. GoudciIaux of st. Landry, was ap.
pointed to look to the levee interests of that
section OF country, with authority to call
meeting when in its opinion necessary.
ut. Martinsyilie Observer, Ist Our predic-
tion that fhe oil mill would be in full opera
tion by the ist of October bids fair TO he veri.