The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1884-01-30
A VITAL QUESTION.
EDITOR EXPRESS /:

JUL, IL tAO Oh'Ao ASoS
your issue of last Saturday, on the sub
ject of "The Legislature" That ex-
ception is to the cruelty unjust intima-
ton that the self.sacrificing man, and
most patriotic citizen of Louisiana, to
whose unwearying and persistent cxer-
tons the State was indebted for the
resuscitation of the Louisiana State
Seminary Of Learning and Military
Academy, and for its subsequent erec-
ton into the Louisiana State Universe
ty, and for the adjunction to it of the
Agricultural and Mechanical College,
twas the instrument of its being taken
away from here" when it is well known
that the cause and decessity of its re-
moval was the Nocturnal conAagration
Of its magnificent building, and the
apathy ann Indifference of the citizens
of the Parish doubtless originating in
their own impoverished condition) to
his appeal to them to furnish, tempo.
rarily, the means for preventing its re.
moval. With that editorial I believe
that the paramount question of the
hour land We have very few hours left
now in which to decide it,) certainly
the paramount interest is and should
be to the citizens of this Parish, and Of
all this region of the State, to have
this Institution returned to its legal
domicilc and location i'll Rapides Par
ish, where it owns some nine hundred
acres of land, beautiful and we'll
adapted site, two large brick and three
framed Professors houses, the whole
of which the present majority in the
Board of Supervisors, in the interest of
Baton Rouge, is seeking to have sold
las viii be seen by reference to the re-
sent proceeding of that Board, as pub
lished in the Capitolian-AdtOcate Of
the 18th inst by the next General
Assembly, our Representatives in
which are to be selected on Saturday,
the I'd of February. And that will
certainly be done unless we send to
represent us there active, energetic, eff
cient and determined men.
Will our people give a serious and
reflective thought to the almost meal.
culable advantages of having this great
Institution-for great in every sense OF
the word it is certainly to become-in
our midst Not only in the large
amounts of money which it will dis
burse among our merchants, mechan-
les, and all trades-people of every
kind, in it's maintenance and support,
in its erection, and in its gradual ex-
tension from year to year as its growth
and necessities will require, for ere
many years its own population will
make it large village, with its Main
street and Tramway to Red river, but
also in the high state of literary and
social culture which it will engender
and cultivate in the whole surrounding
country.
Let us then, in view of this great in
terest lay aside all parochially section
al interests and feelings, all PARTIAL.
ties for, and against individual men,
and unite on those three men most cor.
tain to accomplish it.
To the best of my Judgment, of the
available men they are Michael Ryan
james G. Wise, and Robert P. Hun.
ter. To Judge Ryan's active energy,
perseverance, and talent we were in.
debted for its original location here,
and from frequent conversations with
him on the subject the writer of this
knows that he has lost none of his
original and jealous earnestness for its
restoration.
Colonel Wise's quiet but potential
influence in passing through the House
Of Representatives at the last session,
by majority of over forty votes, a Bill
for its restoration here, this writer was
q witness of. He has been informed
that whilst Col. Wise will not make
himself a candidate, he will not decline
to serve the Parish again as one of its
Representatives, on this really impor-
tant occasion, for at the first session Of
this Legislature the question of the f.
nal and permanent location of the uni
versity will be determined.
The activity, determination, and en-
ergy Of Mr.. Hunter, are we'll known to
the people of the Parish, and the
"1o,cn Talk" of the Goth inst. says,
very emphatically, in reference to this
matter, that matter, that Mr.. Hunter
lis the man who will do it."
In urgently suggesting to my fell
low-citizens the nomination and cleo
ton to Judge Ryan to the Senate, I
am not carried awav nv the imnortanca