The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1884-03-01
Tbe DoqaldsoqyiIle Chief
OUR NEW ORLEANS LETTER.
Two Dollars a Year.

and Gainbling-Hopeful sugar Planters
Visitors to the city, Etc.
NEw ORLEANS. February %, 1884.
EDIToR CHEF:
Plank by plank the covering goes down
to hide the unsightly Melpomene canal
from public visw-there is still hope that
some OF the present generation will live to
see the work completed. The draining ma
chine is slow with its pumps and an SIS, COO
fire alongside tho canal this week brought
in surplus that was too much for it. By
and by with d little sunshine to assist, it
will be dry enough to lay q few more
planks.
The Daily City Item has struck vein Of
richness, leading out from City Hall to the
gambling dens. Its direct statements, in
terviews with prominent citizens and the
frequent communications also published
have brought some interesting facts to
public atte3t ton. The City Hall has sup
piled the press with what purports to be q
detailed account of receipts and expendi-
lures of an illicit revenue, illegally squeezed
out of proprietors of gambling dens by
which the statutes on gambling were to be
ignored, the profession made respectable
and free from police annoyance. Of course
these gentlemen at City Hall know that
Section 911 of the Revised Statutes says
that keepers Of a banking game or house in
which money is hazarded, or those who
shall assist them, shall on conviction for
first offense be fined not less than $1,000
nor more than 5000; and on second con-
viction not less than 5000 nor mor4 than
$4,000. The Legislature had evidently not
consulted the wisdom Of ur city rulers
who are most learned statesmen; or else
Mayor and Council should be brought
to the bar for assisting in the keep
ing of gambling dens in defiance of
law, and assessed the penalty. There is a
plea set up that gambling and prostitu-
ton are social eeessssis.5 that have to be
tolerated to a degree; and therefore it is
proper the city should benefit from GRIM
mails by subjecting them to illegal black
mail, and handle the funds outside the
usual course of monies in the city treasury.
The money &c by the Mayor, and dis
bursed by him and his associates ON such
warrants % they may deem convenient |
It is asserted that the gambling fund, and
the process of levying it, is turned to the |
benefit OF its recipients. Bat supposing this |
charge to be unfounded, where is the surety |
that fund SO raised and eiisbursed can |
ever prove a public benefit. It is corrup |
ton from beginning to end, and the Item I
deserves credit for giving prominence to
this subject at this time. It is time the
city was put in order, cleaned up physically,
Inorally-or it will continue to
be an uninviting field to capitalists or i'm
migrants.
Though the cutters are filthy, the juries
are loose, 5ie p icelnen too few to the
squars block, there is always enough
money to get up few parades every year
for the benefit of the boarding house keep
ers, saloons, gambling dens, and side shows
The visitors come from abroad ssgreat
sights for to see y with visions of the queen
city IN all the panoply Of majesty, guardian
Of the father of waters. And though the
festivities are pleasing, their romantic
notions of New Orleans are quickly laid
aside, and most unfavorabIe comparisons
are drawn between it and other cities DOS
'esslng less of national advantages. How
ong shall this co a1,.? Why, until the
intelligent minority, which has demon
'trated It's existence in The zanitary and
educational associations, shall unitedIy
make war on tie slums and the officia, {
'reations of the sIans by political action,
md the liberal use of all means at their
command. This is the class who applaud the
ten IN Its gambling crusade and who may
PARTIALLY subdue if they can not totally
annihilate the doors of evil things.
Among sugar planters and dealers a
more hopeful feeling has sprung up. The
Wo great political parties Of the country
ire gIrd,ng on their armor for closely
Presidential campaign. It is re-
'ilzed that on the tariff question there is a ?
LANCER line, and if break is made for t
over duty on sugar some other article y
nay suffer at the same time. The wool ana a
ron men, though not particularly inter :,
sted in sugar, are disposed to husband all
osslble aiiles as against the purely aeri -
ultural elements, who are ready to take
heir tea, coffee and sugar at the lowest
ASH prices. There may be solid comfort in a
ne crystalized tariff view, but there is need \
some clarifying OF tins Washington 3
atmosphere, before sugar planters should
gel at their ease. Past experience has
lown that Congressman who ought to r
now better, have frequently astonishei
lelr countrymen by doing questionable
nd absurd things. The political fat has Z
cen dropped into the fire on more than L
ne occasion, and politicians are very un- D,
'rtain, :
Inc city is filled with sight seers and the
omus pageant last evening was favored by -
If weather, and the praise of q multitude. I
ne unveiling of the Lee monument has nj
zen marred by heavy rain-sterm, but the
ONE statue is IN its place, an imposing
preston of the sentiment of profound
spect which all ex-Confsderates enter u
IN Tor their greatest general. Gen. Lees etc
% daughters are here to add interest 10 sty
n o,,.. n, ~ urt
ceeaslon oy their presence. More anon lis
GENERAL OBSERVER. gs
of
The protracted Senatorial contest in the sol
ntucky Legislature ended With the eleo- En-
N of Hon: Jos. G. S. Blackburn, the dis