St. Landry democrat., 1886-07-24
The New Parish Question.
BELLEVUE La, July 18th, 1886.

thing is very likely to happen, the
proclamation OF Gov. McEnery order
ing and election on the question OF the
division of the Parish of St. Landry,
will make its appearance in a few days
is quite probable. Now have no per-
sonal interest in the division of our
Parish as contemplated, and the organl..
cation of the so-called new parish or
" Acadia" other than the welfare OF the
citizens to be benefited Or inJured-by
this new departure. According to the
recognized standard of Ethics, no
new parish should be created from an
old parish or parts of old parishes, nm
less the new organization will benefit
majority of the citizens so affected.
Then again the parish seat OF the new
parish should be SO located as to ac-
commodate the majority Of the inhablt-
ants of the proposed new parish.
Now what appears to be the effect
Of the proposed change on the majority
in the new parish9 First the lnhablt-
ants of the western portion OF tn pro-
posed new parish, are better accommo-
dated TO transact their parish business
at Opelousas than at Rayne. And here
let me say once for all, that II there
had been no Rayne, there had been no
move for IL new parish in that dlrec-
LlOn Iof tllt piestuI ~ iSoS', g." ''.'''
there appears to be no other place for
the capital of the new parish than at
the Railroad town of Rayne, situated
at the extreme southern limit OF the
proposed new parish, Second that
the inhabitants of the central and
northern portions of the proposed new
parish will he better accommodated to
transact their parish business
at Opelousas than at
Rayne. Then we have left only the
limited territory in and around Rayne
to be better accommodated by the
change.
Opelousas has been the parish seat
and business center for the great ma
iority of the inhabitants affected by the
proposed division, since the State
was subdivided into parishes, and
they know DO other place that will suit
them as well, the roads have been To-
Gated and opened and bridged leading
to Opelousas and it is well known
characteristic OF these people that they
are radically opposed to change unless
the benefits are apparent. And follow
ing the results to their conclusions, it
Acadia is set off as proposed, and
Rayne is made The capital-as | take
for granted-I make this prediction,
that it will create such bitter anlmnsl-
ties among the inhabitants us Will Inc
vitality see in the near future the par
isl seat removed to IL more central To-
cation, which will be created to receive
it by the sheer force of events. know
of no case in history of IL parish or
county site situated as is Rayne that
was ever let alone, and its removal
was only question OF time.
There is another and stronger reason
why the proposed parish of Acadia
should not now be set otf-and that is
the great expense in bringing about
and communicating the proposed change
coupled with the impression amounting
| TO almost certainty, that If we do
this. wicked thing we are forcing upon
an unwilling people il measure both
impolitic and unjust. There is but
| little question that ut present large
majority of the voters OF the proposed
new parish are opposed to the change
and do not want to separate from
their "kind old mother They can
say " this is a wicked scheme of few
politicians and land sharks that are
getting us into all this trouble. They
sharks would burder us with an enor-
nous debt for our children and grand
children to pay whether ue are willing
or not. If the enabling act OF our
lately -demised- and-yery sapient-Legis-
lature had given the inhabitants OF the
proposed new parish an opportunity to
decide by vote whether they wanted
new parish or not and majority said
they did, we then should let them go,
with "Onr Mothers blessing" But
the poor devils will have no opportunity
to see what is the will of the majority,
but can only send up their feeble wall
that they don't want to go" in eonnec-
ton with the great voice which says
"you shall go whether you want to or
not" or you shant 90 whether you want
to or not. Now if these politicians and
land sharks can spread the impression
Acadia are in favor of being set off into
a new parish and that it will be very
unjust not to let them go, the thing is
done, don't you sees For so long as u
people are anxious to do certain thing
and they injure no one but themselves,
they are most generally allowed to do
| it, Then this is the great danger in
voting on this question. If the great
majority can be informed in time that
the majority of the people OF the pro-
posed new parish are opposed and
violently opposed To the change. Then
this scheme of the politicians aud
spectators will receive its quietns SO
sure as election day comes. :
Of course mnci, might be said about
the $4,000 or 100000 to build and equip
ing the site for the buildings is donated,
and the thousands of dollars Il, trans
fer and copy tile real estate records to
one half million ct acres OF land
which has been bought and sold and
inherited for hundred years or more