St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1889-02-02
THE LARGE INDIVIDUAL LAND, HOLDER IS
THIS OBSTRUCTION

He makes no effort ; spends no dollar
to bring the hidden wealth of the soil and
the health of the climate of Louisiana to
the attention of persons seeking homes
With no money and little credit he can
neither hire laborers nor buy materials
and machinery to rebuild and replace the
evidences of former prosperity. His hope
is to exc out bare existence by taking
shares from CHOPPERS, or renting his
thousands of acres to wasteful tenants
Agriculture, as a science, has received but
little attention in Louisiana. Not very
long ago the plow was the only agricul
tural implement in the state when the
uses of ammonia phosphates and pot ash
as fertilizers were suggested some years
ago, the suggestion was branded as the
dream of a fool. Louisiana wants more
small farmers and fewer large land hold
ers. The man who cultivates thousand
acres of sugar cane and converts it into
sugar, has but one mans wants and
luxuries to supply. If the thousand acres
were cultivated by fifty men instead of
one, there would be the needs, if nothing
higher, of fifty men for commerce to meet
Large prosperous cities and rich merchants
have their being and live where fine fur
nture, clothing and good living are
bought by the masses. If the city of New
Orleans expects to be large and opulent
city her citizens must adopt plans and sys
TENS inducing the city and the adjacent
country to produce things of money value.
These must be produced by many people,
not few, and then the masses will have
money to spend and Injuries will become
wants, and her commerce will roll up
higher and higher like the waves of the
oceans. The mere trans shipping of cot
ton grown in distant places will not in it.
self build up large city she must have
her own independent commerce supported
and sustained by large mass of people
working within her limits and her ada
cent territory, whose hands and hearts and
brains shall be kept busy and active with
great work and great expectations. Elk
pectaton is hope-take hope away, or
what is much worse, find people who
have no hope-no expectations, and what
are they? A large company of people cul
tivating and reaping thousand acres of
sugar cane for only one man, want only
meal, bacon lard and molasses; but these
are only small part of the commerce Of
an opulent and prosperous state. Louis
! lana must produce horses that will sell for
$3.50 to 5000 each, not ponies that will an
swer well enough to trot around at home,
but bring only from $15 to $50 apiece
when offered for SALE she must produce
mules worth 800 to $500 each and stop
sending these sums of money to Kentucky
and to Missouri to supply her demands.
SHE MUST PRODUCE her SUPPLIES
within her own limits she must..stop pay
ing the corn growers of Nebraska and
| Iowa IS cents bushel for their corn and
the merchants and common carriers 80
cents a bushel for handling it, because she
can grow all corn needed within her Dor
| ders and have great quantities of it to sell
| to the people of her less fortunate sister
states She, that is, her people, must do
| the same in respect to pork, beef oats,
butter and lard. Louisiana must abandon
the practice of pardoning and releasing
from her penitentiaries persons who have
been found guilty of crime. Having spent
the taxpayers money in finding out who
are guilty and who are not guilty, she
must leave the guilty to the penalties
fixed by law and to the courts. And, lastly,
the people of Louisiana must proclaim to
the world that they are Americans, though
some of them be descendants of French
noblemen and Spanish dons. More Amerl
cans is Louisiana's need. Let them come
as many as choose, but let them all bring
a little money and some intelligence, Tor
Louisiana wants brain power, certainly
more than is found within her limits at
resent-Ne1D @, Ledns States.