St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1891-05-30

| any agency Of my own, and, quite indie
pendent of that circumstance, [ cheerful,
and cOnscientiously answer your inquiry.
In full sympathy with the toilng masses
aware of all their diff cultes and anxiou
to do anything within the range Of gov
ernmental actlon for their relief, am op
posed to what is known rs the sub treas
ury scheme, because do not see in it tn,
promise of benefit to them.
THE PROPER FUNCTION OF GOVERNMENT
IS unL stand it, is to protect all in tn
fullest enjoyment of their rights, by ed.
tninistering equal and exact justice to all
and imposing as few burdens as possible
equally distributed, and then leaving
every individual to his own efforts to
success and happiness. The blessings O.
government are to be realized by govern.
ing as little IS possible consistent with It's
true objects. Government has no wealth
to bestow, and when it undertakes to dis
pense favors it always has favorites, anC
gives to them at the ex peDse of those moi
favored. 1t must be SO from the very
nature of things, for it has to take from
some to give to others. We of the South
chiefly agricultural, have felt this evil
WITH CRUSHING EFFECT;
or the high protective system of the Re-
publican party for the benefit of the man
ufacturing interests, mainly of the North
has operated in two fold manner to in ure
us by depressing the price of our cotton
and greatly increasing the price of the
many articles we are compelled to buy
with the proceeds.
The cause of our depression is the pro
tective system maintained for protection
and the enormous burdens of government,
which fall heavily upon US, while We &c,
little 10 compensate for these grievous i'm
positions. The extensive manufacturing
interests of the North reaping
THE RICH HARVEST OF TIE PROTECTIVE
SYSTEM
and ditfusing it's returns among the multi
tpdes there, and the millions disbursed
directly from the treasury for pensions.
little of which comes to the South, lessen
greatly the burden among the people of
the Northern States, and tend to reconcile
them, in great measure, to what other
wise would be an almost lnsupportsble
burden think these, and not scarcity
of money, are the chief causes of our de
preston.
l am not opposed to an increase of
money, and earnestly desire an ample
supply, but cannot see any good results
to come from
A MERE INCREASE OF MONEY.
That must inevitably bring an increase of
the price of every thing, and no gain will
result to the toiline masses therefrom
OF what avail will it be to add fourth or
a half to the values of the country? How
is the laborer or farmer to be benefited by
that? If bale of cotton or load of corn
or hay shall advance in price one-fourth
OF one-half more for what he must buy
with the proceeds, he gains nothing If
it were possible that what we ,alse for
sale could be advanced in price without a
corresponding advance in the price of
we must buy, We would of course, be
gamers; but all must admit that this can
not be, and that an amount of money that
would cause increase in the price of our
products, will have a like effect on the
products of others, and probably we would
be sufferers because of the fact that
agricultural produces are later in feeling
the impulsioD of imitation than manufact
ured articles.
THE SUB TREASURY.
So far as the sub treasury is intended to
supply an increase of money it promises
nothing good to the farmers, who above
all others. will be the victims of the evils
of any Initiation which will disturb values.
They need for their welfare currency as
steady and stable as themselves. The
traders and speculators-those looking ou,
for deals and corners-can riot amid the
excitement of speculative values and
fluctuations from disturbance of the cir
medium. The farmer and labore~
stand no sort of even chance in that con-
dition of things.
A DELUsION AND SNARE.
The promise of opportunity to obtain
money at low rate of interest by deposit
ting cotton and getting an advance of 80
per cent of it's value is think a delus ion
and snare. It might lure some to de-
struction. am sure it would never be
tried but once. A new set of victims
would be necessary each succeeding year.
Every sensible man can determine for
himself how it would work. He
knows what he usually mikes. Let
him consider the wisdom of holding it a.
the cost necessarily incident on an advance
of go per cent of it's value. What would
he do with the 80 per cent? And if he
should use that TO pay debts or buy article
needed, what will he have with which to
redeem his cotton? Having drawn 80 per
cent all he has remaining is 20 per Can't,
out of which must come interest. storage,
insurance, weig hing, loss in weight, and
if the price has advanced he may possibly
pay out, but if it has declined, what will
be his condition? My observation is tina,
as rule, it is best to sell at the prices
when our cotton is ready for
market. 1t rarely misses. 1t has the ad
of avoiding any losses ard ex-
penses, and enable the producer to get all
the benefits of his products. am quite
sure that the subtreasury would be
A COSTLY AND DISAPPOINTING EXPERIMENT
and that the only hope for our people is
the success of the Democratic party in all
the departments of the federal government
to be promptly and surely followed by
great reduction of the burdens now pres
sing so heavily and unequally upon us.
Then with continued industry, and freer
trade, and circulation thickened into
activity by reason of it. our chief product
will bring better price, and what we
have to buy of manufactured articles will
be greatly reduced in price, with the re-
suit that something will be left annually
Of the fruits of our labor.
Vain are all hopes of deriving relief
from more and cheap money, and delusive
are all schemes to provide any substitute
for industry and economy and for ones
own efforts as the means of success and
happiness. Very truly yours,
]. NJ. STONE.
There are 1919, 832, 900 acres of wood
land in the South. OF this 7,249, 152 are
property of the United States, AMI 4, 1884,
BOO of the several States, making q total