The Opelousas courier., 1892-01-16
PARISH Il. LANDRY, JANUARY 16, 1892.
We Need Factories.


We invite attention to the communi-
cation over the nom de plume of Illi-
nois, as being worthy of attention,
Not that we are prepared to indorse
the figures he uses, for We think it
involves great stretch of fancy to
suppose that in ten years our town
might possibly multiply it's population
to $4,000. We wish it were possible.
And yet, while opining that he ex.
aggerates the possibilities under the
most favorable circumstances, we
nevertheless think his views are sound
and to great extent practical.
The great theory of government is
to establish home market for home
productions. No sane man can think
for q moment that, with all the diver
sites of natural facilities Deity ever
intended that we should produce but
three or foul staple commodities. Our
climate and soil are such that very
many articles classed as necessities OF
life, can just as we'll be grown here, as
those We have heretofore given all
our attention to.
We have limited home market for
our rice aud sugar, but so far we may
say We have not ayailed ourselves OF
the benefits we might have realized
from the production of cotton. Our
industries are not sufficiently diVersi-
fed to make our productions as profit
able to Us as they should be. We
neglect education--and one of the
consequences is, wasted industry, mis-
directed effort. There is science in
labor if we could but apply it, and the
waste of it is more impoverishing to
communities than come lack of it.
The use of machinery, the dexterons
handling of improved implements,
ignorance Of the capacities of soils, OF
the influences of climate, ETC., etc, all
serve to show US that the aggregate OF
education Is a source OF cntailed aud
continued poverty.
If therefore we had factories which
could be supplied with materials upon
which to operate them, labor would
become diversified; no one commodity
would command such q monopoly ol
energy. Illinois is entirely in the
right channel of thought, and we de-
voutly wish the people of this favored
land, could be brought to act intelli-
gently upon his suggestions. It is high
time We were doing something. We
| raise more cotton than we are paid q
remunerating price for. Pay freightt
on it to get it to factories-then pay
factories for making goods of it-th-n
pay freight to get it back and at last
| when dozen or mo,e intermediate
have made living wages out of tit
comes hack TO the grower to a large
extent for consumption. Why n'1
manufacture the cotton cloth nj home
! Illinois assertion then that resoIvi' {
does not avail. is correct. We mus
act iuRthe right direction.
| 10 looking over the proceedings o
the convention at Church Point on the
26th ult., two impressions force them
selves on our mind. The first is tha
every person participating in it is al
Anti. From this fact we deduct thu
conclusion that, no democrat, as such
was permitted to become member o
it. Unless he superadded to his here
tofOre sufficient faith as Dem ocrat
/ opposition to the Revenue Amendment
/ the simple fact that he was democra
did not entitle him to mem bership il
that Convention. If such test wa
| justified, then, those who have not uni
! ted themselves with the Antis, are not
according TO their standard, Democrats
/ If they are not, then that convention re
presented themselves. and not those
/ who, heretofore, have been classed a
Democrats. These of course are no
bound. That convention represente
no one but Ants, and no one but An
lis are, in any manner, obligated t
support their ticket The second, tina
occurs to our mind, ia one arising fror
| the resolutions passed The first sc
ries, virtually expresses the thanks G
the convenere, for disrnpting the Dem
ocratie party at Baton Rouge, by bolt
ing. This TO them, may have been we
pleasing, but We are much mistaken i
the temper and disposition of the party
| If they do not discover further on that
the thanks of the masses of the Demo
cratic party of this parish and distrie
and of the State will be shown to hav
been won by the convention that de
liberated at Pixies Hall. Hon. Nj. ]
Foster is personally an elegant gentle
man. but. he will not be permitted {
destroy the unity Of the party, any fnl
]. ther than purge it Of some of its chroni
Office hunters.