The Opelousas courier., 1894-06-23
What We Should Have Here.

we need a large sugar refinery in this
place and our business men, the men of
capital, are purblind in not having one
erected. Many of them are vending
goods to a large community of un-
thrifty people, people who work hard
all the year and come out behind at the
end of it. Mortgage is required to
cover arrearages and to secure all future
advances. The helpless debtor COM
plies and meekly tries it again. The
year ends and the moth of interest has
consumed very much of the fruits or
products OF his labor. Again he falls
short, and the merchants reach out for
a stronger, firmer hold on his property !;
and this goes on until the farmer owns
nothing and is left without credit. He
then makes a sale Of his farm, and buys
1T back again only to be allowed to
work the elephant for the merchant.
1t must be apparent that if the farmer
cannot pay out, the merchant makes
nothing. for he must get his money
back out of what the debtor farmer
produces in excess of the necessary cost
of production. The result of the
farmers failure to pay up is ultimately
the financial embarrassment of the
merchant. Thus money becomes
scarce. and both must suffer and all
the laboring classes with them. This is
the condition of the country to-day.
Our merchants handle comparatively
little money and it follows as the night
the day that those who work for them
a get but little. The average farmer
being helpless is not in condition to aid
in putting up a refinery here. The
merchants cannot hope to get from
him what be owes them without max
ing it feasible for him to make money
out of his productions. 1t goes without
saying that there are no profits to the
farmers for cotton and rice raised by
them.
There is money in cane raising. Our
people are ready and anxious to embark
in its culture, but cannot afford to do
SO al matters stand. There are not
enough refineries within facile reach to
warrant them in mourning the expense
of engaging in cane culture. In this
age of combines and trusts, they need
some kind of protection against the
tyranny OF monopoly. 1t were wise
in our merchants and other persons of
capital to erect a large refinery here as
soon as possible. A vigorous effort
q III tblS uttCllibu "outn dltEnCt
Northern capital and they would not
be left alone to complete the work.
The people should know that whilst
wa in St. Landry and in other sections
of the State are suffering from the lack
of money in circulation among them,
there are millions in the larger cities
awaiting Investment. They should
know that there is no scarcity of money
in tie United States; thai it is not in
circulation simply because the in
dnstries Of the people-of the laboring,
producing c~lasses-give no guaranty
of profitable investment. Those who
have it justly and wisely think it better
to lock it up in their Golfers and in the
banks than put it where it ia almost
certain to be lost.
There is not one of the capitalists
whose money is thus idle, who would
not rather invest it anywhere than lose
the Investment on It, il he could be
made to see II fair chance OF gain
ing by it.
The refineries everywhere have made
money, and there is as yet no reason to
doubt they may continue to do SO.
This being conceded, their erection
would prove profitable to producers,
who, by industry and ordinary econo-
my, might hope to become emancipated
from the slavery Of debt aud thereafter
enjoy some of the Injuries of independ-
ence. Conveniently with such a result
would be the payment of the
merchants.
The town of Opelonsas would be
%incalculably benefited and our property
would augment in value two-fold in a
short time. A refinery put in full and
successful operation here would neces-
sariIy invite great numbers of laborers,
all of whom would. necessarily contri-
butte to the trade of the merchants, and
very many of the vacant lots would be
taken up and improved by new omers.
Laborers are proverbialIy liberal in
their habits and the amount of money
a large number OF them would expend
in this place, they being employed. is
in~calculable. Large sugar refineries
necessarily employ many hands and
their consumption of food. raiment, etc,
is great.
The facility afforded to planters for
selling their cane will speedily lead to
its far more extended cultivation.
Then would follow al I've increasing
demand for and use of money. Vacant
lands would be taken up and put in
cultivation. Implements of husbandry
would be required which could be sup
piled only by our merchants. Land
would increase in value, carpenters
would find employment, and new i'm
petus would be given to every industrial
pursuit.
We believe that with proper effort
on our part Mr.. Ferris, proprietor Of
The refinery at Barbreck. could be
induced t o establish a refinery here.
We are informed that Lafayette has
failed to secure the projected refinery
for that town, and that Carencro is
nov making an effort to induce Mr..
Ferris to build there, but we think that
if Opelousas, which possesses so many
advantages over either Lafayette or
Carencro, would make the proper effort,
MIR. Ferris might be induced to settle
on our town for his projected refinery.