St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1896-02-29

SOOO WORK Oh OOS. COStSi ""-
ministration on the levees, the
schools, the State finances, etc. !;
but there has been no general re
sumo of the progress made during
his administration. He is the man
best qualified to speak on this sub
ject, for he can speak ex-cathed' a
and officially. and the account he
gave Of his stewardship recommends
him to the people for reelection.
The financial administration OF
Gov. Foster ias been as success
full as any Louisiana has ever
known. II. in ante bellum DAYS,
there was less debt and less taxa
ton it was because no burdens had
been left behind by previous cor
rupt and extravagant administra-
ton, rs in the case Of the Republic
can government, such as the State
has been struggling under since
1877. Under Gov. Foster not only
has the proportion of the income
8, aside for the paym Mt Of interest
been reduced, but the debt itself
has been very materially cut down.
there being retired $4,000 Vt 4
per cent bonds, S3l5,555 of war
rents Ut 1885 and 1886, s346, 9OO
Of old due warrants and $265, l35
u baby bonds, total reduction Of
- ,S77.899 in our indebtness at q
cost of only $1.254,578. saving not
only this large amount, but redrc
ing the interest charge $28, 248 .
year. What . marked contrast
tt.is is to W..rmotll's administration.
which 1Eadilion to an expendi-
ture-6f $40, coo, 900 during its four
years Of existence, increased the
bonded debt $4,000, 900.
Gov. F.sster further showed that
although SO large sum was used
in retiring bonds, yet there was
! surplas o. $4,000 left in the
treasury at the end Of 1895, where
as the Republicans never left cent
benin /, not in but debts.
All this improvement in the con-
dition of the debt was accomplished
without shining any branch Of the
State government. The schools,
levees and everything else Jared
better than ever before. During
Gov. Fosters administration alone
the number of teachers was in
creased from 30O3 ~ a431. and Of
pupils from 13D, 7OD to l65, 526, or
nearly 80 per cent. Similarly the
amount of levee work done under
aim amounts to 47,6l7, 766 cubic
yards, against 21,U25, 446 cubic
yards under Gov. Nichols and TO-
GIG, l3G under Gov. McEnery, the
amount Of work done having in-
creased more than four fold during
this l.eriOd.
Every parish in the State is nov
on a cash basis except one; the
proportion Of taxes collected is
much larger, and there are fewer
complaints of excessive and onerous
assessments. These aud hundred
other circumstances were called
attention to, and shown to be the
natural fruits Of a Democratic adj
mi istration. In every one Of these
matters there had been so great an
advance since Republican days that
i was difficult to conceive Of how it
could have been. brought about in
80 short . time.
such is the picture Of Louisiana
under the Democracy WHICH Gov.
Foster drew. Not one word that
he said can be challenged or denied.
for he gave the official figures Of
debt reduction and the improve
,nent Of public schools, the levees,
ETC. +; anil for the situa ion under
the Republicans he read from the
reports OF the Republic ms them
selves.
Gov. Fosters speech ought to
recall the memories Of the awful
period when the Repu -licans held
sway in Louisiana. and which .
number Of the white people seem to
have forgotten. 1t i At once =
strong vindication of his own ad-
min sirat,on. showing all It has
done for the people Of Louisiana,
and : strong argument in Il u Of
Democracy and against the Re
publican-P opulist- National fusion.
Gov. Foster has shown the lines
npos which the Democracy should
coaduct he present campaign. tAr
Issues apoa Which they can 50 b. :