The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1896-01-25
Worthy Serious Thought.

The New Orleans States in an
article entitled 1.-THE Combine Be-
tween the Negro and the Ignorant
White Man Under the Lash of the
Planter" publishes a lengthy edito-
rial from which the following Is ex-
cerpted:
"We very seriously doubt if in
any State of this Union a political
situation ever prevailed similar to
that which exists in Louisiana at
this time. Nineteen years ago this
commonwealth was in a ruined
condition. The carpet-baggers and
the negroes had literally plundered
and devastated it. Taxation equiva-
ferttn confscation prevailed, and
thousands of people were abandon
ing their desolated lands and homes
to seek refuge from oppression and
plumber in other States. The money
derived from this system of robbery
was divided among radical scoun-
drel politicians, who in turn squan-
dered it in the grossest debauchery.
In addition to this debt of $780,
600, 900 and forty millions contin-
gent were incurred, the proceeds
stolen and squandered in the same
manner. Elections were q grinning
farce; ballot box stuffing and false
counting alone were practlced, and
where these were not sufficient to
keep the heel of the negro and car
pet-bagger on the necks of the white
people, federal bayonets interviewed
to complete the work. Indeed, bad
as the situation was in the other
Southern States, it was immeasura-
bly, worse in Louisiana than else
where; and from first to last, from
the Inauguration of Warmoth to the
overthrow of Kellogg and Packard,
upwards of one hundred millions of
values in this State were destroyed,
and stolen and squandered by the
vilist gang of political thieves that
ever cursed State or accused the
wisdom and goodness of providence.
There are thousands of men now in
our midst whose hairs are yet un-
streaked with gray who remember
the depths of poverty to which this
State was reduced; the vile and dis
gushing political methods that doml-
mated our politics, and the reckless
prostitution that prevailed on every
band.
What recreant citizen of Louis
lana will now dare, remembering
these things, stand up before
Almighty God and accuse the WIS.
dom or integrity or bene6cience of
the Democratic party in the interest
of the restoration to power, if not OF
the same men, yet of the same ele
ments which from 1868 to 1878,
wrought this ruin and debauchery
1t was the Democratic party that all
the time stood up against these vile
abuses and led the State its first steE
out of this slough of despond, and
which has for the last twenty years
guided her steps until she stands to-
day on the shining mil tops of
better life and higher civilization.
The enormous carpet-bag debt has
been nearly extinguished, and ou1
bonds, city and State are at par.
Taxation has been reduced to just
and equitable rate; our public school
system, if not all we desire it to be,
has been vastly improved and ex
tended; life and property are pro
tected; foreign and domestic capital
has been largely invested in cotton
factories, saw mills and other In
dustries. Law and order prevail.
and now, not as then, no man Is
ashamed to stand up in any city Of
the land and say, ~ am Louisian
ION -