The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1896-02-29
GOV. FON1EktN SPEECH Al
hHRETEPUKI.

Ill ~ y = tAl'
81 auspicinu>lv opened the State cam
nai.u. GOV. Foster presented to the
voters If Louisiana the reason why
,l,ey should continue the Democracy
III power and this he did well and
fnrrlb'N. ard has clearly outlined tae
| plan piun which tie camfatgn should
u. cntanct,d. Tie speech Of Coy.
! Foster shows why the Democratic
ticket should be elected, what IL has
dom. 10, the State. and what we may
expect from il III the future. Wltat
III, S:tid ai,rut the Democracy IL gen
pial ana tire .iti.t the people owe 1t Is
we enough and strong arguments Tor
hat party. hut we teti not 20 ottrlt
| here. The most lmnattitt p,rt ~ hIs
speech Is that III WliicIt &c spoke OF his
own administration and what it had
luut. and invited i comparison with
| the administration ~ the Republican
Governors. Warmeth and kellogg. WHO
are now leading the forces afthe opno-
sition. We have. from time to time.
called attention, to tie good work Of
Coy. Fosters administration on the
~ltstes. the schools. tire State finances.
etc: hut there has been 10 general
resume If lie pinsfeSs made dniins
his administrations. Tie j. the NAN
best qualified to SttaE1 au this subject.
for lie can sfieak TX caffeaia and otli
cially. and the account he gave If Ills
stewardship recommends him - (ite
reople for Re election.
TIE financial administration III Gov
Foster las heer. IA successful rs aHt
i Louisiana ha@ eve known. If. iii attt4
htilum day. lfe4e Nas less debt and
less taxation II vas because 10 bntaeus
Lad been lcit behind hy \ previous
corrupt ant eNtIava4ant alnIaistfa
ton. as i'll tie e;tse pf the Republican
government. such d. THE STATE has llren
struggling under since 1877. Under
Coy. Foster net atilt it4s fbt proper
tiun of The inconF" r. aside Ea4 tile
| pay ment Of interest been reduced. Int
| the debt itself has hetH very ma1+erial-
Is cut down, there being retired @7l2,-
Geo af4 tiel cent !taEas. l.tf@.555 If
warrants If 1855 snl 1855. 1916, spn If
old due warrants and 1776 .istt1 ii ta.t
bonds, a total reduction III @I.s74 500
in our indebtedness at a cost Of entA
SI.254.57S, saving not only this iIt4-
amount, hnt reducing the interest
charge S2S, o4sa year. Whit marked
contrast this 60 Warn.th's admins
! t@tation. which in addition to an cx-
pendltule of a26. G0a, 600 dnrina its four
years Of existence. Increased tie bond
ell debt S27 ,O0n,000.
GOV. Foster further siloWet! that al
though 80 large i sum was used III Re-
firing bonds, N.s there was Il surplus
of $500. 900 lett IN the treasury at tire
end Of 1895, whereas the, Republicans
never left i cent behind, nothing but
debts.
All this Improvements III the condi-
ton ct tile debt Was accomplished
without siinting any branch Of the
State governments. The schools. lev
ees and everything ieise Jared better
than ever before. Dining Gov. Eos
ter's administration alone the number
of teachers was increased from 1908 to
343l, art Of pupils from 1a0, 100 H.
los ,92G. Or neatly 50 per cent. Siatt-
lally the amount OF leyee work done
under him amounts to 1867. 766 cubic
yards. against q. 025.li6 cubic wards
i under Gov. Nichols and 1865, 156
under GOV. McEHery, the amount Of
work done having increased more than
four fold during this period.
Every parish in the State is now On
a cash basis except one: the proper
+, ton of taxes collected is much larger,
and there are fewer complaints Of ex-
ctsslye aud onerons assessments.
These aud a hundred other citcuna-
stances We're called attention t.. alst
shown to be the natural fruits Of a
Democratic administration. In every
m Of these matters there had been 50
great an advance since Republican
days THAT it was difficult to conceive Of
how it could have beenbrou.ht about
in 50 short a time.
Such is the picture Of Louisiana
under the Democracy which Gov. Eos
ter drew. Not one word that he said
can be challenged or denied, for he
gave the official figures Of debt lednc-
ton and the improvement in the
public schools, the ~levees. etc; aud
for the situation under the Republicans
he read fron the reports of the Repub-
leans themselves.
Gov. Fosters speech ought to recall
the memories Of the awful period when
the Republicans held sway III Lauisi-
aua, and which Il number If the white
people seem to have forgotten. 1t Is
at ICE il strong ylndication Of his own
administration, showing all it aas dare
for the people Ct Louisiana, and i
strong argument III favor Of Dtmncra-
G, aud against the Republican, popn-
list National fusion. Gov. Foster las
shown tile lines upon which the De
m"cracy should conduct the present