The Lafayette gazette., 1898-08-13
PUBLIC OPINION.

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country will hear that Gen. Wheeler
bore himself bravely and we'll and
prevented what would have been q
most disastrous retreat. The fact
cannot be disputed that Gen. Shat
ter wished to retire from the ad-
vanced position gained by the
troops after the most desperate
fighting recorded in the history of
any war, but the blunder was
avoided by the determination of
Gen. Wheeler, who bluntlY declared
that he intented to hold his position.
Shreveport Journal: Notwith-
standing the fact that the courts in
the majority of the States have
ruled that the express companies
must stamp their receipts, they con-
tinue to make the shippers in this
State pay the tax intended to be
levied against them. This is only
a fair sample of the honesty of such
corporations.
Baton Rouge Advocates: In our
judgment it would be calamity to
place the vast interests involved in
the railway commissionership in
this State in the hands of narrow
gagged politicians, or one-idead
men elected because of their oPpo-
sition to, or friendship for, the
railroads and that this will be the
case unless the people awaken to
the danger of the situation there
can be no doubt. The biggest and
bloadest men in the State are none
too big to successfully grap?le with
the vast problems which will come
up for adjustment by this body and
the people ought to see to it that
only such men are elected. The
vast powers delegated to his COM
mission are such as would make it
dangerous to every interest of the
State, the producer, the consumer,
the middlemen and the railroads,
should it SO happen that men lack
ing in breadth, or in business acu-
men, or men animated by pretty
prejudices or narrow views should
secure these most important posi-
tions. The railroad commission
ship is by no means sinecure, but
affecting as it does so vitally every
class of our people, it's decisions
bearing, as they must upon labor as
we'll as capital, upon the industrial
and the productive energy of the
State as we'll as upon transportation
and capital, it can be readily seen
how injudicious selections may
threaten if not indeed paralyze and
wreck the productive resources of
the State. We need big drained,
conservative, expe-
fenced and just men for these posi-
tons, and the people should insist
upon having no other kind.
Baton Rouge Truth: Nego-
tiations between the French am
bassador on behalf of Spain and
President Mckinley seem to justify
the opinion that the war will shortly
end. We trust it will that our boys
may be mustered out at the earliest
possible moment. True, Louisiana
troops have had no opportunity for
flashing their rifles in deadly strife,
but if reports are true they have
suffered hardships enough. Our
boys may feel disappointed at not
going to the front but it is much
better as it is. We would not give
the life of one of our young soldiers
for the island of Cuba nor would
we have them return sick and
MANNED. They have shown a will
ingness to. battle under the stars
and stripes and to die if necessary
in defense of the honor of their
country, and should they return
without engaging in battle the well
come will be just as hearty as if
they were heroes Of a dozen fights.
They have proved themselves gal
liant sons of heroic sires and if they
have not been upon the field of bat
tie it is no fault of theirs. They
are entitled to just as much credit