The Opelousas courier., 1899-04-22
correspondence
Editor COURIER -

Editor COUR1ER:-
Under the heading "They Must Live
High" your last issue (April 49, con-
tanned a remarkable communication
dated Bayou Chicot and signed "An
Old Confed"-remarkable not only for
the quaint and pithy manner in which
the question of the scandalous misap-
preparation of public funds, in relation
to the feeding of the prisoners in the
parish Jail, is dissected and shown up,
but remarkable also from the fact that
it is the first and only public utterance
Gas far as | know on the subject that
Grumbier" had to say in the Clarion,
since | directed the attention of your
readers to it through your columns last
December. What makes the latter fact
very remarkable indeed is that while
AMT Grumbier" could give no good
reason-in fact, did not venture to offer
any reason at all-why 45 cents should
be paid for feeding these prisoners, the
local newspapers have studlOusly re-
Trained from commenting upon the sub
ject, pro OF con, though repeatedly and
respectfully invited to do SO by me.
Assuming that the newspapers either
could not make a better defense of
the police jury's inconsiderate action
than Anti-Grumhler" did, or that they
agreed with me, | fear that l must lay
much of the blame for the failure of
that body to rectify this mistake at it's
last session upon their long and persist
ent silence. This blame, however,
might very we'll be shared by some Of
those estimab!e gentlemen who, about
election times, are wont to wax elO-
quent and pathetic yer the wrongs OF
the down-trodden people and tho abuse
Of power by those in authority, but who,
like the newspapers, have remained as
dumb as the mute thousands that are
scattered all over this great parish and
are all unconscious OF the n in
dered.
IAN Old Confed's" protest came too
late to have any immediate effect, for
the police jury had adjourned before it
was published, and as noted above, that
body failed to acknowledge its error
and correct it,. 1t will not meet again
until July, and As cents will therefore
continue 60 he paid until then. But
am nevertheless very much gratified to
know that somebody in Chic6t has
caught on" to the true situation, and l
imagine that by the time July rolls
around tho neigibors of all our police
jurors will have remided each of them
that there arc thousands Of taxpayers
in this parish who are feeding their
wives and children on ten cents per day
Cor less) and who are being taxed to the
full constitutional limit in order to
feed "a cage full of African monkeys ut
45 cents a day"
While on this subject | may mention
the fact that at its session held week be-
fore last the police jury approved a bill
for 1906 As for feeding prisoners from
Dec. & to April 3. L may also recall the
fact that Oh Dec. II | asked you wheth-
after the adoption of the present Con-
prisoners, Notwithstanding the facili-
ties, provided by that instrument for
prompt trials" and that on Dec. 10
"Anti- Grumbler" assured me there were
Ouly six prisoners in Jail. This bill estab-
fishes the fact that during the 11S days
between Dec and April 3 there was
an average of IL prisoners there each
day and a 18th prisoner for G5 of those
days. The days when there were only
six were probably yery few.
Out of this amount of 666. as, the pO-
lice jury paid $7405 more than the
State law required it to pay, and $14S.10
more than was eve paid TO any other
sheriff for the same services.
The amount allowed for feeding pris-
oDers from Oct. IA to April 3, II days
less than six months, amounts to
$114S. 49-about $1,000 per annum or
$500 per month.
Is it not high time that the Jail should
be emptied, as the Constitution makers
promised it would be, and il less un-
reasonable price be paid for the main
.tenance Of prisoners therein?
INQUIRER.