The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1899-07-22
Sensible TAX from a Farmer.

To the Editor of The Lafayette Gazette:
1 am an old worn out, broken up cam
paigner, being now in my 74th year, pot 50
much out mentally as physically
having been unfortunate enough through
numerous accidents to be crippled for life.
Yet am like an old worn out hunter when
I hear the sound of the huntsman's horn and
the cry of the hounds, it brings me to my
feet. I can't sit still without taking hand
in when such important game IS turned
loose. On the 4th of July managed to get
out to the great barbecue at BeauseJour
Springs where I met lat friend of m'ne)
quite a number of farmers from the couutr y.
One farmer, who had three OR four hundred
acres, lived ten miles out from Lafayette;
another five, another two and my friend
who lived within one mile, had about two
hundred acres.
The conversation naturally turned to the
In lustrial School question. One farmer
said to me: ut is all very we'll for you peo-
pie living in Lafayette and owning property
to work harder and 90 everything in your
power to get the Industrial School, be-
starting points OF doubling, in a few years.
your population and very materially advan-
cling the value of your property, and II you
get it, it will bring the school or university
your children a first class education, free of
cost, while we, living SO far away, cannot
send our children (although we pay the
same amount of taxes in proportion that you
do) will receive no Oenen' Whatever from
it, l SAID: "My dear SIR. your arguments
sound very plausible, viewing them from
your standpoint, but I must say that with
one or two excePtio. you r. iaboring under
a very great mistake. 1t Is true that the
people OF La1ayette are o"hS all t"Iy 60"
to have the school located mere, oehev'"e
that they have the best, the heaithiest, and
the most suitable location for an Industrial
School that can be found in the State As
to it being the starting point of doubling our
population IN rev years l oeneve VIII
DE one ~ the prihciPie o"eS anu ,''e rI'e "
Prope always keeps pace WI" 'e Pp.
ton. 1t IS true tcompafi"Veiy sPSak'"s' ~
Will bring the university ~ inc u"'' VI
every one living IN the town Oh
IT would DE Impossible 10 otl"s
door OF every one living IN inc PAt'S". ="
regard to the farmers living e'snt or zen
miles away receiving no oe"e'
IS one or the very ereatest VI s
claim that the average farmer p'vins WIN"
eight or ten miles OF tue Town VII, receive
more oeneht ana more rear ~SaNn III tne
rise OF value IN MS lands ana o!het properly
than the average citizen Av'ns IN tne 'o""
OF Lafayette. MS; 4 tnink' WI. P''~e
(oefore get throngn) 10 the sa''si: aE "
every reasonable nnoeo man nc A
]ority or our Farmers VINO hVe s.~' e's' H
ten mics Out III tne cou"iy Nv" 'o. 0s
to two three ana 1'ur hu"o1eo acres VI
,ne iarn'he 'a"' as ." Se 49,, 49,, ra;...
the country. yet many OF them ooh La'se
enough out OF their crop 10 carry t"e
through and as the ola saying IS make - To'"
ehos meet a. 'ne e"o "a '"s 1 49,
nave 10 oor'o" "'o"ey 80
through the next 1ou ASK VIC .ui
why this IS so. ne Will te' you 'na. '"e'e
Is no use raising any more crops una" you
want for your own use for you cant sell IT.
raise except cotton, and that don't pay ex-