The Opelousas courier., 1899-05-20
answer. Owing to the influx of a thrift

answer. Owing to the influx of a thrift.
ty immigration Calcasieu to-day comes
right after New Orleans az a taxpayine
parish. This means that Calcasieu
next to Orleans, makes the largest con
tributions to build public roads and
bridges, maintain schools, the public
institutions and the State government,
Shall the rest Of the parishes follow Cal
casieu's example? IT they do, what
will Louisiana be in a few years, and
when, besides tho hum of the cotton
factory and other factories shall keep
time with He hum of our sugar cane
and rice mills.
Another thing! South America is
nearer to Louisiana than to any other
State. Close intercourse with South
America would open unlimited markets
for our manufactures and makReW
Orleans scarcely second to New lNs.
Why not prepare for this Intercourse,
which is surely looming mp before MS,
first, by stretching out our hands to has
ten it, and by having efpanish Ian
guage taught in every school where it
is practicable to have it tanghLY Almost
| as many people OH this hemisphere talk
Spanish as there are people speaking
English. Our young men should learn
Spanish, to go after the trade OF South
America and to talk with the South
Americans coming to this country to
trade with us or to see our States.
The execution of the long-projected
Panama or of the Nicaragua canal, Or
both, cannot be greatly delayed, and the
obstacles. that private interests have held
against must give way before the
stragetic and commercial demands of
the county. The South cannot be pass
i've whilst efforts to secure the means
for the early completion of an lsthmlan
canal are growing stronger.
Unnecessary injury was done to the
State in the last two years by cxagger-
ated reports of yellow fever and by
panics unjustitied by the recent vista
tons. Tie facts are that this disease
has steadily diminished in virulence,
and that its visitatiOns have become
less frequent. The last serious one was
in 1873, SO that Il pause OF nineteen
wears had interviewed When 1t reap
peared in 1897. The mortality in the
latter year did not exceed GOO. Last
veal when the disease was more WIDE
spread, the mortality was even less, the
disease yielding readily to treatment.
1t ia a we'll established fact that yellow
fever is generally confined to the towns
and cities, the rural districts, as the
rule, being exempt from it's attacks.
1t a safely be asserted that 20 pei
cent of the population OF Louisiana
never been exposed to yellow ft-
General Leonard Wood cen to
have demonstrated at Santiago that the
eradication of yellow fever is Il simple
OF rigidIy enforced cleanliness,
good sewerage and drainage.
No State has u prouder OF more 10
history than Louisiana. Its co
|onial epoch is q tale of daring and
.hivalry. Later, when Louisiana had
entered the slsterhood OF States,
lie citizen soldiery of New Orleans did
service under old Hickory"
n repelling the formidable British ar
led by General PaEenham and
n gaining over the veterans of the pc
campaigns and Waterloo the
lines. In our civil war, the Louisiana
roops figured on every famous battle.
ield among "the bravest of the brave,'
md won from their antagonists the sig
name Of Louisiana Tigers"
n the forum, art, Jurisprudence, letters,
military enown and craftsmanship, in
he culture, geniality and gallantry of
Ter population, Louisiana yields pre-
edence to no other State. Her popula-
lou is cosmopolitan. All the leading
languages of the world are spoken with
n her borders, and nowhere in the
JuiOn does there exist more tolerance
D matters OF religion, origin, opinions
nd customs. Hence, L~Ouislanians may
ightfnlly be animated by the l%oftlest
ivic pride and be guided 10y their States
dmirable motto "Union, Justice and
,