The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1903-06-27
LAFAYETTE'S RECORD
I'm Past Few Years the Subject
Of am Editorial from
the Daily States.
Little Parish Sets u Brave and
wholesome Example to
the State.



Daily States. Jane "a.
ThOee who are looking for an
s example of progressive public
spirit in the matter of public ed
ucation need go no further than
to the splendid little parish of La
fayette, in Southwestern Loui-
siana. It has not been so long
ago that this parish, territorially
one of the smallest in Louisiana,
was looked upon as being back
ward and non-progressive. This
conception of a parish that has
furnished some of the brightest
characters in Louisiana history
was rudely shocked some four
or five years since when Lafa-
yette imposed a voluntary public
tax upon her citizens, the pro-
ceeds of which she gave as a
bonus to secure the location of
the State Industrial Institution
in her leading town.
This set people to thinking
about Lafayette, and the result
of the location of the Southwest
ern Industrial Institute there
has been to stir up the public
pride and to make the town and
parish of Lafayette progress by
leaps and bounds. But the peo-
pie were not content with that. |
The splendid State school be-
came at once to them an object
lesson of the value of schools in
the making of a people, and the
success which they had expe-
rienced in raising the large bo-
nus necessary to secure that
school suggested to them the
power that had lain dormant
within them for SO long. They
realized then what it seems to De T.;
so difficult to impress upon many
that education is an investment
of gilt-edged character, and ! !
that it pays bigger dividends 7
than any other form of invest {
ment which the people. con- I
as a political society, can
possibly make. q
Having a school equipped for O
he more advanced training To- il
;ated in their parish through "
heir public-spirited efforts and
maintained by the State, it then
'ecame apparent that the next
hing to do was to provide proper r.
acilities for fitting the boys and la
iris of Lafayette to enter this d.
chool. They did not sit down Re
nd carp and fret over small ap- h,
they did not ap- e,
ONT com mittees of leading citi- pl
ms to grovel at the feet of
orthern Millionaires and beg
n assistance. What they did ire ,
as eminently sensible, prac- Blu
cal and praiseworthy, credita- "a: a $
e alike to their self-respect and
their public spirit. They pc
Toned their police jury to order ca
election for a three mill tax ne
be imposed upon all the tax dit
lie property in the parish, and ou1
len the election took place pc:
ey voted this tax by a substan- ke'
majority. They recognized the
eternal fact that the stars in a d
.ir courses, together with all thi
raj and material forces, help a G
se who help themselves, and ano
t if education be desirable it str
worth what it costs. 1t is a pro
ignition of that other equally con
'Ortant fact that with a free dra
proud people self help is the of O
y best sort of help, and, in use
d, the only sort of help that not
) not carry with it a certain viii
ceptible sense of diminution mai
self-respect and independ- pool
;. Lad
lfayette sets brave and A
lesome example to the bal. cam
of the State and to the OF
ii, and the States registers fsno'
here and now that The,
public spirit manifested by pills
acts iS C0inc fn eonSo SYST