St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1909-09-18

recorded as having made the attempt.
but his departure from that vicinity
was sudden. This character was
neither q tax payer nor a voter in
that district, but a politician, whose
fame as a tax defeating orator had
spread.
What was the result of the cleo
tion held in this "Cajan" community.
Defeat? No! Victory, overwhelming,
unanimous.
No characteristic Of the modern
progressive American, say you?
Out Of several elections held in the
parish, where every man and his
brother lisa "Cajan" none failed Of the
desired result, as the voters were un-
animously in favor Of the education
Of their children, which had been SO
long denied them BY the intrigues Of
money sharks and politicians.
AS to the affection exhibited by
the "Cajan Mother" it has one re-
deeming feature at least, which alone
~compensates the world for her in
ability to attend her child, scientif-
cally, when sick, which is very seldom,
or Of understanding the instructions
OF the attending physician, her affec-
tons, however crude and uncouth
they may be, unlike those of that
class known to Ethnologists as the
highly developed social degenerates
are bestowed upon the flesh of her
flesh, and not some lap dog or PAM
pered animal pet who fills the vacan-
cy created in the household by the
conspicuous absence Of children. In
return for this "brutish" affection the
'Cajano offspring, off times at an
early age, assumes the responsibilities
and burdens attendant upon the sup
port Of his aged parents, who, no
longer able to care for themselves
and having no other means Of obtain
ing the necessities Of life. look to
their progeny, who bend their ener-
gies thereto with the good will that
is characteristic of them in the full
fllment Of their moral obligations.
The assertion that the "Cajan"
processes to hate the negro, its true
that they are clannish. but they are
always willing to help the poor and
needy, they despise not the negro as
d race, but his individual habits and
outbursts Of animal passion.
The real cause of the hybrids
found in those sections of the coun-
try inhabited by the "Cajan," is not
the "Cajan" himself, but his Ameri-
can brother, who with his pack on
his back and without a family, invade
their territory for the purpose Of
selling his goods at exhorbitant prices,
to the poor unsuspecting 4Caian."
And as to the surprise exhibited by
the author Of 'Cajan Ethnology,'
that most Of the mulattoes bear well
known family names-is it in any
way strange that the offspring Of I'M
known parentage should be given
some name? What more natural than
that Of their masters? Some Of the
best known names of the South are
represented in negro families and will
continue to be until there is a total
extinction of the negro race. Why?
Because certain of the negro families
in appreciation Of the humane treat
ment received at the hands of these
white families, while under the bonds
of slavery, have honored them by u.s.
ing there %patronym.
Does it behoove one who has at
tendants upon her every wish and
4
who probably never sees the inside
Of the kitchen or nursery until the
time comes for her tour Of insp 9c-
ton, when she undertakes to invade
the kitchen to gaze in admiration
at it's splendid equipment, to say that
a woman who has all the household
duties, such as the clothing Of the
entire family to make, wash, mended
and put away, the cooking, cleaning
up and nursing to be done, and after
this perhaps in the field until darkness
calls her in, is lazy and shiftless. Is
this laziness and shiftlessness? If so
they may well pray their Almighty
God, that he never grant them the
power of thrift.
Perhaps the author of "Cajan Eth
nology" would like to be advised by