St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1909-04-03
wholly Arbitrary, Unjust and IndsfsBslbTe
Leaving Old Parish BuFdsned With Swamps
and MAJORITY OF NEGROES
no LlRs Dividing St. Landry Parish Is or Can
Be Just. Unless the Same Runs from
East to west"
Editor st. Landry Clarion:


That the proposed line is wholly
arbitrary, unjust and indefensible.
has been frequently and publicly
stated and never denied. No line
dividing st. Landry parish in twain is
or can be just, unless the same runs
from east to west, because only such
a line will assign to new parish cre-
ated out of the existing territory it's
due proportion of the uninhabitable
and uncultivable swamp area. OF
the $40 square miles of swamp area
in the parish only forty square miles
lies within the limits of the proposed
parish of Evangeline, 300 square
miles remaining to the mother parish,
now only valuable for the timber that
is on it, and which will be removed
according to the estimate of compe-
tent sawmill men within the next ten
years. The greater portion Of the
swamp area will then become of lit
tile, if any taxable value, and much of
1T will go back to the State. An
east-and-West line would traverse
that swamp area at right angles, and
would give to a proposed new parish
its just proportion of that compara-
lively valueless territory.
Second, the enabling act not only
assigns to the proposed new parish
the fairest and most eligible portion
Of st. Landry parish, nearly all Of
which is high land, suitable for habi-
tation and cultivation, but takes from
the mother parish 755 square miles,
'13O square miles of territory more
than the area required by the Consti-
tuition, the extra territory taken be-
ing thickly populated and fertile land.
The number of inhabitants taken
from the old parish also far exceeds
the constitutional limit of 1900.
Third, the. proposed new parish
contains within its limits 200 square
milel of habitable and cultivable ter
ritory in excess of the habitabIe and
cultivable territory remaining to the
mother parish.
Fourth, the scheme of division
takes from the parish population
almost exclusively white, and leaves
the mother parish with a negro popu-
lation enormously in the majority.
An east-and-west line would not only
assign to the new parish its fair
share of the swamp area, but would
more equitably divide the negro pop
thus imposing upon the new
parish the duty and responsibility of
governing and maintaining it's due
proportion Of negroes, who cause the
chief expense necessary in the en-
of the criminal law, who
contribute but small proportion of
5he taxes, and whose residence within
1he limits Of the mother parish in
enormously disproportionate numbers
20 the whites would certainly become
serious problem in the future.
Fifth, while the territory of the
new parish contains no
arge streams, nor expensive system
# bridges and highways, that re-
naming to the mother parish is FOR
he major part alluvial land, trayersed
its entire extent by many deep
nd wide streams, requiring many
cry long and expensive bridges, in
luding three costly steel structures
rossing the Bayous CourtabIeau and
.ouge, with fourth one in contem-
lation across the vide and deep
ourtableau. The entire eastern por-
ion Of the parish also. requires an.
xpensive system of roadWays and
rainage in order to make even por-
on of it habitable. 1t is certain
nat unless the amount of taxes be
lcreased, which can be easily done
7 raising the assessments, the
ridges, roadways, drainage and pub
c works will fall into neglect and
ecay. The maintenance of the pub
c schools, which now depends to a
extent upon local taxa
on, will also suffer seriously for
.ck of adequate support. Now the
ntire farming territory embraced
thin the mother parish is devoted
most exclusively to the culture 0f
otton as a source of revenue and
lpport to the people, and to enable
lem to support the burden of taxa
on. The problem Of paying the
axes now imposed is u serious and
one to many, very many.
Of our land owners and
armers. How much more unbear-
BILE will be the prospect of an in
rease of the burden of taxation now
nat the boil weevil has practically
estroyed the revenue-producing crop
pld parish.
the proposed line Of diyi-
ontiaued from first paga>