St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1909-02-20

/, is no bugsboo about this statement
, gentlemen; any man can see il; any
: body that's not blind and wants *
see can see il. He said be was noi
50 much concerned about himself, bui
= was for the great toiling masses Of
the people, who were to-day suff.
ciently burdened with taxation, that
he felt. Can any farmer, in che
lace Of the boil weeVil, stand extra
taxation
Mr.. Dupre exhibited d map show
ing the line of division, and the IN
equality Of territory. Mr. Lee Gar
land himself told me that the line
was Infamous. Everybody knows it's
Infamous, and it doesn't matter who
lput it there, either If division car
RES, that line will remain so: your
children, your ehildren's children,
generations and generations, will see
1t there, the same Infamous line. y
DIR. Dupre said that every man in
the new parish had been promised a
county seat-a courthouse IN his
backyard.
Mr. w. J. Sandoz, the next speak
er, spoke Of the times in the past
when the wisdom Of the parish as
lsembled in this same old courthouse
and discussed momentous questions,
affecting the good and life Of the
country and it's citizens. But, citi-
zens, / doubt if ever a meeting
fraught with SO much moment to
fyou and your country has been held
in this courthouse" Taxation was
necessary component of every gov
lernment; there was no other way Of
running a government except by tax
T ing its people. But why put on ad-
ditional taxation just to crafty the
greed Of a few politicians and that
is about the gist Of this agitation. z
He had spoken to men from differ
ent portions Of the parish, and found
no strong feeling for division; they
seemed satisfied to remain in the old
parish, where, many of them, they
and their ancestors, we're born. There
was no question, in the mind OF the
speaker, but that additional taxation
would be required, and that additional
taxation would bear on both parishes.
Appraisers would be found, If divi-
sion carries, appraising the public
improvements iii the old parish, and
apportioning to each the Old and the
new one-hah of the total amount
found. That was law, and there was
no way Of getting around it. That
meant taxation for the old parish.
But the new parish would not escape
additional taxation. The half obtain /
ed from the old parish would not be
sufficient to build the pubic improve
ments of the new, and with her small
assessment Of two and a half millions,
which of itself was insufficient TO-
maintain its government were it to
start with clean ledger, there was
no averting more taxes.
In Introducing Sheriff Swords, the
next speaker, Chairman Dupre paid
that official deserved compliment.
He referred to his liberaIity in all
public movements, and Of his uncom-
promising stand On every public ques-
tion. The people where he was
born and raised have always stood by
him Loyalty, and be has always stood
Dy them, when they were right. HeI
had no hesitation, however, when the
people from his part of the country
wanted 10 divide the parish, some
rears ago, and form q new parish Of
portions of St. Landry and Avoy-
lies. to oppose them. He had gone
% Baton Rouge and fought them. i
lie was equally pronounced in this j,
livision tight. He had fought if. even
Turing the campaign, when to do so
vas dangerous TO his political aspira-
ions.
= am constrained to believe, : :
aid Mr. Swords, ii opening, that b
he people Of the West, the portion
i the parish most interested in the J
Iivision, viii, when the question is i
resented 10 them, with facts and !
cures, vote against the proposition. :
Iany have been carried off their s
eet, as it were, By the teachings of :
alse prophets, who have pictured to I
hem the glories of new parish; :, $
oW their people could better GOV E
RI themselves If relations with the :
ID parish were severed. These good D
eople have accepted these presenta- b
ions, without looking carefully into
hem. When they are awakened to f
full realization of what the propo- G
ition really means; when they are b
hown by actual figures and facts q
hat ii means additional taxation, q
ithout any commensurate returns, sl
hey viii not only v,tta against divii- 81
ion, but will honor the men who {
-ent among them and showed them &
I'D told them the truth Z L
Mr. Swords quslted figures, which I.
re in process ii compilation, and e
-hich will be given out i'd detail as Z
bon IS completed He spoke much &
b the line Of BIS letter given last il
eek. as to figures.