St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1909-02-06

V@A O4V1So tuesG ulguG 10F Tn
: purpose of organizing to combat th
movement to mutiIate the Empir
Parish Of the State, brought ! 200
crowd OF citizens to the meeting. an,
organization was affected amids
much enthusiasm.
Hon. Gilbert L. Dupre, Sheriff NJ
L. Swords, Hon. Thos. H. Lewis an,
Hon. D. B. Dubuisson were the sneak
ers, and all spoke in thunder-yoic,
against the contemplated division q
st. Landry. They opposed the move
not only on sentimental point oi
view, but urged that the economic
objections to the creation of new
parish were strong enough to cause
all right-thinking people to at leasl
falter a while before making up thei,
minds to vote for division. That ad.
ditlonal taxation will be required both
in the old parish and the new parish
us so patent that it admits of no CON
tradiction, because the Constitution
calls for the payment on the part OF
the old parish Of half Of the public
improvements, which will amount ia
something like $40, 600, and the new
parish can not start in business with
that amount and will have to also
levy special tax, or increase the
rate of taxation, to raise an equal if
not a higher amount. Sheriff Swords
made the assertion that leaving aside
the public improvements which the
new parish will have to install, the
rate of taxation in the territory Of
proposed Eyangeline is not sufficient
to maintain its government.
The meeting was called to order
BY Sheriff Swords, who called Hon.
Gilbert Z. Dupre to the chair to act
as temporary chairman. It was de-
cided not to affect permanent organ
ization that night, but instead to au-
thorize the chair to name commit
tee Of fifteen, who, at a subsequent
meeting, was to select the permanent
officers and take charge of the cam
paign.
Mr.. Dupre made q rattling speech
on opening the meeting. He was op-
posed to the creation of the new par
ish sentimentally, financially and 9th
erWise, because there existed no me-
cessity for the carving of the power
ful parish of st. Landry; there exist
ed no necessity to make two weak
ling parishes out of the most puisant
and grandest parish in the State,
known the State over as the Empire
parish of Louisiana. But Mr.. Dupre
did not believe the new parish would
be created. Why" said he, the
people in the territory Of the new
parish are Indifferent to the move,
and many are actually opposed to
division, since the railroads are run
ming into 0peIousas from every point
of the compass. They don't want to
disassociate themselves with old 0pe- +
lousas, the place where they have I
been doing their trading from boy
hood-their Old Town. which their /
fathers and grandfathers and great
grandfathers help build up to it's
present eminence." :" Mr.. Dupre said
that he had not opposed the enabling
act, feeling satisfied that the people
Of the parish of ST. Landry would
vote down the proposition and for
ever set at rest the dismemberment
Of the parish.
Sheriff Swords followed in char
acteristic speech, hitting the nail on
5he head from start to finish. He
started by saying that he had been
accused Of prevailing upon Gov. San
lers to order the Registrar to the
various precincts in the parish.
Whether | am responsible for this
,r not, makes little difference, and if
hey choose to saddle me with the
responsibility. why let them DO SO.
believe that the registrar making
he parish is absolutely correct
Mr. Swords then said that it was
impossible for the parish Of Evange-
me to maintain it's government on
100000 assessment; that it would {
equire $3,000,000, which necessi- /
ated an extra valuation Of half
Million dollars. when the good /
eople of the proposed parish are
hown this, do you believe for mo- 4
lent that they will lend their vote
o raising their taxes to cover this T
efficiency, particularly when there !
xists no necessity for a new parish? I
know those people; they have been I
y friends and are still my friends. G
know that they will look well into j
be situation, and / know that when
ney reflect well and dispassionately, f
1ey will vote against the creation Of Z