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

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the courthouse On last Monday night
Pity 1t is that the weather did M
permit OF a larger attendance.
Pity il is that the entire popula.
ton Of st. Landry parish was NOT
present.
\ For it was forceful presentation
Of the anti-division side Of the divi-
sion question.
The earnest words of the speakers
burnt like Goals Of fire into the
hearts Of all lovers Of st. Landry
present on that night.
/ The patriotic uttarances made the
audience amazed that there could be
some who, for no good reason, sought
to lay blighting hand On the tradi-
tons OF centuries, and strike at the
power and influence Of the greatest
parish Of Louisiana BY reducing IT to
the level of the small, inconseuuen-
tial parishes of the State.
| 1t was rousing meeting in point
of enthusiasm, and the campaign
can now be said to be fairly on.
There was little spice injected ii
the utterancas Of the speakers. but
Withal the speeches we're augumenta-
tive, strengthened with sallies of
patriotism and love Of country that
went straight to the heart.
They were speeches by st. Lam
drians for st. Landry.
They we're speeches appealing to
the citizenry Of the parish to spare
Old St. Landry the downfall from a
mighty parish to a pigmy.
Perrodin's Band furnished music,
and this added to the enthusiasm.
The first speaker was Judge Gil
bert Dupre. He opposed the divi-
sion Of the parish, because there ex-
listed no necessity for division on the
one hand and there existed a neces-
sity not to divide it On the other.
He opposed division because the peo-
pie were sufficiently, aye too highly
taxed now. He opposed division be-
cause it would divide the influence of
the present parish and render both
the old and the new inlpotent and
uninfuentiai. he called attention To
the fact that since the factions in |
this parish had stopped fighting
among themselves TO q degree affect
ing State offices the mighty parish of |
St. Landry had several times been
honored He cited Frazee, who was
nominated and elected Auditor be-
cause ST. Landry was united; Estorge, /
who was elected on the State Board /
of Equalization because st. Landry {
was united; Dossmann, who was re-
Gently appointed head Of the Oyster
Commission of Louisiana because
there was no fight on him from the
opposite faction and because SIT. Lam
dry was great; Jim Bailey, who
every man knows was elected Lieuten-
ant Governor and robbed out Of his
Office"
Every time, fellow-citizens, ST.
Landry put her tremendous weight ii
the balance in State politics some
thing cracked. We call for something
because we are great and mighty; Ii
because we have the votes, and it's
votes that count in politics. Estorga
would be a notary in 0pelousas if ST. II
Landry lad not had the votes and !
the power and the strength and the in
iuence. And do you think Dossmann !
would to-day be enjoying one Of the !
latest appointiye Offices ia the State, {
L st. Landry had not been a tower
IF strength and a powerful factor in j
State politics?" "a
Leaving aside the advantages to
be derived politically by the old parish !
together, Mr. Dupre said i
hat there existed no necessity for
because the whistle of the !
rain locomotive could now be heard t
n every section Of the parish, and d
)pelousas could be reached within an q
Incredibly short time from every point d
f the parish. People from Mamou, f
line Prairie, Beaver and all that sec /
ion could reach here within an hour +
r SO. The people from the Atcha- L
alaya got here within an hour, when {
it took then one day ii q b
way. From the east, !
TEST, north and south trains were Q
weeping through cid ST. Landry, %
eading to its historic old capital. 4
There was some reason for the h
of Acadia from the mother a
arish, because Id those days there q
7ere no railroad facilities, and the q
eople had to ride many miles to Il
each the county seat spend two and "
hree days making the trip here and Il
ack home. There is no comparison b
! conditions to-day and then there II
as much difference between them a
4 there is between day and night.
But, Judge Dupre said that aside Al
rom the question Of the losing Of "
he prestige of the parish among its s,
lster parishes of the State, his chief ol
eason for opposing division was the "
act that 1T would uTaUestiona1lV