The Natchitoches enterprise., 1913-10-23
Louisiana a Calamity State.


test against calamity bowling
which appears to have grown into
a habit among the people of Lou
isiana. 1t says:
''lrreparable injury has been in
fllcted upon Louisiana by the
gloomy and highly exaggerated
pictures painted by mistaken
friends setting forth the alleged
appalling calamity which the new
tariff law will bring upon the fu-
ture of the State. That the plac-
ing of sugar upou the free list will
not result in giving the people
cheaper sugar, we think persons
who have given intelligent study
to the question will agree. That
it will temporarily set back the
progress of the State and infiict a
loss upon many will not be dis
puted. But that it is going to
send Louisiana to the bow-wows
is an assertion as preposterous as
it is damaging to the State. What
progressive farmer or capitalist is
going to come to invest his money
in State which her own Senators
Congressman and business leaders
publicly declare is on the high
road to ruin4 The situation is by
no means so bad as it has been
painted; hence, hadn't some of US
better check up bit and not let
solichude for the sugar planters
votes lead US to the defamation of
the State"
This is not the first time that an
effort has been made to show that
Louisiana was a sort of ward OF
the government and that exception
must be made in her favor or else
a wide spread disaster would fol-
low.
In the memorable contest over
the proposed extension of the lot
terry charter IN which majority
though unfortunately a small one
of the people were in favor OF
abolishing that institution and
thereby bringing the State into
line with the enlightend conscience
of the country, we were told that
the refusal of the people to vote
for the amendment would spell
utter ruin to the State; and the
most graphic pictures were painted
of the financial and industrial col
lapse which would follow.
The levees would be swept away
for want of funds to maintain
them and commerce would be
paralysed and famine would stalk
abroad in the land.
Again few years ago when q
successful effort was made to abol-
ish race horse. gambling and to
drive from the great city Of New
Orleans the army of tin horn
gamblers that had fastened them.
selves upon her, the gloomiest
predictions were made as to what
would follow the success of that
movement and one was led to be.
lieve that the very prosperity Of
that great city depended upor
maintaining an institution which
had been driven from nearly al
the States in the Union.
The present year however ha.
been more fruitful than any in the
past of this kind of calamity howl
ing. A few weeks ago, the New
Orleans papers were filed will
the darkest prophecies of wha
would happen if the effort made
by Congress to tax gambling il
cotton futures and the effort wa
made to convince tie people tina
such a law would we'll nigh. sounC
the death knell of the cotton in
dustry in the United by abolishinl
the New Orleans cotton exchange
as if the countless millions of PEG
pie in the world who have to have
cotton would be deferred from
buying 1t because the New Orleans
Cotton Exchange had gone out O.
business. And the same dolefu
stories are told about the future
fate of the sugar planters.
Now all these things have had ,
tendency to impress the people O.
other States with the idea that W,
of Louisiana were weaklings VIII,
could not stand alone like those O
other States and work out our owl
salvation.
They have resulted in .irrepar
able injury to a State which i
favOrod hyy nat1ro &C fnyv cOupfrin