The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1915-11-06
fulfilled.

otsss state officials. In the senate,
of membership of forty-one, there
We're not more than twelve who had
voted for my election; and in the
house there were not more thar thirty
of membership of lit. At the time
Il had no friends among those who
may be said to constitute my cabinet
The lieutenant governor had voted
against me, the attorney general, the
auditor, the treasurer, the secretary
of state, the superintendent of public
education, and even the register of
the land Office and commissioner of
agriculture.
In what | have said am seeking
| no excuse. With all the difficulties
confronting me, with politicians and
| their newspapers bowling at my heels
and seeking to obstruct and discredit
my efforts, | have, as the record
shows, done the work, and the plat
/ form on which | was elected has pass
| ed into the statutes of the state. My
critics confess this by coming before
!. you only with criticisms and plausi-
| Bile generaiities, which mean nothing.
/ They say | have failed, but do not
/ specify in what | have failed. They
/ assert that much is to be done, but
| do not tell you what it is nor say
what they will do
IN spite of crop disaster, financial
depression and almost every other diff
| ficulty, / have pulled the state through
the worst period in it's history since
| the ci,9l war.
To-day we have different state.
The atmosphere of despair has dis
appeared. The levee line OF more
than 1900 miles, repaired and en-
| larged, is standing in better condi-
/ ton than ever before in it's history
! to protect the property and homes OF
| thoylssnls of our people from over
/ flow. Our bonded debt has been set
| tied and the credit of the state and
/ of it's municipalities and other sub
/ divisions has been restored. The
work of municipal improvement, road
/ building, levee building, drainage,
school building and other work of
Ipublic Improvement can now go on.
1.-The charitable institutions OF the
i state are in better condition than
ever before and the unfortunates,
j for whom it is our sacred duty to pro-
wide, are more comfortable and better
8 cared for The Confederate veterans
4 and their widows, 5000 OF whom are
on the pension rolls, are drawing S24
lper quarter, on So per month, the
maximum amount allowed by the con-
q stitution, whereas before there were
I less than 5000 on the rolls, and they
y ING on IS per qslarfar.
!, The educational Institutions are bet
8 ter equipped and more efficient. Bet
q ter conditions Of all kinds exist.
! When retire from your service, you
! will find the state far advanced up
J the hill of progress, ready for other
t hands to continue the work or to de-
E Istroy what has been done.
e "frhe state contains y, ,0oo ,oo0
> acres of land, Of which only o,0Oo.ouO
or 100000 acres have been touch
t ed by the hand OF productive M
q dustry. The remainder embraces
q vast area which cannot pe e&celsed
J. in fertility and variety OF SOILS py
;, lands of any other state or country.
: 1t lies idle awaiting development.
S Millions OF acres are to pc improved
It and brought into cultivation. fafests
n must be cleared away, low lands
T drained, good roads built, transpor-,
! taJaasashaf facilities increased, improved
+ agricultural methods employed, Ell,
:. ficient marketing systems devised and
g everything done necessary to agrlcul-
4 tural, industrial ana soclal progress
= and development. -.
I With homes Tor mllilons oi PEI PEG
% pie, we have now only about 2,ooo,,
g 0oo3 We must draw them from thell
le homes elsewhere. but, un1oftunase "
L ly for us, we are pointed 70 as tns e
state standing hrst among tne staes'
q OF the American !,;sl Union IN 1n 1he per aa,
q centage OF hlitefacy. ~ inns ~ I
g 90 homeseekef sees pafa!yzea grown a.
Il public disorder, wrong laeals, noyer1.
cs and misery baa aanihis1fatlon .
public, affalrs' iack oI pubic spiile an
e dead ana unpfoer.,s3s.sl.e .,3. peopis
IN inns STAN OF llnteracy llIusS saha y y
u wiped away. gur sellooas aila aao aanoo
~ tacliltles must ~ pe ihefeaseu - 'epsss
y ny a., ana eillclehcy. ,,a;x 3 ~
~ ~ mere are lleW, o1s as'o Ioa oc FIN ad, M
IL scnool census q 4Sio, 10 yoo'ir p,,+ ear ~
capie ehliareh ,;4a,e ~ s'e a.1s Ee co,,
10 !, y 9os'asy { sir ~ ,,,hl;c scbooi
nc are enrolleu ~ 'ls pdprio dn ,,.ae =,
a Inc average e daiiy % les %
IF y lAi,1o', a,e W. tLa oh;,dran who sbo,,l
- - eiiai l1ail y 9'se .,,a..s., .a Va -,
g. atsehu seilooi ies ai<a a,ls.aad 4ha,