Year: 1879

Especial Correspondence OF tho Democrat


SHREVEPORT La. October 5. 1879.


Since leaving your city, on the sixth instant


have been incessantly on the 60. aud Ia M


jauntinRs | have visited quite number


parishes In what ls known as


THE RED RIVER COUNTRY.


Ny first stop was at Alexandria, where


spent day renewing old acquaintances an


making new. AT this point | found but on


sentiment In regard to the next Issue befor


the people Of the State


THE NEW CONSTITUTION


and ii was all In favor of Its adoption. Their


was, however, considerable difference OF opln


ion as to what should DO done with the deb
ordinance There were few who oamoret


for the majority report. without appearing t,


know exactly what they wanted.


| These impracticabes and malcontents
| found to be utterly unable to defend TIL,
| monstrous legal propositions OF that remark
| able emanation and to be possessed merely D
! q very violent and unreasonable spirit Of re
pudlation. There WAS another larger ant
more intelligent class who condemned the
debt ordinance as an entirely unsatisfactory
and panicky settlement Of tho question, anc
severely criticizina the majority and minor
ity reports, regarded tho temper In which the
convention approached tho subject and the
manner In which 1t was discussed Us exceed
ingly unwlse and unfortunate. Those who
hold to these Views are Of the opinion that,
after asserting with iirmuess and dignity the
right Of the State to manage Its finances
an nHitcf ffs dpht y1pIAr ha al
amendment to the constitution Of the
United States, the discussion should
have lost its legal and technical character,
and the adjustment proceeded and been
reached purely on grounds Of equity and the
ability to pay. The unsound and even absurd
legal propositions set up, both In the majority
and minority reports, were calculated to
prejudice the good faith Of the people or
Louisiana In enlightened minds abroad, and
to create the impression that our plea Of pov
erty and the frauduiency OF the greater por-
tion of tho debt was insinoere otherwise the
convention would not have resorted to such
quibbles In order to justify Its course The
conclusion that was reached In the debt or
they very justly aver, has no logical
with either report, or with the
views enunciated In the long and ponderous
dispute over them, and was simply the result
of q panic created by the threat Of Republi-
can interference, and the taking Of the mat
ter out OF the hands Of the Democrats as a
party measure. These people are In favor OF
rejecting the ordinance and remitting the en-
tire question to the Legislature, which, they
assert, will have quite as much authority un-
der the new constitution to effect conclusive
under q limitation or Ave mills
also emphatically opposed to having the adop-
tion OF the ordinance made a party question
by the Baton Rouge convention; yet they,
with very few exceptions, declared their will
lngness to abide by the action Of the conve4-
ton.


These sentfme ments found extensively enter
talned throughout the parishes Of Rapides
Winn, Grant, Natchitoches and Caddo.


PUBLIC OPINION


ls however, In a very chaotic state through
out all the country parishes, as well upon
this as upon the other Issues before the peo-
ple, including the contest between Wiltz and
Ogden for the governorship. The public
mind was never In a more impressible condi-
tion. About the only thing the people are
eonclusively determined upon is the adop-
lion Of the body OF the constitution, and even
this conclusion the masses have reache d
somewhat blindly, as the copies of the cons IT,
tuition intended for distribution have not even
yet reached the members OF the convention
and but very few persons have seen 1t in its
corrected form There Is really no very gen.
3ral or pronounced opinion In regard to
the debt ordinance, though, IN vague sort OF
should be adopted II the bondholders show
disposition to accept 1t, and rejected Ii they
wantit defeated, and propose In any event to
20 into the Federal courts With their claims,
aud that each Individual voter should be left
has been made either by the press or public
speakers to organize or impress these views,
and have no doubt that should determined
effort be made at Baton Rouge to make the
adoption OF the ordinance a party measureII
chat 1t would meet no very bitter opposition.


The public mind Is in the same impressible
condition In regard to
THE RIVAL CLAIMS OF GOV. wILTz AND GEN.


OGDEN,
with the advantages all decidedly In favor OF
the former The success Of either will be de-
termined at Baton Rouge, and the support Of
the Red river parishes can be assured to
neither before the meeting OF the convention:
With few notable exceptions, neither Of
these gentlemen have found a partisan fol
lowing In this section OF the State. It is an
accepted fact that one OF them will certainly
g the next Governor, fdsa and have yet to find
pride that the people Of Louisiana are per-
mitted to choose between two such noble and
beloved men. Even the most pronounced ad-
yooates of either has no criticism to pass
upon the other, and admits that, should bis
will support the other with all mis- heart and
ability. When the delegates from Winn and
Grant were elected, it was an accepted fact
that Gov. Witt would be without opposition.


GEN. OGDEN's LETTER


was regarded as conclusive, and the grounds
upon which his declination was based were
considered Of nature which could not be re-
by him. It was felt that the OBJ
stacles In the way OF his candidacy would
have to be entirely removed and without any
suggestion from himself, and for this reason


44 ai$ss S