USA > Louisiana > Louisiana; comprising sketches of counties, towns, events, institutions, and persons, Volume I > Part 56
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The Republicans claimed the election of the Fusion candidates, basing their claim chiefly on the fact that disturbances had occurred in various parts of the state that resulted in the suppression of the negro vote. This was especially true of St. Landry parish, where it was said that some 200 "white regulators" armed themselves with Winchester rifles and served notice that no negro should register or vote there, at the same time promulgating the following as their platform: "The white men of St. Landry claim that, as the negro is a purchasable political commodity, who will sell out without re- gard to principle, they are determined that the only way to prevent themselves from being included in the sale is to take the manly plan and prevent the consummation of an infamy that no brave people can stand. They do not believe in ballot-box stuffing, and are therefore compelled to take this course to free themselves, and are prepared to take the consequences." The legislature refused to adopt the minority report by a vote of 86 to 48, and on May 18 Gov. Foster and Lient .- Gov. Snyder were inaugurated.
As the constitutional amendments proposed by the commission had been defeated at the April election, Gov. Foster, on June 24, sent a special message to the general assembly, urging the passage of a resolution in favor of calling a constitutional convention. He recommended that a special election be called for the purpose of permitting the people to pass on the question of holding a conven- tion, and at the same election choose delegates, who were to serve in case a majority of the popular vote favored the proposition. The legislature accordingly passed a resolution providing for a special election on Jan. 11, 1898, the convention to meet on Feb. S, follow- ing. A new election law was passed, by which the Australian bal- lot was given to New Orleans, and the same system, in a modified form, was made applicable to the remainder of the state. A law providing for a new registration of voters throughout the state was passed, to take effect on Jan. 1. 1897. The bureau of agriculture was authorized to make an exhibit at the Omaha exposition ; private exhibits were recommended for the Nashville exposition; and Con- gress was memorialized to grant belligerent rights to the people of Cuba.
Three electoral tickets were presented to the voters of Louisiana in the presidential campaign of 1896. The Democratic state con- vention was held on June 15, when delegates to the national con- vention were selected and instructed to vote as a unit on all im- portant questions, especially for the free coinage of silver. The Populists met at Alexandria on Aug. 4 and nominated an electoral ticket, but the following month an agreement was reached by which a coalition was formed with the Democrats, the electoral ticket con- sisting of 4 electors from each party. The regular Republicans and the national or "Lily White" Republicans each nominated an electoral ticket. The latter consisted of the sugar planters who ,had left the Democratic party two years before, and gained the name of "Lily Whites" because they would not admit negro dele-
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gates to their convention. At the election in November Bryan received 77,175 votes. Mckinley, 22,037, and Palmer, 1,834.
About Nov. 1 a drought set in in the northern part of the state. Thirteen parishes, with a population numbering from 75,000 to 100,000, were affected. and many of the people were reduced to a state of destitution. Gov. Foster recommended state aid and called for voluntary contributions. By Feb. 1. 1897, the state had granted $97,000 for the relief of the sufferers, while the voluntary donations amounted to over $216,000. The waters of the Mississippi began to rise in March, 1897, and on April 3 the governor issued the fol- lowing call to the people of the Delta : "The vast flood now coming down the Mississippi has overtopped all the records. The volume of water which has to pass out to the sea through the channel of the main stream and the Atchafalaya is undoubtedly greater than the levees have been heretofore called upon to withstand. After years of patient industry, enormous sacrifice, and burdensome tax- ation by the alluvial districts of our commonwealth, aided by the state at large and the national government, protection against over- flow, if not brought to a state of perfection, has at least reached a stage justifying the hope of an early consummation of a levee system secure against any contingency. These bulwarks should be held at all hazards. Their downfall means your impoverish- ment, and perhaps your ruin. Bear in mind that in this contest you have the advantage of fighting as an organized army with able commanders. The engineers of the United States, the whole corps of state engineers, the chiefs of the various districts, with all their staffs and disciplined forces, are now in action along the front."
This call was not in vain, as the people turned out as one man to defend their plantations against inundation. The first break in the levec occurred in Madison parish on April 16, but it was quickly repaired, and the levees were patrolled day and night until the dan- ger was past. By May 14 the flood reached its highest stage at New Orleans-18 inches higher than any previous record-but the State of Louisiana suffered less damage than ever before.
Two banks failed in New Orleans in 1896, and in May, 1897, the officers were brought to trial for embezzlement. W. P. Nicholls, president of the Bank of Commerce, was sentenced to 3 years' in- prisonment, but the cashier of the bank was acquitted. In the case of the officers of the American National, Henry Gardes and Walter W. Gerault were convicted and Thomas H. Underwood was acquitted.
On Sept. 6 the first case of yellow fever for 1897 made its ap- pearance in New Orleans, though a fever of a mild type, resembling the yellow fever, had been prevalent for about a month previous to that time. A few days later the Baton Rouge Advocate announced that the conditions were favorable for an epidemic, as the fund for disposing of garbage in New Orleans was tied up by litigation and the city was in an unsanitary state. On Sept. 24 a mob gath- ered about a school building used as a hospital for the fever pa-
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tients, and in a short time was beyond the control of the police. While the officers were engaged in holding back the crowd in front of the building, two men passed to the rear, saturated the wood- work with petroleum and applied a match. In a short time the building was in flames. The fire department hurried to the scene, but the hose was no sooner laid than it was cut by the infuriated populace. More police were summoned, the mob overpowered, and the main portion of the school-house was saved from destruction.
Three Italians had been lynched by a mob at Hahnville on Aug. 8, 1896, and in May, 1897, the president of the United States sent a message to Congress recommending the payment of $6,000 to the families of the victims, the appropriation for that purpose to be made without admitting the liability of the United States. Concern- ing the incident the New Orleans Picayune said: "Nothing is more common than for Italians here to announce an intention of becom- ing citizens, although they never consummate citizenship. The mere declaration gives them the rights of citizenship in Louisiana and permits them to hold licenses as masters of vessels navigating American waters, which they could not do otherwise. But, although they may vote and hold offices in Louisiana, they are foreigners still under United States statutes, and are still under the care of their own government. Probably nine-tenths of the Italians who hold political rights in Louisiana, voting and holding office, are not actual citizens, but only prospectively so." (This condition of af- fairs was remedied by the constitution of 1898, q.v.)
At the special election on Jan. 11, 1898, the proposition for a con- stitutional convention was carried by a sweeping majority, receiv- ing 36,178 votes in favor of it, as against 7,578 against it. (See Constitutional Conventions. ) The commissioner of agriculture made a report in 1898, showing that since 1896 10,000 immigrants had come to the state, and over 250,000 acres of land had been sold, the state receiving therefor over $1,000,000. The legislature of 1898 met immediately after the adjournment of the constitutional convention, and proceeded to enact laws to carry out the provisions of the new organic law. The senate was composed of 28 Demo- crats, 7 Republicans and 1 Populist. In the house were 60 Demo- crats, 24 Republicans and 14 Populists. On May 23 Gov. Foster delivered his message, in which he said: "The white supremacy for which we have so long struggled at the cost of so much precious blood and treasure, is now crystallized into the constitution as a fundamental part and parcel of that organic instrument, and that. too, by no subterfuge or evasions. With this great principle thus firmly imbedded in the constitution, and honestly enforced, there need be no longer any fear as to the honesty and purity of our future elections."
A board of pension commissioners was appointed by the legisla- ture, and on Nov. S the first railroad commissioners in Louisiana , were elected by the people. The first board of commissioners was composed of C. L. De Fuentes, R. N. Sims, Jr., and W. L. Fos- ter.
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In Oct., 1899, the state, through the governor and counsel, filed a petition in the supreme court of the United States, asking an in- junction to restrain the State of Texas from keeping up the quaran- tine against Louisiana for yellow fever. The petition set forth that "The health officer of Texas, who seems to be vested with absolute and dictatorial powers in the matter of declaring and es- tablishing quarantine, has for several successive years entirely cut off and prohibited all transportation of the United States mails, of passengers, and of merchandise between the two states of Louisiana and Texas." Early in November the quarantine was raised, and as the case had not yet been decided by the court, it was not prose- cuted.
The political campaign for the election of state officers and mem- bers of the legislature began on July 4, 1899, with a meeting and barbecue at Rayville. The meeting was held under the auspices of the "Jackson Democratic Association of Louisiana," the object be- ing to bring together the opponents of Gov. Foster's administra- tion. Speeches were made by Senator Caffery, Congressman Boat- ner and others. A few days later the association promulgated a declaration of principles denouncing trusts, demanding honestly conducted primaries, fair elections, fair counts, rigid enforcement of the franchise clauses of the new constitution, and the election of U. S. senators without the influence of executive patronage. The Democratic state convention met at Baton Rouge on Dec. 19 and nominated William W. Heard for governor; Albert Estopinal for lieutenant-governor ; John T. Michel for secretary of state; Will S. Frazee, auditor; Ledoux E. Smith, treasurer; Walter Guion, at- torney-general; and Joseph V. Calhoun, superintendent of educa- tion. On Feb. 5, 1900, the regular or "Wimberly" Republicans (so- called from the name of the national committeeman for Louisiana) met at New Orleans and nominated the following ticket: For gov- ernor, Eugene S. Reems; lieutenant-governor, F. B. Earhart ; sec- retary of state, no nomination ; auditor, James Forsythe ; treasurer, Benjamin Bloomfield ; attorney-general, Robert P. Hunter ; superin- tendent of education, D. M. Lines. The "Lily Whites" held a con- vention at Alexandria on Feb. 6, and the Populists met at the same place the following day, each placing a ticket in the field. On the 20th committees of these two organizations, with a few independent Democrats, got together and arranged the following Fusion ticket : For governor, Donelson Caffery, Jr .; lieutenant-governor, D. M. Sholars; secretary of state, C. Taylor Cade: auditor, O. HI. Des- hotels; treasurer, George A. Hassinger; attorney-general, W. G. Wyly; superintendent of education, O. B. Staples. Caffery was an independent Democrat, Sholars, Deshotels and Staples were Popu- lists, and the remainder of the ticket was composed of Republicans.
The election was held on April 17, and the entire Democratic ticket was elected. Heard received 60,206 votes; Caffery, 14,215; and Reems, 2,449. The legislature chosen at this election assem- bled on May 14, Gov. Heard and Lieut .- Gov. Estopinal were in-
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augurated on the 21st, and the next day ex-Gov. Foster was elected to the U. S. senate.
Foucault, commissaire ordonnateur and intendant of Louisiana during the latter days of the first French domination, was appointed to that office in Jan., 1761, to succeed M. de Rochemore. When the news came that the province had been ceded to Spain, Foucault was one of the most active inhabitants of the colony in formulating and sending to France the petition to reconsider the action and allow Louisiana to remain a French colony. By the rules of the superior council the intendant was virtually president, though the governor occupied the seat of honor. When the movement was commenced to force the abdication of Gov. Ulloa, Foucault became one of the leaders of the revolt, Gov. Aubry being powerless to check the action of the council with Foucault at its head. After the expulsion of U'lloa, he sent to the French government an account of the revolution-"a paper characterized by a shameless double- dealing"-and in all his official correspondence he left a loop-hole that would enable him, in case of necessity, to align himself on either side. In one of his communications he set up the claim that when he joined with the council in issuing the order to expel Ulloa he "had been compelled to yield only by force." In March, 1769, he secretly deserted the revolutionists, with whom he had been in high favor, and even went so far as to write a letter to the French cabinet denouncing them and their methods. About the 1st of Sept., 1769, he was arrested by order of Gov. O'Reilly, but demanded a passage to France as an officer of the crown. As his request could not be consistently refused, he was sent to Paris, where he was confined for a while in the Bastile, but was subsequently re- leased and appointed to an office in the East Indies. Gayarre says: "It must be admitted that in the drama in which he was engaged he acted his part with a consistency of infamy, and a cool sys- tematic regularity of treachery, which must obtain for him much credit with congenial minds."
Fouche, a post-hamlet in the northeastern part of Ouachita par- ish, is situated on Patrick bayou, about 2 miles south of Swartz, the nearest railroad station, and 8 miles northeast of Monroe, the parish seat. It is situated in a rich farming district and in 1900 reported a population of 40.
Foules (R. R. name Copeland), a village in the northeastern part of Catahoula parish, is on the New Orleans & Northwestern R. R., about 12 miles northeast of Harrisonburg, the parish seat.
Fourteenth Amendment .- On June 16, 1866, Congress, after a lengthy debate, submitted to the legislatures of the several states an amendment to the Federal constitution giving negroes the right of citizenship; prohibiting states from enacting laws abridging the privileges or immunities of citizens; providing for a reduction in the Congressional representation of any state denying to any male inhabitant over the age of 21 years the right to vote: rendering ineligible to the office of congressman or presidential elector per- sons who shall have been engaged in insurrection or rebellion
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against the United States; and declaring the war debt of the Con- federate States null and void. The admission of the Southern states into the Union was made contingent upon the ratification of this amendment. It caused a heated discussion all over the country, and was violently opposed by the Southern people as an encroachment upon their constitutional rights. When the Louisiana legislature met on Dec. 28, 1866, Gov. Wells recommended in his message the ratification of the amendment, expressing his belief that it was just and proper, and that he considered it "to be within the province and to be the duty of Congress to require of those states as additional guarantees that they shall, by constitutional enactments, recognize and establish equal political rights, in the privilege of the ballot, to all men." But the general assembly re- fused to concur in the governor's views, and by a unanimous vote rejected the amendment.
On March 2, 1867, an act was passed by Congress for the organi- zation of the late Confederate States into five military districts. (See Reconstruction.) Texas and Louisiana constituted the 5th military district, and on the 19th Gen. P. H. Sheridan assumed com- mand. Between that time and July 31 a registration of voters was taken, which embraced 44,732 whites and 88,907 negroes. The electorate as thus composed authorized a constitutional convention, which met on Nov. 23, 1867. Article 98 of the constitution adopted by this convention was as follows: "Every male person, of the age of twenty-one years or upwards, born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, and a resident of this state one year next preceding an election, and the last ten days within the parish in which he offers to vote, shall be deemed an elector, except those disfranchised by this constitution, and persons under interdiction."
This article gave to the negro practically the same rights as the proposed amendment to the national constitution, and Article 99 covered nearly the same ground with regard to persons who had been engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the United States. But their provisions were deemed inadequate, so far as compliance with the requirements of Congress were concerned, and on July 9, 1868, the general assembly -- the first elected under the constitution of 1868-ratified the amendment. On the 21st Congress adopted and transmitted to the state department a resolution declaring "That said fourteenth article of amendment is hereby declared to be a part of the constitution of the United States, and it shall be duly promulgated as such by the secretary of state." Accordingly the secretary of state issued a proclamation on the 28th. announc- ing that the amendment had been duly ratified by the legislatures of thirty of the thirty-six states, and that it was thenceforth to be a part of the organic law of the nation. This amendment was never ratified by Kentucky, Delaware nor Maryland, and some of the states did not ratify it until in 1870.
Franklin, the parish seat of St. Mary parish, is one of the old towns of southern Louisiana. It was laid out in the year 1800 by
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Guinea Lewis, a Quaker from Pennsylvania, a great admirer of Benjamin Franklin, in whose honor the town was named. When the parish was organized in 1811, Franklin was made the seat of government, and it was incorporated by act of the legislature in 1830. The first house there was built by a man named Trobridge before the town was laid out by Lewis. Franklin is situated in the northern part of the parish, on the Bayou Teche, which is navigable for boats of moderate size, in the midst of a rich sugar-producing country, close to large deposits of salt, and near enough to the gulf for the sea breezes to modify the temperature. It is on the main line of the Southern Pacific R. R., 100 miles (by rail) west of New Orleans; is the southern terminus of a short line of rail- road called the East & West Franklin that runs north to Irish Bend, and is the eastern terminus of the Franklin & Abbeville R. R. It is also connected by the Franklin drainage canal with Cote Blanche bay, an arm of the gulf 10 miles distant, and this canal is navigable for ordinary craft, hence the town is well supplied with channels of transportation in all directions.
Formerly Franklin was a port of entry for the Teche district and had a large trade with the country to the north until the com- pletion of the railroad diverted a large portion of this traffic to New Orleans and Galveston. The Franklin of the present day is one of the active and prosperous cities of Louisiana. It has ex- tensive lumber and brick industries, an ice plant, wagon and buggy factories, 2 banks, 2 large sugar refineries, 2 newspapers, good hotels, a fine waterworks system, an electric lighting plant-in- stalled in 1900 and owned by the city-well kept streets, a sanita- rium and a public market. Educational facilities are afforded by a good system of public schools and St. Anthony's school for boys. The population in 1900 was 2,692 and the estimated population in 1908 was over 4,300.
Franklin College .- This old state institution of learning was chartered by the legislature March 5, 1831. It was located in St. Landry parish, and the following men were appointed the first board of trustees: The governor (A. B. Roman), the supreme judges (George Mathews, Francois Xavier Martin, Alexander Fos- ter, Jr.), Joshua. Baker, Jehu Wilkinson, Charles Oliver Devezin, Levi Foster, St. Mary parish: Gerard Chretien, Louis Garry, Ed- ward Simon, John Brownson, Cesaire Deblanc, St. Martin parish ; Alexander Mouton, Basile Crow, Berauld, André Martin, Lafayette parish ; Jacques Dupré, Seth Lewis, Louis Louallier. George King. Benoit Vanhille, William Moore, Jean Marie de Boillon, Moses Littell, Henderson Taylor, St. Landry parish ; Francis A. Bynum, John Harris Johnston, Isaac Thomas, Sosthene Baillio, John Comp- ton, William Cheney, Rapides parish ; William Voorhies, Dominique Coco, Avoyelles parish : Placide Bossier, Benjamin Metoyer, John R. Dunn, Charles A. Bullard. Natchitoches parish ; J. M. B. Thomp- son, Catahoula parish ; II. P. Morency, Ouachita parish. The trus- tees were given full power to establish the plan of education, pre- scribe the discipline, appoint the president of the college, and such
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other members of the instructional force as they deemed necessary, . and the institution was granted generous provisions for awarding degrees and diplomas. On March 22, 1831, the legislature appro- priated the sum of $5,000 annually to the college. On Jan. 20, 1832, an act prescribed that thereafter any 9 of the trustees would con- stitute a quorum for any kind of business, and meetings might be called by 3 members of the board. At the same session the legis- lature accepted a piece of ground as a site for the college tendered by the widow Wikoff at Opelousas. On March 31, 1835, an appro- priation of $15,000 annually for 2 years was made to the college, the same to be payable as soon as the trustees certified that the work of the college had been commenced. Meanwhile the affairs of the institution were to be examined each year by a committee of the legislature. In 1842 the sum of $5,000 annually for 2 years was granted. The college was very slow in getting started and was not ready to receive pupils until April, 1837. A report on the insti- tution for 1836 showed that 5 buildings had been erected at a cost to the state of $35,000. In Dec., 1837, the buildings were nearly completed, and accommodations were provided for a competent number of professors and tutors. In 1840, though only 61 pupils were in attendance, and the so-called college was still only doing preparatory work. $S,000 was asked for a new building to meet an anticipated increase of attendance. In 1841 65 pupils were in at- tendance, with room for some 10 or 15 more. The revenue of the college for this year was $16,962, of which nearly $10,000 came from the state. In 1845 Franklin college-in common with the College of Jefferson and the College of Louisiana, the other state supported institutions of learning-was abandoned by the state. Says Fay : "It has since had a checkered destiny, being at one time converted into a normal school, but has been in the main unoccupied and un- profitable to the state." In 1890 the buildings were vacant and fast going to ruin, while the 100 acres of college lands were being occupied and tilled by squatters. An act of March 21, 1865. stated : "The Franklin college, at Opelousas, La., with all its grounds and appurtenances, is hereby under the control of the state board of education, for the purpose of establishing a normal or high school." At the same time a liberal appropriation was made to repair the buildings. By act of July 8, 1902, the lands of the college were given to the board of school directors of St. Landry parish, thus perfect- ing the intended donation made by the legislature of 1894.
Franklin Parish was established in 1843 out of parts of Cata- houla, Ouachita and Madison parishes. It has an area of 616 square miles, is located in the northeastern part of the state, and is bounded as follows: On the north by Richland parish ; on the east by Madison and Tensas parishes ; the Boeuf river forms the south and part of its western boundary, separating Franklin from Cata- houla and Caldwell parishes, and Richland parish completes the western boundary. One of the pioneers on Burnt Prairie was Neil Buie, who settled there as early as 1816, while Boeuf prairie was settled up by such families as the Lewises, Ballous, Graysons,
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