USA > Louisiana > The province and the states, a history of the province of Louisiana under France and Spain, and of the territories and states of the United States formed therefrom, Vol. III > Part 19
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to provide separate cars for colored people; thanking the Chamber of Commerce of New York for its resolution recognizing that the work of controlling the Mississippi river should be done by con- gress ; encouraged the raising of high-grade stock; reorganized the levee districts and prohibited stock from running at large thereon; asked congress to open bayou Plaquemine which had been closed during the war ; made further provisions for the pay- ment of the debt of New Orleans, and passed the following beauti- ful testimonial: "Jefferson Davis, the soldier, statesman, patriot and eminent citizen is dead; around his name there clings a host of memories as precious to Louisiana as her sacred honor. In recognition of the esteem in which he is held and the supreme posi- tion he occupies in our veneration and love as the South's noblest son, be it Resolved, That we learn with profound sorrow the tid- ings of the death of the Honorable Jefferson Davis, and we desire by this solemn expression to place upon his tomb this tribute of Louisiana's grief and undying love."
At the regular session, in May, 1890, Governor Nicholls dis- cussed the question of employing the state convicts on the levees; recommended an improvement of the criminal laws; advised the passage of a law prohibiting prize-fighting; recommended an investigation of the alleged corruption of state officials ; announced that the State National Guard and special militia numbered fifteen companies ; reported that during 1888 and 1889, 8,374 people of other states and 6,668 foreigners had settled in Louisiana; stated there had been a marked advance in the collection of revenue; observed that in two years 110 miles of new levees had been built and 126 miles of okt levees had been raised, and anticipated that the Louisiana Lottery Company would desire a renewal of its charter. He thought it probable that that company would ask to have the question submitted to the people as an amendment to the state constitution; but advised strongly against this course, because, before doing so, it would be necessary for the legislature to agree to such submission, thus apparently sanctioning a renewal of the charter. He said, "No proposition for a lottery should be entertained for a single moment." The people had already decided that after January 1, 1895, no lottery should be permitted in the state. He said that the Louisiana Lottery Company had boasted with truth that it was the only lottery that had ever been recognized in a state constitution and that, as the organization was instituted for gambling purposes, it was the shame and humil- iation of Louisiana and should be suppressed. He observed that the lottery company claimed a contract with the state, but stated
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that the supreme court of the United States had declared it pos- sessed nothing but a license. While paying an annuity of only forty thousand dollars, the company had grown immensely rich, and of course desired a perpetuation of its life. The par valua- tion of the stock was one hundred dollars, while the market value was one thousand two hundred dollars. Concerning its origin, the governor dryly remarked, "Nothing better could have been expected of the Legislature of 1868." He further said, "I am addressing men of Louisiana who know as well as I do the value of my words, when I say to them that should this lottery get firmly planted in this State, it will own and hold the purchaseable vote in the hollow of its hands forever and through it and by it the liberties, the property and the honor of the people of Louisiana. It would make and unmake governors, judges, senators, repre- sentatives, commissioners of election, returning officers, assessors and all other officials at its will." He recommended its expulsion from the state.
In 1890 the waters of the Mississippi at the upper line of the . state were three feet higher than they had ever been known to be before, and in the lower part were one foot higher than any pre- vious record. The whole Tensas basin was flooded. Large crevasses were formed in Pointe Coupee, West Baton Rouge, and Concordia parishes and along the Atchafalaya. However, the crevasses of 1890 were less than three miles in extent, while in 1882 they were ten times longer and in 1884 four times longer.
In 1890 and 1891 the state was torn in tatters over the lottery question-first in the legislature and the courts and then before the people. The Democracy was rent asunder, one faction favor- ing and the other opposing the lottery, with the result that two candidates for the governorship were placed in the field by that party-Murphy J. Foster and Samuel D. McEnery. The Foster faction roundly denounced the lottery and opposed the proposed amendment to the constitution favoring that institution. The McEnery wing decried the split in the ranks of the Democracy and favored the submission of the lottery amendment. The Republicans named for governor Albert H. Leonard, protested against the methods of the Democracy which was called a "usur- ping power" that had "for years maintained itself by force and frand combined," favored a continuation of the bounty on sugar, opposed monopolies, trusts and the lottery, declared that the doc- trine of white supremacy was "rank political heresy, destructive of the rule of the majority," denounced lynching, and demanded the repeal of all caste or class legislation "and particularly of the
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separate-car law." The Republican party was also divided, a fac- tion being headed by H. C. Warmoth, who finally, however, with- drew, at the earnest suggestion of the state executive commission. However, a ticket of the Republicans headed by John Ebreaux for governor was placed in the field, as was a People's party ticket headed by R. L. Tannehill. The following was the result of the election of April 19, 1892: Foster 79,176, McEnery 40,006, Leonard 20,002, Ebreaux 12,012, Tannehill 8,479. The Farm- ers' State Union made a strong demonstration this year for their rights.
By 1893 it was seen that the effect of the sugar bounty was to stimulate greatly the production of that commodity in the state. The average yield per acre had increased to two tons. The pro- duction of rice had likewise grown enormously, the area having centered in the Calcasieu section. New Orleans was seen to be the great banana market of the country. Strong steps in favor of immigration were taken by the citizens. All branches of agri- culture were specially favored as the basis of wealth. A general demand for the remodeling of the suffrage clause of the consti- tution was revealed throughout the state.
Among the laws of 1892 were those prohibiting the sale of any and all lottery tickets after December 31, 1893; making an appropriation for the Louisiana exhibit at the World's Columbian Exposition ; attempting to recover one hundred thirty-five thou- sand dollars of state bonds carried from the state during the Civil war; preventing the formation in Louisiana of trusts and com- binations in restraint of trade, and protecting and encouraging the development of the oyster industry.
The legislature of 1894 provided for the removal of the state library to New Orleans; placed the Chalmette monument under the care of the Daughters of 1776 and 1812; provided for an exhibit at Atlanta; provided for holding teachers' institutes in the several parishes; created the Industrial Institute and College of Louisiana "for the education of white children in the arts and sciences," and authorized the colleges of the state to grant diplomas to women for the practice of law, medicine and phar- macy.
At the session of 1896 the following acts were passed: Mem- orializing congress to grant belligerent rights to the Cuban republic ; providing for an exhibit at Omaha in 1898; creating a board of commissioners for the port of New Orleans; favoring an amendment to the Federal constitution providing for the election of United States senators by a direct vote of the people,
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and making prevision for a convention to revise the state con- stitution.
In 1893 the sugar crop was worth thirty-five millions of dol- lars; the cotton crop, twenty-one millions; the rice crop, three millions ; fruit and vegetables, two millions; corn, oats and hay, ton millions ; oranges, one million ; live stock and other products, three millions. There were three experiment stations in oper- ation-one at Andubon Park, New Orleans, one at Baton Rouge and one at Calhoun. In 1884 the Northern immigrants began to unter the state. In that year there was one rice harvesting machine in the state, the next year there were two, in 1886 there were fifty, in 1887 there were two hundred, in 1888 there were four hundred, in 1890 there were one thousand, in 1892 there were two thousand, and in 1893 there were three thousand, these figures being, of course, in round numbers and estimates. In 1884 there were shipped out two hundred and fifty cars of rice; in 1893 there were shipped out ten thousand cars of rice. In 1893 occurred the Screwmen's Benevolent Association riot, a move- ment against working with colored men. Congress was memorial- ized by a water-ways convention at New Orleans and by the council and various commercial bodies of that city for funds to improve the harbor and the internal water courses of the state.
The interest of the sugar planters became an important problem politically and economically in 1895. The crop of 1894 was esti- mated at eight hundred forty-five millions of pounds, upon which the goverment bounty amounted to sixteen million dollars. The planters hand made large investments in the expectation of a con- timance of this bounty; its removal meant serious loss, if not annihilation. Generally, the sugar planters resolved to support the Republican doctrine of protection to the extent, at least, of a bounty or a tariff on that commodity. It seemed at first that such a course meant the defeat of the Democracy, but that party (lected all its candidates for congress, though it was charged by the Republicans that gross frand had been practiced in the First, Second and Third districts. Test suits were brought to prevent the stoppage of the bounty payments. The Court of Appeals decided in January, 1895, that the bounty law was unconstitu- tional. The State Board of Agriculture was called upon to super- vise the crop, in order that a reliable record might be kept, and other steps were taken to secure the bounty on the crop of 1894. In 1895 means of getting at the immense deposits of sulphur in Calcasieu parish were devised, the beds there being estimated to be worth from thirty to one hundred millions of dollars. New
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Orleans had come greatly to the front during the last few years as an export city. From 1894 to 1895 the exports had almost doubled. In 1896 the United States supreme court sustained the constitutionality of the Louisiana law requiring railroads to pro- vide separate coaches for colored passengers. The legislature this year consisted of twenty-eight Democrats and seven Repub- licans and one Populist in the senate, and sixty Democrats, twenty-four Republicans and fourteen Populists in the house. In May, by a vote of 86 to 48 it was decided not to go behind the returns.
In this year the Republicans, National Republicans and the Populists united and presented a combination ticket to the people of the state. The National Republicans consisted mostly of the sugar planters and their friends. They first nominated E. N. Pugh for governor, but later accepted J. N. Pharr, and refused to admit negroes to their conventions. The Republicans eventu- ally accepted the same candidate. Twenty amendments to the constitution were voted on at this election. The important ques- tions were the sugar interests, the suffrage question, free coinage of silver, the tariff, free and fair elections, and machine politics. Mr. Foster was renominated by the Democracy. The result was, Foster 116,216, Pharr 90,188. There was much intimidation at this election.
In May, 1897, the Mississippi river was higher at New Orleans by more than a foot and a half than ever before, and yet the levees stood remarkably well, there being only a few breaks. It was found this year that the registration law had the effect of greatly curtailing the aggregate vote at all elections. Steps to build the great government dry dock at Algiers, the cost not to exceed eight hundred fifty thousand dollars, were taken in 1898. From 1892 to 1898 there was spent on the state levees eight mil- lion nine hundred nine thousand one hundred and ninety dollars, a considerable portion of which was borne by the government. From 1896 to 1898 about 10,000 immigrants came into the state, largely from the North, and bought in round numbers 250,000 acres for about one million dollars. The most important event of the year was the adoption of the new constitution, with its momentous changes in the suffrage and election laws. The vote on the constitutional convention was 36,178 for and 7,578 against. Up to March, 1899, there had been approved 1,024 claims for pensions under the law granting the same to disabled Confed- crate veterans. In December, 1800, the Waterways Convention was held at New Orleans; a strong bid was made for govern- mental assistance. In June of this year a special session of the
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legislature was called, primarily to pass an act to enable New Orleans to vote a two mill tax for the purpose of constructing a sewerage, drainage and pure water system, with a total con- templated expenditure of fourteen million dollars.
At the legislative session of 1898 the following measures became law: Asking from congress authority to permit Lieut. Jacques de Lafitte to raise a regiment of immunes; memorializ- ing congress to name one of the battleships "Louisiana;" forbidding a levee commissioner to have any interest in a levee building contract; making it a misdemeanor to deal in futures on agricultural products or articles of necessity when the inten- tion is not to make a bona fide delivery; empowering railroads to mortgage their property ; asking from congress such legislation as would destroy water hyacinth ; prohibiting gambling with slot machines; appropriating twenty thousand dollars to pay the expense of filling the quota of Louisiana in the war with Spain; pensioning indigent Confederate soldiers; preventing adulteration and fraud in the sale of commercial fertilizers; assessing a license . tax on certain corporations; reorganizing the Institution of the Blind; authorizing a special committee to utilize the Hotel Royal building for the supreme court, etc .; requiring banks to maintain certain reserves; reorganizing the Institution of the Deaf and Dumb; affording additional protection to game animals; creating on the Gulf coast a biologic station for the special investigation of problems affecting fish and fisheries; preventing the artificial improvement of rice for the market; widening the powers and operations of the Board of Health; creating a commission to draft a code of criminal law, procedure and correction ; providing a general fee bill, and establishing a permanent Leper Home.
In the presidential campaign of 1898 the various parties clung close to national issues, the principal topics being imperialism, militarism, annexation of the Philippines, wars of conquest, trusts, levees, etc. An amendment to the constitution to increase the appropriation for disabled Confederate soldiers from fifty thousand dollars to seventy-five thousand dollars was carried by a vote of 31,329 to 1,440. The "Lily Whites" in their address to the public made the following statement : "The excuse for padding the registration, stuffing the ballot boxes and forg- ing the election returns heretofore given by the Democratic leaders has now disappeared and even the instruments of their conspicnous and admitted frands will not dare to perpe- trate them again. * * * All of the important industries of Louisiana are dependent upon Republican policies. The sugar, rice, lumber, salt, cotton, iron, tobacco and other industries are
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directly dependent on the protection accorded them by the Dingley bill. * Louisiana is a Republican state on a free vote and a fair count." The vote for president was very light. 53,671 for Bryan to 14,233 for Mckinley.
In 1901 the Rice Association of America was formed at Crow- ley. Many oil wells came to light this year, and the people of the state saw that the southwestern portion was a part of the great Texas oil field. The big dry dock which had been built at Baltimore and had been floated down to Algiers this year had a lifting capacity of twenty thousand tons. The rice crop of the state this year ( 1901) was estimated at 2.650,000 bags. At the election of congressmen in November, 1902, only 26,265 votes were polled in the state out of a possible 235,344. In New Orleans where there were about 40,000 qualified voters only about 16,000 were registered.
The constitution of May 12, 1898, provided that the number of representatives should not exceed 116 nor fall below 98, and that the number of senators should not be more than 41 nor less than 36. It prohibited the legislature from running the state in debt and from passing many local or special laws, and generally made great improvements in every department of the state gov- ernment. It made the qualifications for registration and suffrage dependent upon ability to read and write, or in lieu thereof the ownership of property valued at not less than three hundred dollars on the assessment roll of the current or preceding year. Other strict requirements were stipulated. The state levee system was adequately regulated and provided for. Corporations were re- stricted and taken care of. The following commissions were cre- ated: Railroad, Express, Telephone, Telegraph, Steamboat and other Watercraft, and Sleeping Car. Riparian rights were speci- fied. A State board of Charities and Corrections was instituted; likewise a Board of Health and State Medicine. Special attention for the first time was given to public roads. Disabled Confederate veterans were pensione:1. The Louisiana State Board of Agri- culture and Immigration was recognized as an integer of the state government. Agricultural fairs and organizations were encouraged, and New Orleans was put on a new and better footing. Many other changes were made.
The constitution also provided that white and colored chil- dren throughout the state should be educated separately ; that the Assembly should establish a State Board and Parish Boards of Public Education ; that the school fund, except from poll tax, should be distributed to the parishes in proportion to the number of school children ; that the poll tax should be spent in the parish
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only where it was levied and collected; that the tax for the sup- port of free public schools should not be less than one and one-quarter mills of the six mills tax levied and collected by the state; and that Tulane University, the Louisiana State Normal School, the Louisiana Industrial Institute and Southern Univer- sity should be recognized, and provision for their maintenance was made.
In July, 1899, the Jackson Democratic Association of Louisi- ana was organized partly with the object of uniting the factions of the Democracy. They issued a declaration of principles which opposed trusts, asked for fair elections, insisted on the strict enforcement of the franchise provisions of the new constitution and fitness for public office, demanded that the governor should not interfere in the elections of United States senators, and required honest primaries and reasonable rotation in office. The first election under the new constitution was held in New Orleans and showed that the negro vote was almost wholly eliminated. It even materially restricted the white vote. As in 1806, so this year the Jackson Democracy united with the Citizens' League in order to secure cleaner politics and better government. The Democracy nominated W. W. Heard for governor, and in their platform denounced trusts, favored government appropriations for the improvement of the Mississippi, advocated the construc- tion of the canal across the Isthmus of Panama or elsewhere, praised Governor Foster's administration, and congratulated the state on the practical workings of the franchise clause of the new constitution. The Regular Republicans, in February, 1900, nom- inated Eugene S. Reems for governor. The Sugar wing of the Republicans, or "Lily Whites" as they were denominated, named C. Taylor Cade for governor. The People's party nominated D. M. Sholars for the same position. An Independent Fusion ticket named Donelson Caffery for governor. The last named candidate made the following extraordinary statement to the people :
"The sole memento of the vanished question of race suprem- acy is found in Democratic majorities based on negro votes counted but not cast ; and having fought and prevailed against an unbearable and now impossible domination, it becomes necessary for our people to resist the domination of overgrown power armed with the weapons intrusted to the officers of state for the defense of our civilization. Under our government of majorities without votes, we have learned that there may be a more odious form of oppression than taxation without representation. * * * The registration must not be a partisan weapon. All candidates must
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have the right of naming their commissioners of election. The trick laws governing the representatives at the polls must no longer throttle opposition to the candidates of the party in con- trol, and as the whole system of registration and election laws was designed to prevent the growth and formation of opposing parties and the building up of that spirit of independence which is the life breath of the republic, a new system must be introduced which holds out to the people all the opportunities now denied them."
Of the total registration of 129,729, only about 7,000 were colored. The vote was as follows: Ileard, 60,206; Reems, 2,449 ; Caffery 14,215.
At the regular session in 1900 the legislature endorsed the act of Rep. R. C. Davey, of Louisiana, who introduced in congress a bill appropriating one hundred thousand dollars for the destruction of water hyacinth ; authorized police juries to divide the parishes into drainage districts ; made preparations for the elaborate cele- bration of December 23, 1903, the centennial of the actual transfer in the Cabildo of the province of Louisiana to the United States, the old building still standing and occupied by the supreme court ; rendered more effective the work of the railroad commission ; levied a license upon corporations of other states doing business in Louisiana; authorized the appointment of receivers for defunct corporations ; approved the expressions of Bourke Cochran in a speech at Montgomery, Ala., advocating the repeal of the Fif- teenthi amendment ; provided a system of recording state agricult- ural yields and conditions ; appropriated twenty-five thousand dol- lars for a permanent Leper Home; required banks to maintain a surplus fund; created a Bureau of Labor Statistics and a State Museum; favored the proposed Universal Inter-Oceanic Exposi- tion in New Orleans the year the canal should be completed and opened; asked congress to pay for having destroyed the state house in 1862; requested an appropriation to preserve the monu- ment on the Chalmette battlefield; created an oyster commission; provided further for the protection of birds, etc .; asked congress for the improvement of many bayous, streams, etc., and incorpo- rated many associations, companies, etc.
The assembly of 1902 approved the protest of Governor Ilcard against permitting the British to use the Louisiana ports and waters as a base for their operations against the Orange Free State and the Sonth African Republic; authorized the attorney- general to institute proceedings against the ice trust for violations of the law; ceded to the government jurisdiction over a portion of Chalmette monument place; divided the state into seven con -.
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gressional districts; asked congress to refund to the Southern states the cotton tax collected by the government in 1865-6-7, the same aggregating about sixty-six million dollars; required street railways to provide separate cars or compartments for colored people; authorized the appointment of a commission to determine the location of the twenty-six Louisiana organizations which participated in the siege of Vicksburg; provided for the erection of a court house in New Orleans, the cost to be borne jointly by that city and the state; appropriated one hundred thou- sand dollars to cover the cost of the Louisiana exhibit at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition ; established an insane asylum for colored people ; appropriated twenty-five thousand dollars for the celebration of December 23, 1903, the centennial of the transfer of Louisiana province; authorized the governor to accept the title to tlie Camp Moore Confederate Cemetery; thanked John Ilill for the donation of thirty thousand dollars to the state university ; provided for reclaiming many fresh water islands; created the Board of Commissioners of the Judah Touro Alms- house. Fund; ordered the survey of certain unsurveyed lands; redivided the state into representative districts; still further encouraged the oyster industry ; regulated the conduct of banking associations and savings banks, and provided for the construction of dams, locks, etc. by the people of Vermillion parish to irrigate their rice fields, with the permission of congress.
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