Sugar planter. [volume] (West Baton Rouge [i.e. Port Allen, West Baton Rouge Parish, La.]) 1856-1925, 1856-04-05
The Iegislttion and the P%enitentiary.

While WEI unhesltatln9ly anu uhspai-
ingly condemned the acts of political out
rage perpetratedby the General Assembly
at in LAST session. we have dealt with its
nneosbers. in a charitable, if not a forSivins
spirit. We have demonstrated against and
deeply deplored ti,e acts of those members
who to perpetuate the power CT their party
over-rode the Constitution which they had
sworn to support. Our remonstraHces now
ever, were dictated by a spirit of charity tor
we knew that party like Cupid, leads its no.
tories, blirdfold, into all kinds, OF folly and
that honest men, under its influence: frequent
lv perpetrate wrongs: which their better
judgement condemns and would correct. Yet
we look upon the wilfuily corrupt Legislator
| with no such charitable feeling. We regard
him as a dangerous member Of society, and
we care not what party he claims to be his,
we shall denounce his dishonest deeds with
severity that our p~artizan feelings never
have. and we trust never will induce us to
bring into political warfare.
Among OllieI ts luCiICSO " q III AVA
esty in the last u.isnamed honorable General
Assembly, was its neglect to provide for the
proper administration Of the Penitentiary at
Baton Rouge. THIS neglect is the less ex-
|, cusabie, as, it is one of those measures to
which the attention of the Legislature was
| specially, and earnestly, and periodically
directed by his Excellency, Gov. HEBERT, in
his retiring message, Why was the subject
postponed until the last day? The only
probable correct answer is, because the friend
Of the leasing system were determined to
sacrifice the interest Of the STATE, t" enrich
,ndividucis, who might be SO fortunate as to
possess the means and the influence to obtain
| the lease. Or, in the event Of failure at the
present session, to lease the Penitentiary i'll
! So heI pless a condition as to render it a tax
upon the Sta tie, and at the next session Of the
Legislature to base an argument against State
management, upon the supposed inability Of
that institution to sustain itself under the
| State, and thus to secure their object mex.
winter,
We are strensthe ned in this conclusion, by
a knowledge of the fact that at an early day
| in the session. Hon. w. l. HAM1LroN, intro
duced a well digested bill, amply providing
| for the administration of the penitentiary
under the auspices of the State management
that this bill was kept in the Committee un'
~ ~ n last ro.r,ar >-hnr a hill had giraat
passed the Senate providing for the leasing o
the Penitentiary so that should the bill t.
lease fail to become a law, 1t would be tot
late to pass Mr.. HAMlLroN's bill.
Fortunately these tricksters, 1--WE can cal
them by no milder nane) were caught il
their own trap, so fa1 as the fate of theil
| bill was concerned, at the last session. 4
noble hand of honest men, though in the mi
nsrity, asserted their right to protect tht
State. and calling to their aid: the protection
which the Constitution had given to the mi.
nority they refused to allow the rules to b,
suspeaded-thus defeating the speculatir:
schemes of the ma jority. After it Was dis
covered to be impossible to pass the l~easin:
bill, efforts We're made top!ace sum Of none,
at the disposal Of the Governor, in order t.
enable him successfully to test the expert
ment Of State management. Aware Of tn
fact that the experiment would prove Sue
~cessful, and that their hopes Of sPecuta'
ton next winter would be lost If successful
the friends of the leasing system. defeated
these etoIts, and the interest Of the State j
lett to suffer, that thrift may follow ~rascaiity
Already the tools OF these schemlny an,
dishonest Legislators, are at work in their sys
tematlc deception and swlndling of the PEG
pie, in order to effect the outrage of agail
placing the immense revenues which tn
State ought to draw from the P%enitentiary
into the pockets Of private monopoi'es. "
sincerely hope that the people will not b.
misiead by these designing men, but that the,
will 'equtre their representatives to cause tn
Penitentiary to be managed for the benefit Q
the many and not Of the few, as the friend
OF the leasing system, are attempting to Go
We trust that the Spartan band OF hoIest mer
who so noble stood up for the peoples rights
and defeated the peoole's robbers. will re
ceive the reward due a faithful performance
of their duties. ! a. ...t
----~-
HoMELY WoMEN.-We like honely wo
men. We have always liked them. We d.
not carry the popularity far enough to in
clude the hideous or positively ugly, for sine
beauty and money are the only capital tn,
world viii recognize in women, they ar
more to be pitied than admired; but We hav'
a chiviiric. enthusiastic regard for plain wo
mea. We never saw one who was not mod
est, unassuming, and sweet tempered, ant