The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1866-02-21
The Election Bills.

7 ~
|ipal officers; for the city Of New Orleans
and another for the Election of parochia
officers throughout the State The actiol
of the Governor on these important bill
was looked for with the most intense inter
est. On the last of the ten days allowe
himto keep,,a bill, he sent in messages veto
ling them BOTH One of them we pablisl
to-day; the other we have been unablet
obtain.
The General Assembly, after considering
the two veto messages, passed both bill
over the Governors, veto; only 3 member
,of the Senate ands8 Of the House voting t,
sustain the Governor in his opposition t
the city bill, and only 2members Of TIL
Senate and not one of the House, aereein,
with himin his views Of the parish Election
bill. s s,s e
4 Hitherto, whenever the Legislature daret
to think contrary to the opinions OF til,
Governor, their independence and tmanli
ness were Immediately threatened into 81
lenceSby the organ Of the Governor, ant
the Mayor whose Editor denounced agains
them the wrath of Andy Johnson, and al
the woes unnumbered," which would in
ey'iittiably follow any attempt, to thwart thu
peculiar views of their two Excellen
cies. In this instance, however, the Gov
ernor aud the Mayor have both been saw.
ed off" at their kneejoints. For, before
the two Houses lookup the question Of
the Governors Veto Messages, a member
in the most artless and unsophisticated
manner, wrote to President johnson to
know what he would do if the Legislature
should order an election for city officers
The President instantly replied that the
ELECTION must be held, and Gen. Candy was
instructed to issue an order to prevent the
present Mayor from making contracts ex-
tending beyond the term Of lis. Office. AT
this the influence men," who have been
humbugging the people with threats oflWhat
they and the President would do if the will
of tile Governor and the Mayor were not
carried out, were taken all .aback, and
seeing that the threatening game was
played out, set to work to invent some
other reasons for yeseing the City Election
Bill. And, gentle reader, what do you
suppose the Governors main objection
to the Bill? Why, simply that, for years
prior to the rebellion" elections in New
Orleans We're a 'smockery" on account Of
the outrages Of organized g bands of des-
at the polls. 9@Si
Now, we should like to know, why if is,
that, iWhiieiAe Acknowledging party was
bands of desperadoes to break
up elections in New Orleans, AIR. Madison
Wells, as a member Of that party, could
never see the enormity Of the crime, and
that his vision was sharpenea only whenit
became necessary to break up an election
n
himself TO keep in Office his corrupt tools
and aeconlplices in the degradation Of the
State Of Louisiana? Has his power Of Wis
ion been made keeaer BY his sudden CONVEX
sion to Democracy under the teachings 81
Mr. Rozier amlhis Democratic and Con
party of louisiana 6a i.Ii is
We are glad that an election has to be
held in the city. The people have .groaned
long enough under "a relictiofi Buffers
tyranny to be permitted to have a govern
ment of their own choosing. It is. said
fundamentally after the passage Of the
bill tlIerpresent mayor telegraphed to the
President to annul the bal because thepeo
pie were not, yet qualified for self govern.
ment. The Governor too, has worked fol
the same object. But the President has
shownsthat he has no objection to the PEG.
pie governing themselves in their own way
as long as theysare tobedient to the govern.
ment; and his action has neryed the Leg.
islature to throw off the yoke which the
present State government had thrown upon
it. In fact. some Of the members spoke
very plainly, about the Governor. One, q
firm supporter, said that no man could put
his hand on his heart and say that Mr.,
Wells was the choice Of the Democratic
Convention, but that he was elected because
twas thought he could do more than any
one else for us at the present crisis
Another thought it was very strange that
Mr.. Wells could see no objection to an
election to get himself into office, but op-
posed, on Constitutional grounds, an cleo
ton for other officers to aisplace lis oeca
a1ppoiateses, ..a5s
Since the Legislature has at length as
surned to think for itself, we hope that il
will go on in the good work until every
yestage q, inbecility and corruption
shall have been blotted out forever. ID
Since it has been shown that the iDau.