New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-03-13
THE CHAMPION OF REFORM.

|
this State. He took an important step il
this direction when he recommended tn.
limiting Of the public debt Of the State t.
| $25, 100000. He recommended thi
among other measures of reform NOR,
than year ago. He saw the disposition
Of men in and out Of the Legislature t.
increase the debt Of the State ad infaitu,n
and determined to put a stop, if possible
to the extravaganza and corruption tina
seemed bent upon plunging the State int
| bankruptcy. The loud-mouthed reform
ers Of the present time had not ther
thought OF entering upon that road lead
| ing from worse to better in public sense
Many of them had not yet become con
WINGED Of the justice and sound
policy of carrying out the recon
| struction laws, and were doing all they
could to prejudice the people against them,
while others were actually engaged in cor
rupting the Legislature, in order that
their pet schemes might pass that body
over the Governors veto power. When
these men found that Governor Warmoth
was in earnest about reform, and that he
was determined to put stop to their plum
dering, he aroused in them a most bitter
hatred; and falsely raising the banner OF
reform, they endeavored to assume the
character of reformers, in order to delude
the people and defeat Governor Warmoth,
the great champion Of reform in this State.
By most wholesome exercise Of the veto
power, the people Of Louisiana have and
will continue to be protected, so far
as it is in the power Of the executive
to protect them, against the passage
of unjust acts into laws; and in
this respect alone Governor War
moth has made himself the pioneer Of
public reform in louisiana. But the
Governor, in this noble work in behalf Of
an oppressed people, has not confined his
labors in this direction to the beneficial
use of the veto power. He has repeatedly
recommended in his annual and other
messages to the Legislature such reforms
as he deemed necessary for the public
welfare Many of these reforms were
particularized By naming laws that needed
modifying. They were passed at time
when they were deemed necessary for the
peace and safety Of society; when a turbu-
lent and bitter party feeling did not hest
tate to deny the equal, civil and political
rights of all men. This feeling having in
a great degree. subsidized, it was contended
the reason for these laws no longer existed,
and that in addition to this cause for their
modification or complete annullment
comes another and more potent one.
And this is-of course the charge comes
from the Democrats, who were never known
to make a false charee-that these laws are
now made to answer only partisan pur-
pose;' that they are used to corruptly assist
in electing Republicans to Office, and to
that extent are engines Of oppression to
Democrats As Governor Of the State, Mr..
Warmoth must have felt it his duty to
weigh these matters well. He knew the
same cause for these stringent laws did not
exist now that existed when they were
passed; and he also knew that if
they remained unchanged upon the
statute book that the Democratic party
would make all the capital they
could out Of that fact by denouncing
them to the people as odious and oppres-
siye Therefore, Governor Warmoth wise
ly concluded sometime ago to recommend
the modification Of these laws, and the
Legislature, at its recent session, followed
his advice. The registration law under
went material changes, the most important
Of which is that the supervisors of
elections shall be residents Of the par
ishes in which they are to serve at least
twelve months prior to the election. The
election law was changed so as to give the
Of commissioners of elections
to the police juries of parishes, who have
the fixing Of the polling places, and they
can not be changed without six months
previous notice being given. The ballots
are to be counted at the polls, and public
made there of the result.
The limiting Of the mileage, per diem and
contingent expenses Of the members Of
both houses of the General Assembly
to about two hundred thousand dollars for
the session of the present year is saving of
near eight hundred thousand dollars under
what the session of 1871 cost The reve-'
nue. law is amended SO as to save at least
$50, GOO to the State in the assessment
and collection of the revenue. The license
law is also amended 50 as to save $50, 900
a year to the manufacturers and mechanics
of our State, who are now exempted from
license. The city and State funding bills
are also regarded as good laws, that were
enacted through the personal influence and.
eyertions of Governor Warmoth. 1t Is
also well known that it was Governor
Warmoth's presence, personal influence
and exertions in the House that caused
a reconsideration and final defeat Of the
vote. that appropriated 1926, 200 out Of the
general fund of the State to pay the vouch-
ers issued for extra compensation and ex-
ira committees for the session of 1871.
Here is a LIST of reform acts that have
been secured through the influence and
eyertions of Governor Warmoth that en-
title him to be regarded as the champion
of reform In this State. Let his loud
n,n11thel 1letra nt.lr,s who ,,raach ,ofo,,n