New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-02-03

Already We notice there are propositions
pending before one house or the other to
pay for certain books alleged to have been
received by the Secretary of State. The
work of printing the Supreme Court re-
ports is asked for as q boon for which q
bonus of two hundred copies q year is
offered the State. As it would be quite
impossible to avoid heavy losses by a
faithful compliance with the conditions of
such an understanding, the parties who
have asked for this privilege necessarily
rely upon the chances of relief bills for
reimbursement. It is safe rule in all
business, public as we'll as private, to de-
cline services which are offered gratis.
The act to determine the mode of filing
vacancies in Office commends itself to the
Democracy this year because it takes from
a Republican Governor the power to make
certain civil appointments and gives it to
Democratic officials or constituencies. It
meets Republican approval for the reasons
SO often given by the REPUBLICAN. Such
q change in the law of appointment would
be one of detail, and affect parties, not
principles. It is true the result might be
salutary, but the melting cause Of this
peculiar species of reform is the intolera-
BILE itching of the Democracy for Office.
We shall be delighted if Governor Kellogg
be relieved of the duty of appointing men
he knows nothing about to Offices about
whose duties they are ignorant. He did
not make the law of 1868, and perhaps
the reasons which then existed for it have
passed away. We may, perhaps, concede
that House bill No. 2G contains one grain
of wheat amid an immense deal of chat.
The repeal of the pesthouse act looks
like going backward.
The election bill is one of the cherished
reform measures Of the Democracy. The
title is defective, in that it does not ex-
press the real object It should read, Gan
act to repeal all legal safeguards hereto
fore thrown around unarmed voters;
to abolish the Returning Board; to
provide for making the shotgun policy |
of conducting elections more effective,
and reduce the penalties for intimidation |
and violence at the polls to minimum,
with the least possible percentage of
chances for conviction.
The tax resisters and small landlords
have got SO much of their work of ire
FORM in as provides for STAYING off the
drainage tax and permits them to pounce
down upon any and everything valuable
they can lay their hands on in collecting
dues for rent. To make this sort of re-
form more complete, the good old law of
for debt ought to be revived
in favor of lessons" only. Judge Martin
once remarked from the bench that 'sall
our laws seem to have been enacted in the
interest Of lessons" We all know, however,
hat The old judge was as blind as justice
tself, and his opinion on such point
decidedly ahead Of the age in which he
ived, as well as of that in which our tax
esisting lessons live and thrive on prop
rites worth, on an average, $4,000 or
$4,000 each.
The act to turn the control Of the police
orce over to the Mayor and Council, as
vas the case in 1854 to 1860, when politi-
al riots generally lasted from one years
nd to the other, is another attempt to re-
orm one party out of power and put an
ther in, and at the same time paralyze
he force. If the advocates Of this meas
re and the proposed new election bill
ill examine the history of the State and
ity during the ''fifties," they will dis
over they are rapidly drifting back to the
God old days OF Rcd Bill, Red Warriors
nd Rip Sam.
Here we have presented TO US deal of
legislative tinkering, under thin guise
reform. There is not a single act of
ne long list proposed that has not for its
hief object the benefit of class or of
,e Democratic party. 1t is sample of
artisan or class legislation, most of it
Unnecessary, and a good portion of it
ernicious. There is little or no real re-
'rm in the whole programme, and with
le exception of perhaps too or three, d
1ght to be quietly laid aside by the Sen