The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1877-08-24
MONROE LOUISIANA. FRIDAY. AUGUST q: ~!
A CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION.
1Shreyeport Ti,les.l

[Shreveport TiMes.l -..|
Many of our contemporaries IN u"e'
cnt parts Of tho State have commenc'N
agit,ting the question oil Co ;
tinn,l Convention. Although agreelnE
with them fully we have hithert" re-
Trained from discussing the subject, ior
the reason that We deemetia a discussioii
premature until just before the meetioS
of tile General Assembly next january.
I&nt from the unnnimity of the press,
and of the people, too, SO far sss We nave
been able to gather their Opinions, |
discussion, as it should seem, Is un
necessary. All seem TO he agreed tnat
!, convention to- form Il new const''"',on
is absolutely necessary ut us carry "''S
as it can be called. - .Eas ssss 81.
| 1t should he remembered that tne
miserable abortion, in the shape OF II
state constitution, under which Wo
live. is the offspring Of Radical scala
vag and c.,rpet-bag domination. II u
i we're unexccptionnbly good, still every
line of it would stink Of its Iatern'ty
and should be oblitcratel. But 1t Is
moi only not unexceptionably Eood,
mt is outraycously bad. Every vestige
of it must bc wiped out, so that we
NAV be able to commence anew.
Il We need 80 many constitutional re-
t,,,,,s that we cannot enuulcrate them.
} W.. can only get at our wants ny emu
,ncrating the provisions the present
t constitution contains and taxing theif
; opposites. We want less sihet:ure OH
5 ce,s and smaller salaries than are now
\ nttached to those which are necessary.
: The governor, the cabinet, tho judges.
u the legislature, the clerks, sheritts anu
t All other officers receive salaries larger
# than the State is able to pay them
/ 'rhe number OF District Judges can b'
$ l,iin,inished. Some OF the districts
rs number only one parish nnd man.
is only two or three, with dOckets Whic'
o are not large enough to occupy Juus'
le three weeks in the whole year. ih
g Parish Court, with its iulbcclie occu
ID ,mnts. not required by the constitutio
st to be lawyers, though having ia's
and import,nt Jurisdiction, should
if kicked out with the contempt whlc
the miserable incubus deserves. III
m Stute owns an ediiice ut Baton Rouge
suitable tor Il St,,tehouse, the repairs
{? which would cost less than the rent
a building in New Orleans. The ota'
lr- Government should be taken from Ne
lie Orleans. for reasons too obvious II
~ special mention.
The only objection which could pu
ot- sibfy be urged to convention IS
us expense. But, If Il convention sno"
rd do its duty, it could save to the st''
M in one year, from some OF the aoo'
ere reforms, more than enough money
ns- nav the ex penses OF its session. 1t me-
ii not sit more than ten days. There
'se not single man in the State, qualiti
rec to be delegate, who could not Ia
the Constitution of 1852 and in Il sht
len time write out, c,vrente ctttanso, all I
sed amendments necessary. The per H
md of the delegates could be put down
in the lowest figure; an.i if the ST
OK should deem herself too poor 10
md her delegates, they would doubtless
the willing to serve gr,.tuitously in suc
Iht lau,lublc enterprise.
'n" 'nt Let us, then, have Il Cohstituti"
SUI Convention. They have had them
We" all the other redeemed Southern Stat
!, Louisiana, the worst misgoverned
L.. them all, should not be peh'""
l'''' sisters in the work Of reform.