The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1878-05-17

He who doubts is damned.'
AMENDMENTS NOT DEMOCRATIC.
Louisiana has had five Constitutions.
OF this number three were Democratic,
to-wit, the Constitutions of 1912, 1916
and 1852 and two were Republican,
1868, the latter being now in force.
Each prescribed a mode of amendment
to itself, but SO jealous have the people
always been of their rights in that par
ticular that whenever it became neces-
sary to change any part, the whole fun
damental law has been submitted to
revision, and the custom never varied
until after the adoption of the present
Constitution.
The Constitution of 1912 was super
seeded by that of 1916, and the most
important change was the abolition of
the parish judgeship; that of 1852 SUI
perseeded that of 1916, and its most
important change was to make the
judiciary elective. All the conven-
tions were called by Democratic legis-
latures, controlled by Democratic ma
jorities, and ratified by Democratic
voters.
The Constitution of 1864 was nothing
more nor less than Radical pretext
for expressing the white population of
the State. 1t existed four years with
out change or amendment. That of
1868, now in force and apparently so
dear to whilom Democrats, was only
intended to more securely bind the
shackles fastened upon us by its prede-
cessor. With it, amendments COM
menced; five or more have already
been adopted; nineteen are now sug-
gested, and forty-odd of the original
articles are to be stricken out. The
but the life of the thing, it's tail, will
survive.
In the better days of the State no
such thing would have been thought
of, or tolerated; for the legislature
could not have arrogatcd to itself any
such right or authority. But now, in
the midst of electrical wonders, we
have the political spectacle of Il Demo-
cratic legislature proposing to abrogate
the judiciary system of the State and to
substitute in its place something for
which some new name must be dis
covered and which must lead to inextri-
cable confusion. And when we protest
that no such power existed in the legis-
their candidacy, that no such wish was
prevalent, and that no reason or pre-
cedent would justify it, we are gravely
told that "the people themselves do
not know what they want" a con-
ventfon would cost too much! The
term of the present officials would be
abridged The Louisiana Lottery
would be abolished! Monopolies would
be discontinued and prohibited! Spuri-
Gus bonds would be repudiated before
they could be funded and transferred!
Offices would be done away
with! Economy enforced to tho injury
of this or that good officer! And a thou
sand and one other equally as unpatri-
otto objections are made.
The amendments are not Demo-
cratic they are a compromise between
Radicals, office holders and monopo-
lists devices to perpetuate as long as
possible portions of the burdens of
that respectable Republic
cans could not sign or approve, and
that honorable men cannot now sup
port or endure without a burning con-
seriousness of shame and degradation.
The Sparta Times, noticing the
impatience of the people out west con-
corning the building of the railroad
frOln Shre1nOnrt To NIonrOn llrdnr onS,