The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-02-13
SHALL, THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE
BE .THWARTED?

BIZ Iii AhIhD
On the eighth instant seventeen iDportan
amendments TO tho State constitution passet
The Sennts without debate and with but ON
dissenting voice. To affirm that SO many
important propositions, Involving numerous
changes in tho judiciary and Legislative sys
tenn, passed so numerous and intellectual {
body us the Senate on their merits, without
debate or even the expression Of o difference
of opinion. Is to offer an insult TO the common
sense OF the public. And, II they did not pass
strictly and solely upon their merits, the peo
pie demand tho rensons which prompted this
extraordinary and before unheard OF action d
the Senate.
The amendments are now before the House
where they are receiving more consideration
But, even in that body, there seems to be q
solid and unntelligible majority supporting
them, apparently for the same mysterious
reasons which prompted the almost unani-
nous vote of tho Senate. The small minority
of members Of the House who are opposing
these amendments have presented irrefutable
reasons for q constitutional convention, and
this minority represents the views and wishes
of a large majority Of the people Of Louisiana
1t la certainly humlliating spectacle to find
The Senate OF the State standing almost TO a
man against their constituencies and the peo-
pie represented by small minority In the
House of Representatives. Il Ia evident that
the Legislature of the State Ia determined
to prevent tho assembling Of constitll-
tional convention. though the people In
three canvasses and through eight years OF
political struggle have expressed themselves
In favor of such convention as the first
measure Of the triumph Of the Democratic
party
A year ago the question of convention was
submitted by the Legislature to the people of
California. Tho railroad and other rings had
shaped tho legislation of that State and
through the machinery they had devised, con
trolled It's politics. Tho people, by an over
whelming majority, voted in favor Of CON
vention, md returned the present Legislature
instructed by that vote to call one. But the
rings have 80 far proved more powerful with
the Legislature Of California than the OK
pressed will of the people; and tho General
Assembly in the coils Of railroad, mining and
landgrabbing rings. obstinately refuses TO
obey the mandates of its constituencies
Tho people Of Louisiana, moro emphaticaIIy
than those of California, have demanded o
convention They demanded convention as
the result Of n victory over Radicalism in 1879;
they demanded 1t again in the canvass of 1874;
thry looked forward to it as the most impor-
tant result of the great and triumphant strug-
gle Of 1876, and now, from every parish and
through nearly every paper In the State, they
are clamoring for 1t; and there sits their Leg
islaturc, as Indifferent to thoir wishes, their
pleadings and their demands as the ring
purchased Legislature of California is to the
will Of the people Of that State.
1t is idle for the advocates of the amend
mcnts now before the House to say that they
cover all the necessary ground of reform.
Some of them are only calculated to COM
pllcate and embarrass our present outrageous
system of government. Ghaagcs demanded
by the people have been evadod the school
question. for instance-as If our Democratic
representatives were afraid to mako an issue
with the Radical members. Will such a
patched-up government satisfy u people who
have fought for ten years for the position
they now hold I
change hero and little retrenchmcnt
there, the cutting down Of few salaries and
the Topping off of n few parish judges. will not
euro the dcfocts OF the system under which
we live We can establish no general and
satisfactory system of reform unless we
sweep out Of existence tho present organic
law and establish u new one Tho people
have not beon fighting for eight or ten years
ngainst Individuals; it was not hatred
of Warmoth and Kellogg and love of
McEnery and Nichols which animated
their struggles from 1868 to 1877
II they had struggled simply for II change Of
masters, and for SO ignoble purpose kept
the State In turmoil and revolution they
would deserve the condemnation Of their own
and succeeding generations. Their hostility
was to the unrepublican and oppressive sys-
tenn of government which was imposed upon
them by bayonets, and which weighs upon
them now; and 1t is to completely destroy
that system which is at once the badge OF
their humiliation and the instrument OF their
oppression that they demand convention.
Rndly. wickedly as Warmoth and Kellogg
administered that system, there was little
,-,oster discomfort among the people than there
1, uadar Tic administration OF Coy. hlchollss