The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1878-11-27
TIE CONSTITUTIONAL CoNVEN-
TION.

THE CONSTITUTIONAL C0NVEN
| TlON.
! The contrast which we exhibited
last week Of the present cost Of thu
executive and judicial departments o
Jour State, with the cost Of the sam.
department before the war, is suffi
Gent to satisfy any one that the pre-
sent expenditure ought to be great,
reduced. But, before discussing how
much, it may be we'll to discuss til.
effect of high salaries as a mora
question, independent of the ques
ton of economy. What is Their
moral efectp We are aware that The
opinion is prevalent, that politica
questions are beyond the domain Of
morals-but this is a great error. In
the very question before us. tbs
moral effect of high salaries is 9
question of more Importance than
the mere loss Of money. Has its in.
auence been a moral and an intellec.
tual benefit We unhesitatingly an.
swer, No! Not only in Louisiana, but
in the United States, it has been evil,
an only evil. 1t has produced a Gu
nine hunger for office; a ferocity and
immodesty ia pursuit Of them, that
is truly appalling. This eagerness
and anxiety for Office can have es-
capped the notice Of no one, but, per-
haps few, if any. have analized the
cause. tits, that the wages of Office
are wholly disproportionate to the re-
wards of all our other vocatiops. IT
has all the effect of a bride to desert
the field of useful and patient labor.
So marked and decisive has been this
effect, that it has produced a distinct
class, whose lives are spent in devils
ing ways and means of being elected
or securing an appointment to Office.
they are afflicted with a burning, con
suming kind of patriotism, / marve.
lousy like that which gold digger
Of California has for his mine, and
which gives a disrelish' to every
other occupation. The happy hope
that bonanza will give him life
ofease, absorbs every other thought
and stimulates his search to unre
mitting toll. Binder such Influences
tits in vain to talk Of the golden rule
of letting the Office seek the man,
and not the man the Office. We had
as well expect to stop the miner in
hissea ger search for gold.
But, TO this question ofslligh sala.
ries in this State, there is another
aspect, utterly inconsistent with the
theory of our government. Every
one is aware of the fearful change oil
our people from affiucnce to poverty;
the legacy of a ruthless war; tue
upon hundreds of humble
homes; the absence of all luxury:
the bare necessaries of life, and not
al of these; the self-deuying econo-
my; the patient toll and the heroic
bravery thatmeets it without a muir
muir. Why should their representa-
lives not represent them in their
poverty and their self denial? Why !
should these humble homes be made
more bare, a few more comforts de
MED, another. hour added { TO. each
days toll, that our representatives
DR. of1cesholders may be clothed in
purple and finelinen, and fare stump.
tuously every day2 Why should they |
be made to forget that economy SO |
necessary to their constituency and
80 necessary to the interest Of Of the
State? 5iff2 5t.is
To all these objections there has
been but one answer that high sala-
les are necessary to procure talent
and ability. II this we're true, It I
would be sufficient answer There
8 nothing so cheap, at almost any
price, as talent, ability and integrity
combined. But is it true that high
salaries secure this qualities2 The
assertion is utterly refuted BY the ex-
oerience of every State in the Union,
md especially by our own experience
# the last ten years. By the eager
pursuit Of office which they have Gre
tied, they have forced into obseurlty |
. large portion Of the best talent in
The State, and substituted skillfnl
politicians, the talent which can
manipulate primary elections and
,lub rooms. Men Iofs the highest
ability and Integrity, by the hun
lreds have shrunk from the repul-
i've scramble. But We may abate
much from the authority Of the last
,eri wears: and sEill have a laroo mar.