St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1878-03-16
The Legislature.

proclamation cOnvening an extra ses'
sion for fifteen days, for purposes of leg
islation, set forth and expressed in the
call. He did right in calling the extra
session. The Legislature had done
nothing during the regular session. Oh
it's members taken collectively, wei
may it be said, "They have left un'
done those things which they ought t.
have done and they have done those
things which they ought not to have
done and there is no health in them" e
We confess we have been greatly dis
appointed. When it began its session
in January we had every reason to hope
that the session would constitute an era
in the history of legislation in Louisiana
No Legislature ever assembled unde'
fairer auspices and certain it is, none ever
had "a fairer field to operate in. Yet
nothing has been done. Even the
n,ilage and per diem" steal still stands
,unrepealed so faras the present members
are concerned. The many red hot re-
formers, who went to the capitol, in
the early days of January, breathing
nothing bat retrenchment and reform,
proved unequal to the task, even under
the scathing taunts of Gov. Warmoth.
of cutting down their own compensation
under the mileage and per diem steal.
No sooner was it proposed to get rid
of this act, than casuists began to split
hairs and talk about the constitution, a.
glibly as If they knew what they wer'
talking about. Republicans as body
We're not expected to vote to repeal tlls
act, because il was one of tlIeit pet
schemes To sleplete the treasury and ro'
the State but Democrats and especially
reform Democrats, were expected Il
stand i'm solid phalaux aud vote as unit
to get rid OF it, and expunge it from the
statute book; but they didn't do IT.
They said it would be vinlative OF artl
ticle 80 of the constitution to repeal 1t.
What nonsense: Whilst this article OF
the constitution does fix the per dien'
of members at So, during their atten-
dance, and going and returning, and does
prohibit a Legislature from either IN
cr,,asing or diminishing this compen-
satioil during its term OF service. yet
WA wm,ld like for one of these so called
reform Deneocrats to show us anything
in this article wliicl, says one Leglsla-
ture has not the right to repeal an acf
of Legislature, which has proceeded
it, especially when that act is nncon-
stitutional on its face, rs was act No. II
of 1879. Eight dollars a day is not too
much compensation. for member OF
the Legislature. This is what the. con-
stitution allows him. But the act OF
10 clearly violated this article 30 OF the
constitution In this that, it did increase
the compensation of the members OF the
Legislature, who passed it indirectly,
il not directly. 1t fixed fictitious and
exaggerated distances from the Court
houses of the different parishes OF the
State to the seat of government; fixed
what should be considered as days
travel, and allowing pay at the rate of
9 cents per day, both going and coming
and mileage at the rate OF 40 cents per
mile, and under this same act Ito show
how fise members of the Legislature of
va Judged, we will instance st. Landry
alone) the distance from 0pelonsas to
New Orleans. is fixed at 400 miles. It
is about 800 miles by the river route and
100 hy the mail route. Thirty miles was
fixed lis a days travel, and $500 per day
4 nd 40 cents mile allowed as eoupen-
sasion going and coming. At the rate
of so miles a day, it would require just
2Ba days to make the trip. Four days
were amply sufficient. During this
long trip, which our forefathers made in
less time In their broad hours and
excel boats sixty gears ago. each mem
her was entitled to his $500 per diem
compensation, and his 40 cents per mile,
mileage, for each mile Travelled. On ar
irving at New Orleans from 0pelonsas
he was allowed total of S16O for
mileage and $106.25 for his compensa-
tion This was the case all over the
State. The same was allowed them
returning honle.
The distance fixed in many cases was !
ab0nt twice or three times what itreally
was and this at $500 per day, count
ing 30 miles asa days travel, with the
enorlitaus mileage of 40 cents per mile
was what WIS deplitiug the treasury.
IL was not to abrogate article SO that
tile people clamorcd, but to have the in /
iquitous act of ~ repealed. Yet when
impelled by q sense of decency and a pro-
per regard for truth and economy an
attempt was made to repeal this :. odious
and unconstitutional act, this unmiti-
gated and outrageous steal our modern
were not found equal to the
task, though ever SO ready and willing
TO cutdown the salaries of constitutional
officers.
This may be considered a sample of /
the reform Legislation of the session.
rhe taxpayers asked for bread and they
received 4 stone We say give ns bien-
aial. even auadrenrial sessions Of the
Legislature hereafter. II we have to
pay two hundred and fifty Or three hun
lred thousand dollars per session DC our.
Legislature, to have fire companies IN
municipal charters amended
md Il little unaTtiatio z tinkering done