The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1878-01-11

MONROE. La, JANUARY II. 1878.
INTERVIEWING faE~ LEa1sL.A1uRE..
The New orleans Daily Democrat Of
. recent date contained an account Of q |
reporters interview with q humber of
the members OF the legislature In refer1
ence to the calling Of . convention Of the |
peoples delegates to frame q new eonsti-
tuition for this State. Some exchange
Aeud has robbed Us Of that issue Of the
Democrat, but we believe we can state
the net result Of the reporters statistics.
The legislators interviewed were MAIN
~ from South Louisiana-a large num-
bier from the parish OF Orleans. POlit-
cally, some were Democrats aud some
RadicaIs, and . few Of the latter were
colored. Front IN orthII.ou isiana, sena-
tors Mitchell and sandifocd, and Repre-
Young, Duke, Carlos and
one or two others were interviewed.
The general result appears. to have been
posed to calling couventlon, and that
there Is somewhat OF 4 pool in favor Of
Running the State government as it
now exists. The exceptions, In the
Dem0cFat's report, are Representatives
Duke, of Claiborne, and Brice, Of Bien-
Vile. These gentlemen favor calling
aconvention at once. One Senator, DIR.
Robertson, Of st. Landry, also favored
. convention, until he reached New
Orleans, when he changed his mind.
With the remark, that all the Radicals
and negroes interviewed by the Demo-
Gratis reporter expressed a decided OPP
position to the calling of constitn.
ttonal convention, our analysis Of the
report is substantially complete. The
Democrat, not long ago outspoken for
\ con vention and the chosen organ Of
the Democracy, charmed by these ex-
preasions Of opinion from members OF
the Legislature, quietly subsidies into
acquiescence In these words: AHa
We believe that prompt and wise ac-
ton on the part Of the Legislature In
the way OF retrenchment, with the
presentation OF some necessary amend
Incnts to the present constitution, bad
as It Ii, will afford sufficient present
relief. nom
The members Of the legislature, re-
fsrred to above, generally agree that
"tf,e present constitution, bad as 1t is,"
could be remedied by amendments and
that AN election for constitutional; dele
gates, at this time, Is inopportune.
Somewhere we have read sketch
Of lawyer called Joe Hefin-if we
mistake not, In Baldwin's "FIush
Times of Alabama and Mississippi"
MI. Hefiin had case before some pig
headed justice of the peace who be-
lieved he knew all the law, written or
unwritten. Mr.. Helm wanted to read
some authorities establishing the JUS
tice of his clients cause, but the Judge
WAS not to be thus instructed and he
ordered Helm to sit down. "Please,
Your Honor" said the attorney, 81
was not intending to offend the dixni-
ty of this Court, but wished to show
Your Honor what q fool Sir William
Blackstone was" We have put both
hands behind our editorial ears to catch
some of the inspiration which has en-
abled many prominent Democrats to
discover that there is very little to be
done to effect a constitu tional change
In this State, but had we the ears Of a
jackass and the. 400 hands of Bril-
areus, we should still DO left without a
. reason for postponing the reclaina-
ton of Louisiana.
OF the changes needed In the Consti-
ton, we have not the space to write.
Whoever has read Barnes's notes on
the New Testament, or Kent's Com
mentaries, whore the text is usually
two or three lines and the comments q
page Of small print, can form an idea
of the task required to point out the
changes necessary in the Constitution
Of 1858. The spirit of the instrument,
and the evil purposes of its trainers are
enough, without any specific analysis
OF what should be changed. Perhaps
nothing more conclusive could be offer
ed than the formal protests Of ex-C Chief
Justice Labelling, Judge Crawford and
MF. Barrett Of Hinton, OF -sar1rr.a<x~, %~