The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-01-08
THE COUNTRY PRESS.
EariOMs Views on the subject of a Com
stltnti0nal Convention.
LVienna Sentinel.l

sIvienna Sentinel.l
III the city oppose It, unless the entire coun-
try to man sustain 1t. there will be no consti-
tutional convention.
convention, and that the issue this fall will be
convention or no convention. This was an issue
In the election In Bienville parish for Repre-
sentative last month, and the convention man
With the lights before us we conclude It is
best to defer the question until the strength of
those favoring and those opposing can be ascer.
tanned, In other words. 70 see if the Radical
party is dead or only sleeping.
tMarksville Bulletin.l
There are a few patriots in New Orleans who
be disintegrating In Its effects on the party.
There Is no telling the depth of the anxiety of
these people for he public safety. We will give
them credit for sincerity. and assure them that
the bett ar thinking portion of the community
do not altogether share their anxiety. They be-
lieye that. q party that has solemnly pledged it.
self to reform, and fails. is not to be trusted
fully submit, II there is anything ditinteg rating
In this it will not come from the holding of the
convention, but from failure to hold one We
assure those persons. when the people say re-
form they mean it, even though 1t may involve
q certain amount of decaptation and the re-
duction OF few overgrown salaries. we feel
sorry for these people, but cannot give up the
convention.
[East Feliciana Patriot Democratl
We have, upon several occasions during the
calling by the Legislature of constitutional
convention, Tor the express purpose of revising
In support of this much desired and much
needed measure we aga n raise our humble
voice. and coll upon the Democratic members
to 1t that this wish of the people of Louisiana
be granted.
We should be pleased to see the Legislature.
upon its assembling after passing the revenue
bill, call constitutional convention. and them
Ii. however. they. the servants of he people.
should decline to hearken to the voice of their
constituents in this respect, then let them in
augurate reform by adopting the, nece sary
tax collector and that of sheriff, by wiping ont
the law compelling jurors and witne- ses to
serve without compensation; by reviving the
the people within the ward in which they re-
side; aud last, though not Least. by devising
means for the enforcement of the poll tax.
claiborne Guardian.l
The citizens in ward six in this parish have
almost unanimously signed q petition to the
Legislature to order convention. Doubtless
that is true We have often remarked that peo-
pie sign petitions with & eat readiness petit
tons too upon all questions-the save man fire.
auently signing papers totally opposite In their
nature. We venture the assertion that an active
signature for signature with our friend in
favor OF 9 convention. But grant that ward six
Or any other ward is In favor of the convention
the drift of the multitude does not always prove
the correctness OF anv proposition.
We remember. with some modification. the
fact that this very ward six. so boastingly
naunted in our face, was sineularly apatheicir
the last election, and that very nearly one hun.
dred white men failed to vote in a contest the
most Important by odds that has ever taken
place in Louisiana. And that very fact furni shes
an apt Illustration OF our own main reason fol
objecting to convention until we are satisfied
that the power of the Radical party in Louisianf
is completely shattered. The writer knows
much about the diff ulty of bringing out the
full party vote In n. an election All shared with
ference, Of many people in Claiborne in
the fall of 1875 In rallying to tho support
of the party in the overthrow of the Kelioge
dynasty. Il is proper now to consider the pos.
sibilities of another election. Can we h rpe OF
expect to present the issues of an election fol
delegates to a convention in more st,rrine
form than were the issues of year agop Are
we sure of bringing out the full strenth of thf
white vote? Can we create sufficient enthusiasm
tosweep all opposition efore us9 our friend
win bear testimony that in every campaign we
3 have labored faithfully and we say now tha
our experience causes us to answer nay to al
the above propositions. We do think that The
wisest and best course Is to delay convention
until we are certain of success.
We admit that there are grave defects IN oul
present constitution. Ne do not propose to In