The New Orleans daily Democrat., 1878-02-17


ally spt ia ID Is more than a tidal wave-it
hss become tlHnsp. a millennium tm I,ilitiBs'l
Who the man is that conceived this happy
idea of redemption and "unltieation. both
combined we do not know, but he has lived to
find that he has achieved immortal glory.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives
is considering the question of aiaendm entsf or
new constitution. This body does NOT Rrz
pear tn he sn ut,nnill,ut,s as the Aanatn. A
lew members Of the House manifest a disppa
siti,1ll to redeem the main pledges made hf
the Democrats to secure the vote Of Ahe State
to wit. Its full Feaemptioh. but their nhtneriz
,,nl strength docs not appear equal ta the task
before them. Pessibly they can defeat the
resolution submitting amendments. hmt the
unanimous vnire If the SENATE will defeat any
movement In favor Of calling q convention.
with this view Of the situation. we sorrow
party tp 10 III duty. This l,aper has been
promised aud pledged differently. This paper
has promised too much We haveJiell
[sbfayebprt Timhe
We give IN mttsih Of eur space to the amena-
nnlts 10 the constitution. proposed by Ahn
loiha committees uf The two Houses Of The Cen
eral Assembly. we hope pur readers have
rra read and pon"ierel them. Il So they Will
undWlhtndIy agree with us that The, reforms
which ths nofnlntttse was expected to ina,t
gurate are ''eonspIe1ous by their absence
some Of the proposed amendmeants are
EtHMl III GllbY EntiHtH GO lbE fHNHEH, tAIlaTs are
bad and others still arc Indifferent, not being
worth the paper ii the election tickets ON
which they shall be printed. Tho people
wanted the salaries Of the State officers te4
duced reduction Of $1,000 on the enormous
salary uaid The tipvpi'npr and OF $500 On tile
salary Of each Of the Justices Of the Supreme
Court, Is simply too eentetnptihle TO be enuni-
Grated IN the list OF reform measures. A inini-
mWni Of &2Hlln is madein the salaries Of tbs dis
ttint Judges. but no guaranty s given that they
may not be placed hy the Legislature beyond
thplr present exnlbitant lituit-.etotbtant
that is for tho work tnost Of them do, Blens
nial sessions Of the Legislature afe decrend
but nothing tr prevent q call If an extra ses-
dnttion Of salaries, or at least Il very large
reduction III the number Of offices They uan-
not understand why The State Of Louisiana
Impoverished as slle has been by Radical
tl,a,l any other State except California. and
her judges more than any State except New
York.
Hut there atn other subjects Of even more
vital Importance which the committee has not
touched We want To get rid Of the eulnbfous
and expensive system If the registration Of
voters. which gives the majority Mt elections
tn the party which can best sloeeed in attract
Ing tic Ignorant an tho corrupt to. the
places Of registration. We want TO get rid
OF The right h, vote aud tn hold office tp
every vagnbnnd who happens to tatry ten
days III d parish through which he is pbss-
ing. We want a certificate That the voter
has paid poll tax a condition precedent 10
his depoaiting his ballot. Aud let 1t also be
remembered that this committee failed tn
tpunh the clause Of the constitution which vil-
t,islly establishes mixed sphpola, We will not
be so tlnthnltahls aa to insinuate that this
was dona To epnoiliate the Antonpa and the
Plnchbanls Nho use this ne the sole remain
Ing bone I'll contention between the white and
black races,
We can. therefore. eharar1ariso the work Of
fha committee as what We eYknew II would be,
slisetahln failure at patching up the eonsti=
tuition, when the only practicable mode Ut
amendment ia plain and demanded by a ma
jurity t1f the pnpplr Of The State The BE
says That Mr. Kidd 'has taken Tho bull by
tho horns and offered a bill calling a ronvnh=
ton on tho first day Of May. Mi Kidd
bias done more. lie has called meeting Of
on the plan to he adopted The plan
ls manifest and easy 10 be nanpt=
ID. Vote against every amendment.
whether good or bad. on the ground that the
mode uf amendment is not proper one. aud
thus force every referner and every pseudo
lrlnrmcl to vote for calling "a convention. II
tho amendments and the convention both fail.
then lot the responsibility rest where it he
longs. Ta,e friends OF d convention. and. Of
course the real friends of reform. ate willing
to go before the people on this ISSUE. aud On
this mode of meeting IT,
IT, during the camrHign Of 1870 any sttan-
ger had asked what will he the etrst step Of
the Conservatives Of Louisiana. IN case their
Victory Ia achieved. ninety out Of every I'm.
dred would have answered. "to call |, ronven-
tnn and wipe out an instrument which daily
reminds lis Of our degradation" What has
changed the opinion OF the people. II, in-
decd II has bern changed Some Say
that they Sre afraid Of tho triumph Of
The Radical party in the event Of Il now
election This is tho verirst e,f all chime
raa Tho Radical party Ia virtually dead
IN Louisiana to-day. How can it 1.-Two with the
Returning Buard in the fenitentia,y3 or
course no patriot will oppose u convention be-
tause either he or his friend may happen to
hold u lucrative Office AS some have been ina.
lA'ipus enough 10 charge, If our able aud pas
tTintic ot1iuehndeis nrh The best the State af-
Iorda, Of eoulse they will he retaincd II not,
both they aud we should wish that thny give
place to others
W. repeat. that n eenvs,tSn Unat he called
and that the friends Of " convention have IL IN
their power to call it, The people are com
planning that this Legislature has consumed
more than half ita session without inaugural
ing single reform measure. 1t can redeem
ta character only ~ immediately aceeling
TO the wshes of the people in calling u Con-
stitutional Convention.
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