The Opelousas courier., 1878-01-05
Ahe Abuty of the Legfslature.

nature will be in session, and we wish in o fe
& "oi's 10 press upon that body, Individual
ano collectively, the great responsibility tina
Erests upon it,
III 1t has been urged in mapv ouarters IN n
ooun'ry' ana notably by such able and inf1uer
Ilal journals as the Ouachita Ieleqruph, tb
( %Natchltoches Vindicator, the Baton Roug
. @Adoocote, and the Marksville Bulletin. that tn
7 Legislature should, ON assembling. BASS tn
- appropriation bill. a joint resolution calling
constitutional Convention to meet in tn
ssprlng, and then adjourn sine die We bay
aadVocated the same course, and to-day reiter
gate the same counsel
A%There can he no denial of the fact that some
gthing is radically wrong in the body polite
{ and that the people are restive and greatly
Adlscontented. Notwithstanding that we have
E a State administration of our own choosing
(which has had uninterrupted possession du
1rlng the past year. the burdens pressing upon
Athose who support the government are sub
sssstantially the same as heretofore 1t is dead
astrain to make the annual revenue meet the
Ssexpenses of the government and the interest
gson the public debt. So much uncertainty. in
q fact, attends the ability of the State to meet
Alts demands that consols are always below par
4 from fifteen to twenty five per cent, and the
I salaries of public officers are perpetualy at a
4 discount.
u What is the cause of this depression and dis.
3 tressf Surely no man of sense will say that
] the State tax is too small, seeing that we paw
! a larger per centage than any State in the
Union!
y The cause is obvious. 1t is the extrayagant
/ scale upon which this State government is ad-
] ministered. The civil list consumes the ublic
revenues-a civil list fastened upon U.s. for the
most part, by combination of carpet baggers
and adventurers who conceived and framed
! the Constitution under which we now live for
j the express purpose of enabling them to live
yand grow rich out of the public treasury. So
long as the Radicals were in possession of
these bountiful salaries and perquisites, our
people were united in their demand for retuc-.
tion and reform; but now not ID single mem
I Der of our Democratic administration, as far
as we have been Informed, has uttered a word
sor taken step looking to the abatement of
Zone jOt or one title of the emoluments which
:they enjoy.
1t is quite a common thing to hear it said
that the dissatisfaction in the State is confined
ito malcontents and disappointed office expect
'ants, and that there is no demand in the coun-
try and among the people for Constitutional
Convention. Letters to this effect have been
published in the city press, and we would not
be surprised to hear Of Senators and Repre-
making the same statements from
their places in the Legislature. Up to this
time we have heard of but two representatives :.
in the whole State who have troubled them +
selves sufficiently about the wishes of their !
to consult with them in public
Kidd, of jackson, and Brid-
ger, of Caldwell. We do not doubt that these
gentlemen have the right to speak authorita-
lively the sentiments of their people. In our :.
parish no step has been taken, so far as we are
5he people. Two of our Representatives,
Messrs. Stagg and Singleton, have expressed
! desire 30 ascertain the sentiments of the peo-
Die of the parish, and are understood to favor
/ Constitutional Convention. AS to our other
Representatives and our Senators, we know
lochlng of their opinions and purposes with :
'eference to this public question, and we sup
bose that the rest of the public are as ignorant
is we are OH this point. 1t is therefore quite
reasonable to presume that they have not COLI
erred very freely with their constituents on
his subject, and that they cannot speak adj
'isedly OF their opinions OIL this question. We
ssume that in other portions of the State
here has been the same want of free discus
ion and Interchange of views, and conse- j
uently that many members of the legislature !
will have to act upon their personal RESPONSE
ility. In our opinion, here is where the res !,
onsibility shoastd rest. Reform, honest, tho I
ough, comprehensive reform is what is i'm
demanded of the legislature at this
cry session, and the members of that body
annot evade this demand by the specious
lea that the people have not, in positive and
xplicit terms given instructions as to the )
node and manner of accomplishing it, espe- ,
tally as no particular pains have been taken
hat we are aware of. except in two isolated
ases, to get instructions from the people. -
Though We are fully persuaded that the vast
ody OF taxpayers OF the State desire the &
peedy assembling of Convention as the s
My adequate way of getting relief yet we
hould prefer that the question be dsembar- 4
assed of snch considerations, and be- decided p
y right, reason, common sense and the hon, l
st purpose to serve the State. C;
Let our members of the Legislature, and "a
specially such as are opposed to Conven- 81
ention, discuss the question from this J,
,andpoint for the responsibility. we repeat, q
upon them, and it cannot be evaded. Criti- /
slns of the extravaganza and failures of the !.
Ist session have been withheld by the press 1t
nd people, because of the stress of circum- G
ances then existing. Now no such obstacles q q
and in the way, and the sovereign people of i
lis State will enter into judgment with their =
lbic servants. and hold them strictly to ac- IN
'unt for the manner in which they shall exc j - -
lite the sacred trust committed to them. We Vt
now that there are those who lightly hold z
lis trust, and that there are others whose q
ficial conduct may always be measured by 3t,
e standard of their private aims and inter 81
ts. To such we have nothing to say, but we 8
'peat to the honest, true men of the Legisla- &c,
ire, the real friends and servants of the peo i O.
g. TO enter courageously and promptly upon q
70 dnty which lies before them. Let them Z II
lt beneath their feet personal aims, party 4 e
hslaeratiohs and caucus intrigues. Let { cl
EN- not heed the sophstries and blandish- { Q
ents OF the beneficiaries of the present sys-#
m, nor the dictation of others who NAV pre- i :.
nd to speak by authority. n
Al a.,