The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1878-03-06
FROM AN OCCASIONAL CONTRIB
UT0R.

Special Correspondence La. Democrat
New ORLEANS,
March l, 1881
To the Editor of the Louisiana Dem
OCrGt -
Whether the charge that the Gen
eral Assembly has wasted the greater
part of the session, be true or not, it
has done a gleat deal of work in the
ten days past while have been a
spectator oft deliberations. Every
member has number of bills, which,
without q public interest, are of i'm
portance to his immediate constitu-
ents. These are most generally
passed without opposition, and thus
a great deal Of work is got through
with without making any noise or
attracting much attention. Hence it
is that these charges of wasting the
peoples money and time are most
generally rscklessly made. And es.
pecialIy do l deem it impolitic and
i'll advised on the part OF the Conser-
vative press and Conservative voters
to deal in wholesale denunciations OF
the first Conservative Legislature We
have had since the dawn of the re-
construction era. Old Shad Penn,
the Kentucky Democratic editor, used
to say that a Democratic: editor
should never denounce his own party
leaders for the reason that the oppo-
sition is ready to take such a job of
his hands at any moment it may be-
come necessary. Our present Legis-
lature has been surrounded by many
difficulties. That it deserves we'll Of
the public, and that it has done well,
under the circumstances, I am con-
WINGED after an attentive observation
of it's workings.
The call for a Constitutional Con-
vention, and the proposing of Consti-
tutional Amendments, have occupied
much of the time Of the General AS
sembly. This was to have been ex-
pected considering the importance Of
the subject and the diversity of opin-
ion regard ag the best mode of pro.
posing hose amendments which all
admit to be imperatively necessary.
Some of the amendments are good.
but some of them are either 80 bad,
or so bunglingly got up, that the
whole batch Of them will run great
risk Of defeat. Mr.. Kidd has before
the House a bill proposing to take
the sease of the people at the next
election, on the question of calling
Convention. The Indications from
The ruling yesterday show that it
will probably pass. Indeed I think
It will pass before the close of to-
lays session, and that it will also
PASS the Senate. This is a sort of
compromise between the friends and
opponents of a Convention, and is
certainly one against which no ser.
GUS objection could be urged. The
contest is over the clause providing
or an election of delegates at the
line the vote is taken. The friends
If the bill as offered, say that, with
tut this clause the bill is useless, q.
he people will, in the election of
MEMBERS Of the next legislature,
make the Convention an issue and
Fill settle the question at the polls.
heard a very interesting debate
few evenings siuce between some
I the leading members of the House
n the bill to lend the credit of the
tate to the construction of the New
orleans Pacific Railway-a measure
f vast Importance to Rapides, the
hole Red River country, and the
ity of New Orleans. 1t passed. 1t
as a matter of great qualification to
hose of us who are interested in the
ropea location of the Western ter
linus, that, while New Orleans men
ere trying to produce the impress
on that We were hostile to it, it was
nally passed by the solid vote of the
ed River Parishes and by aid which
e obtained for it from members in
orth Louisiana whose constituents
re not Immediately interested in
. The only formidable opposition
it came from the City members. '
y the adoption of Mr.. Leonard's
nendment it must be built to
hreveport first. Louisianians could
e no reason why Texas town
lould he built up at the expense of I
le situated in their own State. 1t t
as urged in debate that the consti
tiOnal limit of Lhe State deht hos