The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-02-03
THE COUNTRY PRESS.
Various views ON the subject of Con.
stitutiOnal Convention and Re-
form IcglslRtlon.
[Marksville Bulletin. ]

[Marksvlle Bulletln.l
The power Of amendment resides in the
Legislature, but the power to franc new
constitution belongs to the people. The SEN
to institute what will virtually be new CON
stitution for the old one 1t thus attempts to
do indirectly what IT has not the power to do
directly The people will laugh to scorn all
eeive them. The amendments will be Ignored
or voted down, and q Legislature elected that
will order convention. twill not sit either
longer than forty-eight hours.
IOpelousas Conrier.1
Louisiana has too many Senators, too many
Legislators, too many sessions OF the General
Assembly. and they sit too long when ia SEES
many State and county dignitaries. too many
salaried officials of all classes and grades
and too many prominent members of our
party" The authority of the Legislature, and
within narrow and fixed limits and the pow
ers OF the State officers should also be limited
and hedged about SO that little room should
be left for the exercise OF doubtful discretionary
power.
East Felcana Patriot Democrat
One of the very first things that should be
done by the present Legislature is the passage
Of bill reducing the number Of members of
the House of Representatives from 100 to
ninety. the minimum number allowed by the
are obvious to every thinking man. The pub
Tic business could be as etfeetualy transacted
by ninety men as by 1870. In fact. we arc dis
posed to believe that this smaller number
could transact 1t with much greater efficiency
and dispatch Besides, this reduction OF thirty
lawmakers would save to the State about
800 900 per annu1n-no mean sum at this Pc
Rod of hard times and high taxes
tMindsn Democrat
Most Of the sound thinking men OF our par
ish are strongly in favor of a convention and
WE have yet to meet among the reading men
earnest advocate for the calling of oonven-
ton. Everything up here, except-weli, we
won't say-is in favor Of q convention. and we
assert positively that neither Senator A. B.
George nor Hon. w. w. Carloss represent the
views of their constituents in their opposition
to it. We have read q great many reasons
from Representatives and Senators OF a public
and political nature why a convention should
not be called; would like to have them give
tale?
Lincoln Sentinel.
What this august body, the Legislature, is
doing is frequently asked. but so far no
answer has been satisfactorily given. Tosay it
is doing nothing would miss the truth, and to
say it has done anything would likewise be
,lntruthful, paradoxical us it may seem. We
have patiently plodded along after them in
the official Journal noticed the introduction
Of bills. and notice to introduce others, re-
ports Of the several committees to whom
bills had been referred, on some favorably, on
others unfav0rabiy, and on still others stlbsti-
tutes were offered, and II the two houses
this august body have united
their minds and voices on any one bill. we
have failed to find it, notwithstanding our
[vermllionvils Cotton -Bolll
While fully agreeing with our confreres OF
f,4n
ance of the forming of d new constitution for
we are opposed to the holding of a
convention at the present time
for prudential reasons. We are as anxious
rs any one TO have abolished tho numerous
sinecure Offices created under Radical rule;
to have the salaries of all officers reduced,
from the highest to the lowest; to annihilats
either the office Of district or parish Judge; to
make salaried sheriffs the tax collectors in
stead of paying enormous commissions as
now. and to have constitution of the peo-
pies making, instead Of the miserable abor-
tion, formed by aliens, which we with shame
are now compelled to call our constitution
Neither do we, like q few, object to the con-
vention because of the attendant expense, for,
If the amendments we have suggested are
made, enough will be saved to the State in q
single year to more than pay all expenses of
holding Il constitutional convention.
ETerrebonne Progress.l
We are compelled to differ with some OF the
best of our country exchanges as to the calling
Of O constitutional convention.
The constitution. as itnow stands, has some
very Objectionable features, and upon the
whole it is not the constitution we want; but
we are opposed to the calling of convention
when there Is another method favored by some
Of our prominent men that would be equally
as effective and much more probable OF sue
cess.
We are in favor of the appointment of a
committee OF nine Senators and thirteen Rep
resentatves, they representing the profess
sions, the occupations and the trades that is. |
law, agriculture and commerce; this commit
tee to amend the old constitution, then submit
1t to both houses of the Legislature. Ifadopted,
1t can be submitted to the people at the next
election for their ratification. This plan would
should have great weight, because a conven-
tion will cost more than many OF our best |
would be willing for the State to be taxed
with.
shreveport Times.l
The first few days OF the session of the |
Legislature have already demonstrated the
necessity of q constitutional convention. No |
one has yet been found, either In or out of the |
Democratic party, that we have heard Of who |
will admit that the present Legislature should
not change the constitution in some way or |
ature think that the instrument t can be
Members come forward with this, that and |
the other amendment to be submitted to |
The popular vote. This latter plan is the
'avorite one with the opponents Of q conven-
ion. But we predict that it will prove so
mpracticable as to be entirely given up
though 1t is very evident that the greater
part OF the valuable time of the session will
De wasted in discussing the numberless |
that will be presented for adop- |
ion; There will be a hundred Of them. Few
are likely to pass by two-thirds vote and re-
,eive the Governors signature. And when
submitted to the people they will share the
ate OF those voted on at the last election.
We, therefore venture the prediction that |
litter @ months fruitless discussion, the NOM
)ers themselves will become satisfied that all |
his quackery is impracticable, and will vote
20 call q convention. In the meantime the
pressure In favor of the measure is getting so
great that it will soon be impossible to resist |
t. We warn the Legislature that the people
ire in no humor to be trihed with on this i'm
)ortant subject.
What, then, are your objections to holding
convention at presents" will be asked. Sim
,ly this: 1t is very difficult to get our people /
nut to the polls for any special election; and
he Radicals. having their forces in good |
raining, would turn ont, en- 1nnsse and elect a