Feliciana sentinel. [volume] (St. Francisville, La.) 1877-1892, 1878-05-25
AMENDMENTS NOT DEMOCRATIC
(Ouachita Telegraph.

Louisiana has had five constitutions.
OF this number three were De mOcraiic,
to-wit: the constitution Of 1912, 1545,
and 1852 and two We're Republican,, to-
wit the constitutions of 1864 and 1868,
the latter being now in force Each
prescribed q mode Of amendment to it.
self, but 80 jealous have the people al
ways been of their rights in that par
ticmlar that whenever it became neces-
sary to change any part, the whole fun
darnental law has been submitted to re-
vision, aud the custom never varied I'M
til after the adoption of the present con-
stitutiOn.
The constitution Of 1912 was snpersc-
detl by that OF l545, AMI the most impor.
tant change was the abolition of the par
isl, ju.lgeship; that Of 1852 superseded
that of 1s45, and it's most important
change was to make tie judiciary elect
i've. All the conventions were called
by Democratic legislatures, controlled
by Democratic majorities, and ratified
by Democratic voters.
The constitution of 1864 was nothing
more nor less than a Radical prctext for
depressing the white population of the
| State. 1t existed four years without
| change or amendment. That of 1868,
now in force and apparently so tlra
to whilo,n Democrats, was only intended
to more securely bind the shacklos fast
ened upon us by its predecessor. With
! it, amendments commenced five or
NOR. have already been adopted nine
teen are now suggested, and for ty odd of
the original articles are to be. stricken
out. The constitution will have been
evisce rated, but the life of the thing, its
tail, will survive.
In the better days Of the state no such
thing would have been thought of. or
tolerated, for the Legislature could not
have atrogated to itself any such right
Or authority. But now, in the midst OF
electrical wonders, We have the political
spectacle OF Democrat tic Legislature pro-
posing to abrogate the judiciary system
Of the state and to subtitute in its place
sonnet hing for which some new nan Q
must be discovered and which must lead
to inextricable confusion. And when We
protest GllG no SuCN pOWeE'eAlSGou Ill Uho
Legislature, that no such Issue was rails
OF in their candidacy, that II" such wish
was prevalent. and that no reason or pre-
cedent won d justify it, we are grav'ly
told that "the people themselves do NOT
know what they wal, to A convention
would cost too much! The term of the
present officials would he abridged! The
Louisiana Lottery would be abolished
Monopolies would be discontinued and
prohibited! Spurious bonds would be
repudiatcd before they could be funded
and transferred! Supcrfluous offices
would he done away with! Economy en-
forced to the injury of this or that good
officer! Anda Thousand and one Other
equally as unpatriotic objections ART
made.
The amendments are not Democratic
they arc a compromise between radicals
Office. holders and monopolists device:
to perpctuatc as long as possible portion
of the burdens of Il constitution that res
pect:ble Republicans could not sign o
approvc, and that honorable men canno
now support or endure without ouin
ing consciousness of shame and deSrada
ton.
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