St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1879-02-15
State Licemses-Cam They be
Collected!
IN. O. TiulcS.


Tribntcs to the unutterable stupidity
of the late lamented Leg'siaturc con
tinue to multiply. There was testimony |
enough already to cover with disrepute
eyery member of the majority, and so
stamp with odum and intamy the chap |
ter which records it's deeds, but this last
discovery furnishes purel y snpertiuous
addition to the evidence. tdid nOtneed
the marvellous blunder of the license bill
to establish upon an enduring basis the
bad name Of the late Legislature. The
whole spiritand tendency OF the session,
the acts and purposes OF the leaders
and the results which are now before
us-all these combined to place the
verdict of popular sentiment beyond
doubt Oreyen hesitation. But this affair
of the license bill goes to show that the
Legislature was as supreme IN dull and
floundering imbecility for good as it was
in active and deliberate zeal for evil.
And thus the record OF the General AS
sembly of 1879 appears to be made up.
Nothing could add to the uns2vory and
disreputabe name it has left behind it.
We called attention yesterday morning
to Article ia of the Constitution, which
saws: Every law shall express its OBJ
iect or objects in its title" Attention
was likewise called to Act 81, promul-
gated in the al int III official journal on
Sunday, as coming in conflict with this
consti utional law. The title of the act
is as follows: can act to impose a IL
cense tax upon trades, professions and
occupations, for the benefit of the gem
eral fund, and to provide puniShments
and penalties for violations of the same;
also to repeal the Moffctt Register law"
This is the full text of the title, and yet
the very first section provides for the
levy of a poll tax upon all the eligible
voters OF the State, and for the devotion
Of the revenues of that poll tax, not to
| the general fund, but to two special
funds, viz: to the Charity Hospital and
the school fund respectively. We take
it for granted that no lawyer with any
self-reSpect will pretend to claim that
the objects of this act are expressed in
tain that, even if such a lawyer were to
be found, no judge would entertain his
proposition for a moment. In fact it is
| indispntable that the law is in violation
of Article ia of the Constitution
Some may co.,tcnd that the only effect
of this state of things will be to inval-
idate that part of the act which is not
expressed in the title, and that the
CLARITY Hospital and the schools will
he the only sufferers. That would he
bad enough, for the condition of the
schools is VIGOROUSLY lamentable and
the revenues Of the Charity Hospital
were cut down to mere pittance by the
loss of the $4,000 per annum from the
Lottery. But we incline to think that
the trouble will not end here by any
means. IF any part of the act is in VIC
latiOn of Article 114-is not the whole
act void ? The Constitution says that
every law shall express its objects in
the title ; here is an act which does not
express its objects in the title-can it be
law in any valid or nding sense oil
the word Surely any citizen will be
justified in refusing to nay his license
tax to the State until this point is set
tied, and any citizen can take out an(
Injunction forbidding the authorities tt
modest him pending decision by thu
courts. 1t may safely la assumed tina
these stems will be taken, and thus til,
State is plunged into a fresh and inter
mina0lc embarrassment.
There ought to be some means pro
vided by which the State can protect it
self against such infamous stupidity a
this. There ought 10 be power. resid
ing somewhere, b. N.l.ici, tne last 'Legis
p lature OF such members Of it as vote'
such shameful trouble and distress upol
the Stale, could be made to reimburse
for losses resulting directly from thei
criminal and inexcusahle parelessness
= or could be imprisoned at hard labo
! for tenn of years soa to prevent thei
doing further harm. The present sitNA
: ton is simply appalling, The State
! in perfect slough of difficulties, til
i, Charity Hospital and the schools ar
!, left unprovided for, the clerks, en-
e ployees, etc, who have worked faltl
fully aud are dependent almost for lii
q upon their pay are prevented from r.
: covering it-and whilst ell this troub
Il and misery is at its hight, the lont
o mouthed impostors who caused it a
y have drawn their full pay and are Ell
:, Toying it quietly and securely at home
q Look attehtiveiy at the situation, gentle
v men it is full OF beautiful and III
pressive moral