The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1879-01-25
The New Police Jury.
THIBODAUX, La, Jan. Is, 1879.

tt Paw 4 tiii ~
of our new Police Jury.
Everybody knows, that after the phliti-
cal kniyhts-errant OF 1851 We had II Dem
o%cratic Jury, composed of honorable men.
against whose official acts there has MT
been IL single complaint. To this body sue
| ceeded the last Police Jury, which III no
| wise represented public o~pinion-half APP
pointed a little ut hap hazard, the second
elected by gross fraud and maintained III
spite of right and Justice Nothing good
could be expected from such IL heteroge-
neuus body, and our expectations were not
deceived. We owe to it the ridiculous
| Road Inspection Ordinance, which divided
| the Parish into thirty three Inspection Dis
tricts-wI,hout any benefit to anybody, tx
crpt to the three paid Inspectors, who goh
| bltd mp 1910 per annum | have heard
members of that Jury boast OF having
freed the Parish from the heavy debt. crea
ted by the kitchen solutions OF 1873 n. They
are, however, most reprehensibIe in this
matter, not for having wiped ont the
debt, but for the manner ln which they
| did it. In fact, these SllOrt-siGhted Solons
have foun,t no better mc;lSu.t to attain
this end, than to levy an eXorbitant tax
ol ten mills and to pile it Oh, on the already
much too oncrOuS Licenses. The coinmuni
ty most urgently needed reliet, and this
was the principal objective point OF the cleo
| Iblui tttltIGtiSl u ~ ANpt ~ 'ttot, ~
IL candidate, but ,escanted almost exclu
sively upon the subject OF diminutlon of
taxes and licenses.
well understand the game of the Re
pnbllcans. which was to prove the Demo
crats ia lse to their programme but the
more it ought to have been the determine
| ton of the Democratic members, q matter,
which they appear not to have comprehen-
ded. or not to have wanted to comprehend.
If these gentlemen had wanted to exam
inc the origin of the debt, the original val
ue of the debt, the original vaiue OF the
warrants issued, their market value, they
would undoubtedly have discovered, that
these warrants could nave been easily
bought up ut fifty cents on the dollar,
which was the highest price paid by the
spectators, who alone prOtited from the
Police Jurial modus uperandi.
We might ask them, for what reason
they remitted S2l2 to the ferry lessee of
Lockport. when that latter only asked for
$l70.0O, which amount might perhaps be
justified by the epidemic, but certainly
not by the low price, realized from the pO-
tato crop. as alleged in the petition.
We might also ask them, why they did
not do their duty, by neglecting to sell the
terry leases ut the period specified by law.
We might ask a good many questions,
and TINS lengthen our list OF recrimina-
lions, but it,would only be crying over split
milk-let them sleep in peace on their
epilemeral laurels.
Do not believe that l desire to ~critizise
Cor the mere fun of the thing. My object is
more serious. l wish to enlighten public
opinion, show everybody his rights, but al
so to make those who pretend to be our re-
prescDtatives, understand, that their acts
are weighed and controlled, that the light
will not be allowed to remain hid under a
huslcl measure, to favor m sort of a
ring, but that intriYues aud viIlainirs will
he exposed in broad daylight, and judged
strictly and ilnpartially. This being under
stood, let lis salute the new Police Jury
elected on November I, 1873 and contem-
plate its work.
That Jury, elected at a period, when the
fever was yet raging among us. amply be-
trays its origin. The fever of contagious
~rctlnininiled in IL large portion Of onr Par
i>lI-people dared not communicate with
their own nei.hbors. Everybody remained
locked up ut home ami thus no agreement
was possible as regards the choice of candi-
dates. How certain individuals have been
elected, remains an enigma even to those
who, voted for them, who answer. when
you ask them for information, that they
did not know who the candidates were,
when they arrived at the poll. That they
voted the ward tickets. as they found
them, though much astOnished at finding
certain names upon them, Yet, even with
elements go divergent, it would have been
possible to arrive at IL satisfactory result,
il the second ward could have succeeded in
e%Iccting Capt. J. l.. Aucoin, or the fifth Mr..
II. N. Coulon. both sensible, intelligent
men, who might have succeeded in main
tanning the balance in a conduct OF wise
discretion. and the limits of their rights
and duties, and thus avoided the sorry
scandal produced in our whole Parish, with
out distinction of party, through their
first acts.
The defeat of these two gentlemen is due
directly to the influence of certain Radical
Sachems, who have used their authority to
its full extent. and 10Y very innOcentl.y
and virtuously come to the front. complain
ing bitterly of Jury SO incompetent. if
not worse.
The first net of the Police Jury. after or
gauizing was to elect officers. Judge
Squares was designated as Secretary, +.
Samoan. Treasurer. DIR. LIGHT, Parish Physl
elan and Il. l.. Winder, Parish Attorney.
These nominations are iudicious and above
criticism. Then came the ferry question,
and from that instant it was easy to per-
celve, that there was collision between
two members, for the purpose of making
this important business serve their own
l ltiSoltot htOttot olC VI UlCtA uIGuO tuC
motion to sell the Lockport Ferry for five
consecutive years at the rate of $500 a year.
payable annually. This was infringing up
on the rights of future Police Jurics, and,
besides, how conld they udjudge itl There
was no bidding possible, as the price was
stipulated. In this botched up concern
but one thing is clear, which is that the
President of the Police Jury, whose duty
it is to sell the ferry, and who is also the
actual lessee. has found it quite natural to
adjudge it to himself. The matter is very
diaphanOus. aud not bad for green hands.
As this motion was easily defeated. anoth-
err motion was presented, always by the
same gentlemen, to sell the ferries after
thirty days notice, price payable quarterly
but deliverable Immediately after the sale.
To fully understand the drift of this mo
ton, we must consi Ter, that if the ferries
are to be delivered immediately after the
sale, only u nOmical price can be obtained.
as persons, DESTROYS OF acquiring a lease.
will not bid unless they lave a reasonable
delay to purchase or build d boat. 1t thus
follows that the entire advantage is fer the
lessee in possession. who reacquires the
lease for an insignificant amount, having
no serious competitor, and this to the great
detriment of the Parish.
The SAINT plan succeeded in 1876, when
the ferry was sold for SEQ, when $500
might have been realized, if sufficient time
had been granted.
After this first session the other meln-
bers were instructed, as to the damage
caused tn the Parish finances by "A sale
made after this system-they pretended to
understand and promised to reconsider the
resolution of the nravious 1nv and r., huya