St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1879-01-18
The State aud the Press.
New Orleans Democrat,

New Orleans DcmOcrat.I
Our country contemporaries arc inlig.
nant at the unjust treatment they have
received at the hands of the late Le2is-
lature. That body, ignoring the de-
mand which went up from every quarter
of the State for a Constitutional Con-
vention, devised and passed multitude
OF i'll digcsted amendments to the con
stitution, and then appropriated the in
significant sum of five thousand dollars
to pay forty-nine newspapers to print
and bring them before the people. At
the low rate allowed by the law to the
ments it would require nearly seventeen
thousand dollars to compensate these
journals. Hence there is, rs our Clinton
contemporary shows, a deficit between
the appropriation and the compensation
legally and justly due the country pa
pers of nearly twelve thousand dollars.
The gross injustice of this must be
evident to every right thinking citizen
of Louisiana. In nossState in the Union
are there such multitude of.useless Off
Gals, and in no State of the Union are all
officials, both the useless aud the neces-
sary, so extrayagantly paid. Yet when
the Legislature came to deal with the
press and the officials, it refused to call
Il convention to lop off the useless offices
and cut down the salaries of the others,
and then devoted all its energies and
abilities to elabortjng ID system under
which the most work could be squeezed
ont cf the press for the least amount of
money.
The country Democratic papers,
through years of Radical rule, when all
the measures OF the government were
against acknowledgement, in fact, to 1es-
troy them-stood by the State and the
Democratic party unfalteringly. Poll.
tician after politician fell away, and in
the greed of Office went over to the en-
envy or in fear Of the dominantparty. kept
his mou,l. shut. BuHthe press of the State
kept up the war until the fight was
won.
These papers have deserved we'll OF
thcspe0plc Of Louisiana but the chief
efforts at rctrcnchmcnt by the late Leg
islaturc We're directed to the curtailment
nf the price of even such printing rs the
State had no interest in. This matter
of the advertisement of the amendments
is but a sample Of the rigid economy of
the Legislature in dealing with tue
press.
The adoption of the amendments in
face of the violent opposition Of the
-
in itself The only justification it could
have had would have been conscientious
and liberal measures to bring the amend
mcnts fully before the people, so that
they conld be discussed and understood.
But no such measures were taken. The
press was expected to do the work with
out compensation, as it had fought the
battle of the State without cOmpen-
sation while horde of politicians.
who are now on the front howlins
for fat offices or occupying them,
were straddliDg the fence to see on
which side the matephorical cat was
going to jump.
The Democrat has itself been made 4
victim of this policy. 1t has refused to
puff public officials or aspirants for office,
while it has fought inside of its party
for reform. Hence it has incurred the
hostility OF many Of tho would be leaders
of the Democracy. We carried the
government was in great doubt, and
tl,en settled with the State in dcpreciat-
cd warrants, at our own suggestion, ON
the basis of the reform printing bill,
which we first suggested, and alone, OF
all the city papers, advocated.
Yet tho Printing Board, at its late
session, usurping arbitrary judicial func-
lions, established rulings under which
the contract was to be given out fol 1879
WHICH at once reflected upon the Demo
crat, reduced the printing to literally
nothing, and 80 embarrassed and con-
fused the contract that it is impossible
for tho State = rintes, except under a
Judgment OF q court, to proceed with
the work necessary to the public inter-
est,
Cur country contemporaries may rest
assured that organs OF the people are
not what politicians want. With few
exceptions every aspirant for official
honors, and every official, believes that
only those papers are worthy, of Demo
cratic support which are ready to blow
his horn and advance his interest. i
is we'll that the press of this State should
understand this fact. Let it look to the
people for support. If the press be true
10 the pesple, if it supports only meas
urcs ia the public interest, it will saou
require no aid frons politicians, whose
master it will become. The wang done
our contemporaries in this matter of the
publication Of the amendments should
tie repaired, however. The incoming
Legislature shOnld make an appropria-
ton to pay them for the services they
have honestly done the state, The
country papers have just claim against
the State for $4,000, and they must re-
ceive it. II the State is poor let Il con- |
stitutionai convention cut off 300 or 800
useless officials, reduce the ga aries of
the others in accordance witt. the saiar-
les paid in other and richer States. and
then Louisiana will be able to pay the
just debts she owes those who have |
served her and who have trusted in her
faith.
EHoW Raisisas are Prepared.