Louisiana capitolian., 1879-11-29
ADDRESS TO THE PEOPLE OF
LOUISIANA. :.
Rooms DEMOCRATIC CoNsERv ATivE
state Central COMMITTEES:
Nav Or,enns. November II, 1917.

New Orleans, November II, 1917.
TO the People Of Louisiana:
You arc called upon in this politi
cal campaign to express your OPINION
mon tic abrogation Of the Constitu-
ton foisted upon this State under the
reconstruction policy Of the Fcdcrai
Congress and the adoption, Of n new
Constitution, prepared BY q 0onyeni
ton of your own free choice, ana 10y
t submitted to your ratification. AT
the same time, considering tho, ,adop-
ton a foregone conclusion, that con-
vention has ordered the simultaneous 9,
election of State officers and Of ting,
General Assembly under that Consytl-
tuition. ti d, lo - =, .giGtf9
Such are the grave and all-imppr-
tant issues of this political campaign
For ten years have the Democratic
Conservative people Of this State, in
Conventions assembled at different
times and places, denounced the SO
called Constitution of 1868, not only
for it's dcmerits and internal defects,
but also for its vice of origin. Con
sidering it as y badge of servitude,
they have invariably demanded its
abrosatiou, and pledged themselves
to lend q willing aid to repeal 1t ut
the first opportune moment. Il u
Eollnw .citizcns. that moment has
arrived. ..nl .ox. ri
lin the winter of 1876 and 1877, M
dor tho leadership Of those distin- y.
ruished sons of Louisiana, F, -
Nichols and Louis Alfred Wilt, the
4 Democratic Conservative masses 0t
our people overturned tho usurpa-
ton and established the first govern
ment of their choice since the advent
Of the reconstruction laws OF Con-
Cress. Your State government, sup
ported promptly by public opinion,
assiduously set to work to redeem the
solemn pledges proclaimed by its peo'
ple. As it was next to impossible
Just after emerging from q dlretu
contlictto rush into another by tn
immediate. .abrogation Of the recon
struc,ion Constitution, our State goy
crnment proceeded ut first, but Wig
orously, with the important reforms
necessary to alleviate the'burdens OF
our taxation. Having discharge
this mission the other pledge b.
which our final redemption as
State is to be consummated was crap
pied; and for that sole purpose yo'
: have witnessed the spectacle Of a Gen
cral Assembly, just elected and in
, stalled in power, vacating their seat
after q brief session, consecrated t
the call of u constitutional Conven
= ton. .. ..il. g.u, !,
9 The Convention, composed Of til
best elements Of our people, m
> thoroughly representing all their il
: tercsts, material, social and politica
: has, after an arduous session 4
n three months, proposed tor yo'
. adoption the Constitution Of 1879.
:, The question is whether You WI
vote to mtify that Constitution, !
signify your willingness to live und
that of 1868. There is no other q
tentative! LIB /,
TO vote against adoption is to d
u eide that the Constitution of 1868
y the best Constitution, despite its co
,c ccdcd intrinsic vices and defects ~
'c it's original sin. .,
AS In other words, the two Const't
~ tons are candidates before the pc
-. pic. And is it possible, after matu
a. reflection and considering the iss
:" in its true light, that we should he
III tate 2 Our State nominating Conve
ton at Baton Rouge did not hesitat
but, speaking the voice Of the Den
cratic Conservative masses, advo'
ted and proclaimed our advocacy
the adoption of the new Constitute
The Republican party, assomb
in Convention in the city of New
leans, declared: "1hat as to
49, adoption ofthe Constitution we rec
nise an honest and legitimate sph
for difference Of opinion and rect
mend that the question Of adoption
rejection Of the proposed i"str""'cn
left to the individual conoictions Of
otcrs." The position thus taken
them is, on the one hand, q tribnt4
the merits of the Constitution OF ls
while OH the other it is ~ tacit subj
sion to public opinion, which {,
gH consigned to public obloquy the Z
stitution of 1868. aam auf'
Rcmembcr--anil the official rect
T. cxhibit--that under the Constltu
e.. of 1868, and the legislation unde
- the expenses of the State governn
t and Of the government of the cit t
New Orleans averaged ($S, 1886 4N
eiqht millions three hundred
eiqhw-1 -1iue thousand tow hundred
thirty- -tow dollars and seventeen
per annum while, under the
Constitution, the expenses OF
State and city governments ca
exceed (S2 623,692 3O) tro naI
sic hundred and bcentythree thou
sir hundred and minety-t~o do
K and thirty cents per a"n"n', upon
basis of the assessment of 1879.
' A difference in favor Of the ID
..u cratic Conservative party of tre
lions seren hundred and sirt!!
thousand seven hundred and fort!
dollars and eighty -sercn cents pc
nam (5,76l,6 87) !,
The ordinary expenses OF the
government for four years OF nc
lican rule, c,prior to the inaugurat'
the Nichols government, aver
three millions five hundred
. eighty thousand FIVE hundred
thirty seven dollars and sixt,
cents per year ($3,58o,5@ 6l).
The expenses ofthe Nichols
ernmcnt averaged two millions
ffty-one thousand nine hundred
... ftty-fve dollars ($2,05l 1861 a J