St. Landry democrat., 1879-08-02

ana see no ODStructl0nS are thrown Ill
the way by any one.
Editor Of ST. LANDRY DEMOCRAT -
The new constitution will be submit
ted to the people for ratification, the 1st
Tuesday Of next December. At the
same time there will be a general
election of State, District and Parochial
officers. st. Landry is now % judicial
as we'll as a Senatorial District. Our
people therefore, will he called upon to
elect, in addition to State officers, a
District Edge, District Attorney, Sheriff
Clerk of Court, Coroner, two Senators,
four Representative and all the ward
officers of the parish. The office of
Recorder has been merged with that of
Clerk Of Court; that of Tax Collector
with the Sheriff's Office, whilst the office
of Parish Judge has been abolished
entirely. Hence, for these three latter
Offices there will be no election.
In the opinion of the writer the
people of the parish, ought, as far
as possible, to re-elcct the present
incumbents. Those elected in 1876,
for four years, have served out
very little more than half their term.
T-.ose elected in 1873, for two years,
have served out only about eight months
of their time for which elected. When
the Democratic convention at Baton
Rouge in August, 1878, recommended
the assembling of a constitutional con-
yention, the recommendation was adopt
ed with the following declaration, to-
wit: "That in favoring call for a
constitutional convention, it is not pur
posed to displace or interfere with the
incumbent officials in the State govern
ment.' This was the 18th plank of the
Baton Rouge platform.
This declaration of the Democratic
convention, owing to the Radical
changes, made in every department Of
government by the convention, it was
impossible to observe, and hence with
one exception, State Treasurer, an al
most entire new set Of officials must
be elected in December. We have
heaEa no complaint against any Of the
officers elected by the people in this
parish, whether in 1876 or 1878. In fact
we believe it is generally conceded, the
Offices of our parish were never in
better or more competent hands than at
present. It is therefore to be hoped the
people may carry out the spirit of the
Baton Rouge convention by re-ele citing
them throughout the parish.
Especially, is it to be hoped that the
present officers of our District Court may
be retained, to-Wit: Judge Hudspeth,
District Attorney Perrodin, Sheriff
Duson and Clerk Of Court Chachere.
Judge Hudspeth has dispatched busi-
ness with great rapidity. His terms Of
Court have been amongst the shortest
ever holden in the parish by any Judge
and the amount Of business transacted
will compare favorably with that Of
any of his predecessors on the bench.
But few of his decisions have been
reversed, on appeal, by the Supreme
Court. =
District Attorney Perrodin is univer-
sally conceded to have been one of the
most efficient District Attorneys in the
State. Always ready, quick in his per-
ceptions, fluent speaker and a perfect
master of both French and English, a
splendid criminal lawyer, it would be
impossible to replace him by any law
yer in our parish.
Duson's reputation as q Sheriff is
known not only throughout Louisiana,
but in neighboring States. He alone of
all the Sheritfs, we have. ever had, is
always ready, when occasion requires,
to follow criminals into distant States,
arrest them and bring them back to
justice. During the time be has been
Sheriff, fugitives from justice from our
parish, have learned to their sorrow,
that neither Texas nor the Indian
Territory is safe place Of refuge for
them.
AS Clerk Of Court, James @. Chachere,
has certainly administered his respon-
sible Office to the satisfaction of every
one. He is always courteous, affable
and obliging. An efficient officer him
self he has displayed splendid Judgment
in the selection Of his deputies; and we
doubt to-day if there is in the whole
State, a Clerks office better admins
tered than his.
! again express the hope that the
people OF st. Landry will re-elect all
these officers in December. The parish
will be the gamer by it. Should any or
all these gentlemen, be candidates for
reelection, they can certainly go before
the people on their past official records,
and challenge comparison with any who
have ever preceded them in Office in our
parish. Hence what are the people to
gain by displacing such officers and
electing others in their stead? The
answer is nothing. OCCASIONAL.