Louisiana capitolian., 1880-06-19
A VOICE FROM NEW ORLEANS.

the parishes NJ large, sn0'lu KNOW now
elections are carried on in this city. 1t
is but due to your present committee to
say that as now constituted, the people
ought to gather fresh hope and strength
for the fight before us. The late dcci-
sion of our Supreme Court, destroying
the hard-won victory, "limiting parish
and municipal taxation to ten mills for
every conceivable purpose" has gone
very far to make the matter Of voting
an affair almost farcical, so far as the
rights or interests of the people are bcn-
Gifted thereby. Did not the people, by
u hcrculcan effort, send the best repre-
sentativcs they could elect to IL Consti-
tutional Convention, and was not the
work of that Convention submitted back
to the people for final approval or rcjcc-
ton, and was not the Constitution and
the limitation clause above rcicrWd to
ratified by an overwhelming vote OF the
people of this State.
Now, among the members of the Con-
stitutional Convention, was Hon. Il. B.
Todd, of Morchousc, who worked for
and supported the above limitation
clause, and had the satisfaction Of see
ing this provision and the rest of the
Constitution endorsed by the decided
majority mentioned, and yet, his was
the deciding vote, as one of our present
Associate Justices, which set this clause
aside and made it dead letter. How
came about 80 great change! Did not
Col. Fcnncr, at the head Of the bond
holders committee Of thirty, use the same
arguments contained in tho late dcci-
sion of our now Associate Justice Fenncr
before the late Constitutional Convcn-
tion, and, of course, before the said Mr..
Todd, and at that time in vain? How
does it happen that arguments so futile
then, have become so powerful and so
convincing now, is the question which
consistent people are asking themselves
to-day: What was just yesterday must
be right to-day. Indeed, there might
have been u doubt before tho people
ratified the Constitution IA to their sen
timcnts and wishes, certainly there was
no room for doubt after such endorse
mcnt and approval. Such fatal tlrusts
as Brutus gave to his best friend Caesar {;
such ruinOus and fatal acts as the late
change of base ON the part of our now AS
sociatc Justice Todd arc among the rcas-
ons which make people doubt the value
or the worth Of vote. If one creature
of the people can thus stamp ont their
sovereign will as emphasized in their
new Constitution, what next are they
to cXpect'
This Supreme Court decision, then,
has struck n very decided and u very
unnecessary blow against the esprit
dc corps" and the unity Of our party.
Granting even that the bondholcrs were
entitled to five ont of the ten mills limi-
tation, what business and what right
had this court to say anything or to
think on the subject of this city's run,
ming expenses. Why, if the police
could not be paid out of this sum, then
the citizens themselves could perform
certain volunteer service by turns. III
the matter Of street and gutter cleaning
property holders could combine and
employ men for this purpose if ncccs
sary. There was thus no necessity fol
the Supreme Court to legslatc in oul
behalf.
TO return to the subject Of elections il
this city and their modus opcrandi, lei
me commence by informing you that cacl
one Of our seventeen wards have loca
power, for good or evil politically, unde
the name of Ward President. On elcc
ton days, he appoints everybody. b'
it known that the ward presidents ar
always political aSpilantS, and thai
these positions are always steppin!
stones to prcicrmcnt. As soon as elected
a certain number OF presidents meet to
@cthcr 4, says want to be Mayor
i, agrees 10 be one Of the AdminiStra
tors: c, agrees to be another, etc, etc.
and l., plays his cards iOrC Criminal Shcr
III, and NJ, for the Civil Slcri1's position
This combination, we will say, az
agreed. and that they number the ma
jority Of our ward delegates. Each o
these presidents must now land thei
delegation ticket. We will call thi
combination the ''ring;' the oppos
ton, we will call the "anti-riug.' i
each ward, there will be ring and a
anti-ring ticket. They demand repre-
sentation at the polls. The president
to carry his nomination, must elect tn
ring delegation. He must now appoin
wisely-not fairly. He therefore al