St. Landry democrat., 1882-09-02

was necessary to protect the taxpayers
in the Republican parishes, against lg-
nOrant and corrnpt police jurles. The
admistratition OF Governor NICHOLS
was perhaps justified by a controlling
necessity. The Witt administration.
and the present State government ana
not have that excuse. AS mas Deeh
stated, they had a pretext, .e.' Jhe pro,
lection OF the taxpayers IN the Iadlcal
parishes. If this was an honest reason,
it could not, would not have Justl1led
the act. The violation OF puollc right,
deliberately incorporated IN the constl-
tuition, in the maintenance OF Which
every man, woman and child IN the State
is personally interested, and to which
every official of the government is sol
EMMY pledged by his oath OF office, is a
very grave act. Not to resent it, not to
insist upon it's immediate rectlfcation
would demonstrate Il degeEeracy or the
people, a falling away from that demo-
democratic spirit upon which the per
petuation of our institutions depends,
more than upon any written law.
| But the reason given was not an non
| est one, because the constitution pro
tects the citizen against undue taxation
bv the ten mill limitation, a restriction
which the courts stand ready to enforce.
A gentleman well known throughout
this State, eminent alike for his abilities,
character and standing, and Il democrat
whose councils would have weight even
outside OF this State, recently, IN con
versrtion with democratic member
of the House concerning the election
law, expressed to hina his astonlshment,
that there was not one single cooi-head-
ed democratic member OF the House or
|
in that law, and raise his voice against
it's passage. 1t is no less astonishing,
that no representative from the demo-
cratic parishes, either III the House or
Senate, entered his protest against the
police jury bill. Both OF these meas
ures rest upon the pretext that 1t is ne
cessary to control the Radical parishes,
and under that pretense, both OF them
trample contemptuously upon the per-
sonai rights of every democrat in the
State. The conduct Of our State gov
eminent seems to have fallen into the
hands of race of smallminded men,
intent only in the pursuit OF personal
aims. Nothing, not even the constltu-
ton, is thought worthy OF a moments
consideration, when opposed to party
ends, in which a select few are to be
the beneticieries.
The plea that these things are done
to aid the democratic party cannot be
credited. Such acts would kill any
party, in a community truly democratic.
No disinterested democrat can, or will,
defend them. The only purpose they
could have, is a bad purpose. Ii, as
has been charged, there are a few con
trolling spirits within the party, who
have already parcelled out the offices
of the next administration, then we can
understand these acts. Otherwise, we
| cannot. They are indeed auxilaries by
which such purpose might easily be
mplished, most fit Instruments to
such a sinister end. If not repealed by
an extra session, we shall see how the
Governor will exercise the power given
him, and by that token he must be
judged. -,
In another article, the writer will
suggest what steps, in his humble judg-
ment, the people ought to take, to pro.
| tect themselves against the exercise OF
a power so wrongfully and obsequious-
| ly conferred upon the executive, by their
re representatives. and Senators.
OBSERVER.