St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1883-09-15


hope, repudiate these measures as we'll
as those who are responsible for them.
It is the right and duty of a great party,
basing itself upon fixed principles, to
turn out of power its servants who
prove themselves nnsoun9 or untrust-
worthy upon questions of principle.
Any other course would turn the party
into mere machine to confer office
upon individuals, and it would soon
lose the confidence and support OF the
mass of the voters not interested perso-
nally in the pursuit of Office. We have
heard no defense of the two acts in
question worthy of a serious answer.
Some Jealous partisans of the admins
tration have suggested that some of the
obnoxious features of the election law
are copied from the statutes of other
states. That is child's argument.
The law must stand or fall upon its
own merits. That the legislature OF
California, or of Mississippi may have
done thus and so, upon some former
occasion does not excuse the authors
ties in this State for violation OF the
Constitution and an invasion OF the
rights of the people.
But look, if you please, briefly at
the obnoxious features of the election
law. The reform legislature under the
Nichols administration had repealed
the radical election laws, and by giving
to the police juries authority to appoint
commissioners and locate polling
places, and by constituting the sheriff
the returning officer of elections, had
placed the ballot box as we'll as the
count and return of the votes immedl-
ately under the supervision of the peo-
pie themselves through agents chosen
by themselves, who from their repre-
sentative capacity were presumed to
be able and willing to deal honestly
with the ballot box. That law worked
most justly and satisfactorily. The
present statute takes these functions
away from these immediate agents of
the people and places them in the hands
of one man, whom the law authorizes
the Governor to appoint. Upon this
executive appointee tile law imposes no
restrictions or conditions as to selection
of commissioners, or designation of
polling places. Here is ample opportu-
nifty for the preparation of wrongs
upon the suffrages of Che people. Now,
by way of indicating the practical
workings of this feature of the law, let
us suppose Ga most probable SUPPOSE
tion) that all the returning officers of
the parishes throughout the State are
supporters of the Governor and of his
followers everywhere, who want Office
does it require argument to show more
plainly the dangerous nature of such
power in the hands of one man, who
wishes to succeed himself, and who also
wishes his friends in the parishes to
get into Office 2
Again, what just purpose is sought to
be accomplished by requiring all voters
to vote a printed ballot, and that upon
paper to be furnished by the Secretary
OF State 2 The pretext that it was done
to control the negro vote is unworthy
of mention. The Democratic party got
into power without any such device, and
it need not resort to such wanton restric-
tions upon the freedom Of suffrage, to
maintain itself in power. 1t may be
true that these obnoxious features were
by some members of the
party residing in radical districts, but
chat is not reason for inflicting these
offensive wrongs upon the large Demo-
cratic constituencies throughout the
State. Every man that has within him
5he true instinct of Democracy feels in
ured and offended in his own person
oy such acts.
The act forestalling the people in
heir right to choose their own local !
legislatures until the year 1888, and Civ
ng the right to the Governor to APP
,oint until that time, is an outrage
bout which it is scarcely possible to
write or speak calmly, and we cannot
Iccount for the tameness with which
he people submitted oft, except upon
he theory that the long series of
inflicted upon them by the rad
cal party had to great extent oblite-
ated from their minds all recollection
t the fundamental principles of a re-
ublican form of government. The
pectacle is presented of the executive
ranch of the government appointing
he legislative branch ! What difference