The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1883-09-22
We quote from tho Democrat:

never have taken place, ana yet our OBJ
jections to Gov. McEnery would have
been insurmountable. His admimistra-
tion has been despotic and undemocra-
tic. Under the preteXt of party necessi-
ty it has not only violated the Consti-
tuition, but has actually taken away
from the people the right Of local self
government. 1t is true that the Gov
ernOr could not have effected what has
been done in that direction without tho
cooperation of the legislature, but the
latter body is not now upon trial, The
Governor must answer for the exercise
of the prerogatives given him by the
Constitution. If he does not interpose
the veto power to arrest vicious or I'M
constitutional legislation, and if the
objectional act approved by him be of
that class which confers upon him per-
sonally unconstitutional powers and
prerogatives, then there is no possible
excuse for him consistent with right
reason and right purposes. His appro-
val Of such acts makes them his own,
just as much so as if he had lobbied
them through the house and senate.
OF this we shall have no doubt, when
we consider that the Governor is a
candidate to succeed himself, and that
the measures presently to be alluded to
were intended to be powerful auxiIliar-
les in the State election. We refer to
act number "a, approved and signed
July 5, 1882, auth ,.zing the Governor
to appoint polio, Jurors throughout the
State until the raj election of 1883,
and act numb relative to elect ions
passed and j ut the same scs-
SIru.. Bpr y acts arc incNcrtsr.
t... ~au -eous perversionS of
c5au non rig AT aud elementary constitu-
tlunai principles, acts which in the his
tory of legislation i'll the State of Lou
isiana we find no parallels except
under Warnoth and Kellogg.
And then follows through more than
two columns of the Democrat a long,
tedious, unscrapulous article, showing
intense prejudice, if not ignorance, in
the statement Of all the facts connected
uIth ne past legislation Of the State,
ana Particularly the circumstances
unuer which these two acts were
passed. Dwelling with dreary dfivel-
ing upon the uniitness of Gov.
McEnery for his position, because on
the alast day of the called session
two bills adopted by the Democratic
caucus of the Legislatures essential
to the life and wcll-being of the
Democratic party in Louisiana, and
TO tho very existence Of nearly every
alluvial parish in the State
Take Act No. 81. All along the
Mississippi river and in all tic" rich
parishes of Louisiana where the negroes
were in ascendcncy, to leave the election
of Police Jurors in the hands Of the
people, was to continue in two thirds
of the richest portion of Louisiana
the affairs of these parishes exclusively
in the hands of the majority, that is,
Of an ignorant, prejudiced negro power,
controlled and influenced by the Custom
house Republican politicians of New
Orleans. AS VIC have intimatcd, the
only hope or salvation for the rich
parishes of Louisiana was to take the
election of Police Jurors out of the
hands of this Radical majority, and
place the appointing power, as ii had
been done during the Nichols Goresn.
meat, in the hands of a Democratic
Executive. To believe tho editor Of
the st. Landry Democrat, Act. No. "a
was passed by the Democratic Legis,
lature of 1882, in order to secure the
denomination of s. ID. Nc Emery as
Governor in 1891. Ye, Gods, was
there ever such iogic!!
And so again with regard to Act No
101-relative 10 elections.-Althoug
adopted by the Democratic Legislative
Caucus, as party measure, and pre-
sented to the Governor for signature,
when he had either TO sign this act or
allow the State Glrift into Radicalism
or Anarchy. &c is now arraingned,
as unworthy reelection, because he
did not defessi lie chief party measure
of the Democracy in the session of
1897
And Of such material as the above