St. Landry democrat., 1883-12-08
East Baton Rouge Ward Con.
VentiOll,

East Baton Rouge Ward Com
vention.
Baton ROUGE, Nov. 24.-The follow
ing resolutions were adopted to-day by
a large mass meeting in the First Pre-
cinct of the Fourth Ward:
1. Resolued, That the morals of Il peO-
ple take their queue from those highest
in authority, and that it is of paramount
importance that the head of the State
should lead a sober, temperate and dis
Greet life. We aver that in these essen
tials the present Executive is totally de-
Hcient.
3. Resolced, That we arraign the
present Executive as being unworthy OF
Democratic support, as he has signany
failed to protect or promote the interest
of public education, has fostered mo-
nopolies, connivcd at the misappropria-
tiOn OF Il large area OF the pubic do
main, abused the executive power by
appointing known criminals to fiduciary
Offices, and that he has in many in
stances not only failed to enforce, but
has violated the law.
3. Resolved, That offices were Great
ed to be filled by the public servants for
the peoples good that when they are
held by protracted tenure these condi-
tions are reversed and the people be-
come the servants of the Office holders !;
that by long continuance, Office holding
has become in this State a business and
profession, contrary to the Democratic
doctrine Of rotation in Office, without
which no public tiduciary can be held to
strict account, legislative investigations
being delusiOn and a snare, as has been
recently illustrated III the States OF Ten
nessee and Alabama.
4. Resolced, That we protest against
monopolies that swell combined capital
at the expense OF the wealth producing
classes, and especially. do we earnestly
,entreat this people to be warned in time
against the Louisiana Lottery Tie act
Of 1870 destroyed the legal existence Of
this monster, which the Convention of
the same year endeavored in vain to re-
surrect. Language cannot depict the
decentralization wrought by this infamy,
that proceeds upon the assumption that
all men have their price. 1t STILES laud-
able ambition, cOrrupts the ermine, fills
the legislature with its purchased min
ions, and dictates laws. No public Off
GERS, however unworthy, can be retired
without its consent. 1t enters the sacred
precinct of every home and fills the
penitentiary with its victims and turns
to base account great regulations, hold
ing in its tentacles alike the lofty and
the lowly. As a prerequisite of its exis-
tence it aspires to control the Executive
and the law-making power. There is
conclusive reason to believe that it is
using its enormous means to secure the
nomination of McEnery, and that it is
his chief reliance for success. Should
il attain its ends there will be little use
in the near future for the formation of
conventions and aSSemblages OF the
people.
S. Resolred, That the present lease
of the Penitentiary is relic Of military
dominion and Radical misrnle; that the
management and government OF con-
yicts is a subject of the police power,
and, therefore, under the control of each
reassembling Legislature, whose duty
it is to abrogate this lease; that a half
of a million of dollars has been squan-
dered upon machinery nearly if not
wholly worthless and entirely useless
and we hold that it is both unwise and
ubiquitous that this impoverished peo-
pie, scarce able to educate their chill
dren and maintain their families, should
be taxed to build levees, which tlliscon
vict force constructs at an enormous
profit to the lessee, whilst the state is
paid almost nothing for the convicts'
services, and we denOunce the system Of
working convicts outside of the Peni-
Tertiary as contrary to the statutory law
and the DEGREES Of the court passing
sentence, and as cheapening and de-
grading honest labor, that enricfing the
few at the expense OF the many, fostered
and advocated by a Ring Of self styled
Democrats, cannot be too severely con-
demned, and the more especially as a
part OF these ill-gotten gains, there is
every reason to believe, is being used to
renominate McEnery, under whose ad-
ministration it would be vain to look
for relief.
6. Resolued, That the exigencies Of
the public service, no less than the law,
demand that State officers should reside
at the State capital, and we condemn
the absenteeism that characterizes the
officials of the present administration,
the Executive excepted.
z. Res0lued, That while we dwell
with pride upon the spotless record and
transcendent services rendered the State
by Francis T. Nichols and Frederick
Nash Ogden, and while we believe it
would prove an inestimable boon to this
people should either be nominated for
the Gubernatorial chair, we are willing,
if necessary, to foregO our preferences
i'm favor of any good man who can pre-
vent the unspeakable calamity Of the
denomination Of McEnery.
8. Res0lped, That the gratitude Of
this commonwealth is due to the unsnb-
sidized press, and especially to the New
Orleans Picayune, which has stood q
faithful sentinel upon the watchtowers
of our liberties.
There were about one hundred and
fifty white registered voters, besides a
large number Of colered. The meeting
was addressed by Gen. Allen Thomas,
Col. Z. w. Robertson and Mr.. T. Sam
bola jones.