St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1884-06-21
Executive EncroacInment.
Baton Rouge Truth.

another.
The sinister movement began by the
| transfer of the selection OF Police Ju-
/ rors to the Governor. 1t originated IN
race prejudice, although it had many
apparent grounds of justification IN the
maIadministratiOn in some parishes by
tile agents of the people. This might
have been easily avoided by requiring
certain qualifications for the office of
Police Juror, but the short party way
was to turn the function of selection
over to the Governor, and a vital prin-
/ cidle of Democratic government was
| chopped off at toe roots. The fructify-
! ing causationn thus set in motion has
| been rapid and effective. 1t has almost
wrought revolution in the spirit of
our institutions. Warmoth in his hal
cyon days hardly exercised more des-
pOtic authority in connection with IN
| terests at the homes OF the people, and
we already see the indications of servlle
subserviency, which makes the recOl-
| lectiOns OF those days sickening
nightmare. Those, who remember the
| features of the last Legislature, can see
/ very distinctly the abatement Of inde-
pendence among the members. A 81
/ lent sea-change is going on. which will
reduce our people to the degradation
| OF Mexican poems, unless the counter
action takes place soon.
The next step in the pathway OF re-
| PROGRESSION was the adoption of TIE
! hateful election law of 1882 The OBJ
| iect here was to defeat Kellogg in the
Third District. BY the irony OF fate,
which always defeats the calculations
| of wrong, the initial design failed and
| when the fraud was put in practical Op-
| +inp Enmnorrr oTIn hic frnnCp yyaTn on
| Enthusiastically cooperating for the cleo
| tion of the Democratic ticket, and the
passage of the First Amendment. For
there is certain magnetism in fraud,
which brings together blue spirits and
grey, across the very indefinite party
lines in Louisiana. The white Demo-
cratic party cast the lasso and got
caught in the moose it has been hoist
ed on its own petard !; the boomerang
has returned with such swift and exact
retributiVe justice, that it must impress.
the most nnthoughtful with the inter-
ventiOn of Providence in the affairs of
men. The machinery which cost us
so much agitation, labor, and precious
blood to destroy, has been recast, and
put in operation again. The arbitra-
ment of suffrage has been so much dis
credited, that in every calculation OF
future elections the single question for
debate is. whether fraud shall absolute
ly control, or whether it shall be resist
ed by force. In the meantime, the pop
ular spirit is tired OF the long resist
ance to the evil destiny, which seems to
be fastened upon US. Men have ceased
the discussion of public questions, and
have resigned themselves to adverse
fate with a sullen detection, which will
in some day be churned into revolu-
ti0nary violence. Every craven spirit,
every grasshopper that chirps in the
sunshine of administrative favor sees
that the Executive is the source of adj
vancement and promotion every wag
sees the humorous side of any protest
alton against its encroachment, and
points the finger of ridicule at the in1-
practical, and unthrifty spirit which
ventures to criticize and resist. In a
word, for the time being the people are
bound hand and foot, and they cannot
say that by any peaceful processes OF
agitation or by any manifestation of
the popular will, short of revolution,
they can cast off the fetters, that have
thus been put on them.
Now comes the State Board of Equal
izatiOn, Whichis to give to the admin
istration the public purse, and put it
above all Constitutions and. all laws.
This viii complete the panoply. Stead
lily, stealthy, like the tiger creeping on
its prey in the jHngles has the spirit OF
encrOachment been pursuing this. last
imminent of popular right, the right OF
local valuation. At the last Legislature
the trap was laid but with all its sins
the last General Assembly steered clear
of this enormity. Now all interests are
combined, and the conservative senti
ment of the. capitalist class, which is
the natural antagonist of this Admins
tration, is urging the suicidal measure !
for its OWN interest. In order to en-
hance the price of bonds for the mo-
ment, these short-sighted capitalists are |
giving encouragement to the spirit, |
which will make war on all credit, when |
the political exigencies arise. They are |
giving the reins to license, which will |
sweep away all values. They are ac-
quiescing in exactions, which will, cul- |
inmate in such popular resistance as
was never seen before in this State, and |
which will end in reputation as sure as
Such are the salient features of the
encroachment on popular rights, which
is silently going on. Its honey comb (
ing tile social fabric at the base. 1t is /
infusing among the people a contempt
for law, which is the last social calami-
ty 1t interposes an efectual bar to i'm.
and the location of capital
in our enterprises The best way to !
deal with such evils is to recognize
them, and to touch them with chloride
ofsilver The proud flesh grows, it You
let it alone.
Lake Charles with a population of |