The Opelousas courier. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1852-1910, 1888-12-01

Still on the Wrong Track.


We can assure our amiable confrere
OF the Democrat that wa have no desire
to see him "shot'-indeed ii We har-
bored any such sinister motive. we
would be amply rewarded by simply
allowing him al! the rope he wanted -
and he would soon hang himself-vde
the many fantastic and contradictory
phases his expressions on the 'lawEessn
question has assumed during his self
imposed "defensive' task was under
taken The Democrat began by deny
ing that there was any lawleSsness,
then indulged in some gush about the
officials having suppressed lawiessnesS
(which it had claimed never existed)
then blamed US for wanting to see the
laws impartially enforced-and char
acterizlng its course defense of the
people" ''Ihe great body If law
Abiding people Of the parish" emphati-
eaily condemn the iawlessness which
the COURIER denouneed-and which
the Democrat does not denounce-if in-
deed its course may not be construed
just the reverse.
Violations of law in any locality is
lavlessness-and the lawIessness which
the COURIER has denounced, and ''the
great body abiding people of the
parish" denounce (the Democrat ex-
eepted. OF eonrseG was unfortunately
not an Isolated ease, confined to one To-
eality, but on the contrary several az
gravated cases in several localities,
which demanded prompt and determ-
med measures to suppress, without
stopping to inquire if the guilty parties
were "friends" or sEenem of this or
any other administration The Dem
ocrat's attempt to wiring i'll political
partisanship in this question was too
far-fetched and too transparent to hold,
and after two or three failures iu that
direction, it appears TO have abandoned
that theory and concentrated its enel-
giesn in trying to show that the "offi-
cials upon whom devoives the execu-
tion of the criminal laws have been
"uujustly treated by the COURIER" :"
and refers MS to said officials for veri
fcation of its charge. Not knowing
whether the Democrat is authorized by
anybody to make this charge, aud be
ing ignorant of the nature ofthe ''iBjus
tice' done by the COURIER, and not
having heard any such complaint from
any other quartet, we may perhaps be
pardoned for first doubling the Demo-
Gratis authority, and then tiisclaiming
the soft impeachment, ut least untp
these gentlemen, who are undoubtedly
abundantly able to take care Of them
selves, will make known their grievance
if any they have, in some less Indefinite
manner than the Democrats vague,
aud perhaps unauthorized insinnatI0U.
In this connection the following pafa-
graphs clipped from recent exchanges,
may assist III giving oul !seighbor csH-
rect view Of tile siiuatiaa,
Acadia Sentinel. Nov a fhe 81
turnalia of eiime that existed in St
Landry short time ago has happily
come to close thanks to tbe energy
and. efficiency of snch officers a. Judge
Lewis, district attorney Ogden Sheriff
Fontenot a1td others, offenders were
brought t, justice and made to atone
for their eyrars witiioat fear Or favor.
With sas,t IN efficient corps Of officers
old ST. Landry, will erjoy our Immunity
from crime which will do mach towards
making their progress permanent.
Baton Rouge Capitol Ifem lhe
0pelonsls COURIER deserves gtedit tut
the frank manner ia which it has ax-
posed aud denounced the recent acts OF
lawEessness in 81. Landry parish.