St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1890-12-27
Organize.

A petition having been filed by John
A. Morris, Esq, on behalf of the Louisi
ana State Lottery, for IL writ of man
damus to compel the Secretary of State
to promulgato the proposed Constitu-
tional Amendment passed by a two
third vote of the last General Assembly
of Louisiana, aud it being now settled
that the voters will bo called upon al
the next general election in 1892, to vote
for the adoption or rejection of tho pro-
posed amendments; it is in time to sug-
gest that those who favor the PROPOSE
ton should now organize themselves
and prepare to make their strength
available.
The Anti's have already done so, and
are working with might and man, os-
tenslb'y and in part to defeat the
amendment, but in reality for the (tO
them), more important purpose of re-
vltallzlng, eXhuming and resurrecting
some moribund or dead politicians, who
have exhausted all the strength they
had and have become desperate in their
ambition to flourish again.
The lottery proposition is paradcd as
the cdsus b'h against more than half OF
the Democratic party. but tho zeal OBJ
jectlve end aimed at is, the desire to
bolster up the present State political
government, by making heroes of the
Executive and some of his Fridays. 1t
is we'll to know this and to prepare to
combat it in the constitutional way.
The voters should not be led off from
the utter,or object the Antis have in
view, by all the fuss they are making
against the Revenue proposition of Mr..
Morris and his O-adjGtors. The Lot
terry Company as it now exists, will ter
inmate Jan. 1895, and the proposition is
to charter another company on the
terms and conditions set forth in the
amendment. The Ants endeavor to
cast slurs on it by calling it the Morris,
Herwie, Baldwin and Pnchback lottery,
as if they already knew who may or
may not become the incOrporatOrs and
| shareholders under the new charter
| They ignore the official statistics and
publish the most absurd and groundIess
statements respecting the schools,
levees, asylums, etc, to deceive the
voters and make the worse appear the
better cause. Many of them know these
are facts, whilst others put themselves
to no trouble to undeceive themselves.
The official reports Of the State Treas
urer, Auditor, Superintendent of Public
Education and of other heads of depart
ments in the State Government, with
perhaps the exception of the present
Executive, all show that it were wise to
adopt the amendment and yet, the
people are batantly told in substance
by implication that all these reports are
false.
Some organized effort to expose these
Misrepresentation should now be made.
If, in spite of a knowledge of the States
actual condition, a majority of the vot-
ers are willing to reject the proposition,
submission will be duty. But we de-
sire to see all those who object to being
inundated financially by tax gatherers,
organize to man and prepare to fight
such a result.
One thing is as certain as that we must
die, which is that, we must pay far more
tdreS if we wish to meet the State debt.
keep up our levees, public schools and
charitable institutions, or, accept the
proposed amendment. There is no es-
cape from it. Our last two Governors
informed us in their messages, the re-
ports of heads of departments confirm
their statements and the facts are be-
You'd question that instead of getting
out of debt and building up these OBJ
jects of State care, solicitude and pride,
we are becoming more involved in finan-
cial embarrassment and derelictions of
acknowledged duty.
The hhmauo duty of the State is to
support and increase the schools, build |
and keep up the levces, ETC., and make
the burthen Of tares as light as possible. |
The main argument of the Ants is, |
not that there must not be an increase
of the State revenue, for this they can
not deny as willingly as they would do |
it, if they could, but it is that the peo-
pie will prefer additional taxation to
the cllartering lottery for revenue.
This is the question. Is it true or not
true7
We desire to have full, fair, free and
friendly discussion of the merits of this
and full and fair vote
upon it. To reach this let us organize
like men determined to be heard and to
exercise our rights as citizens.
There has been some loose talk about
The use of Winchester rifles to prevent
this, but we hope and believe all that
sort Of buster has ceased, and if it has
not, that it m;sy be met by means equal
to the emergency. 1t is true that only
recently, we heard of one leading Anti
saying it would be almost if not quite.
worth mans life to go in his neighbour
rood to speak in behalf of the pronosi.
ion, but we attach but little Importance
o such stiffness. II he really partici.
,ates in such feeling he is not entitled
o citizenship. This is a free country.
md everyone is of right, entitled to 90
n every part of it, and to speak to all
questions the people are required to rote
pon Ii there be those who are unwill-