The Opelousas courier., 1890-07-26

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In the afternoon delightful excur-
sion in the harbor on large, swift and
elegant steamer was participa ted in by
the entire personnel of the meeting and
many of our entertainers. At night
| two magnificent banquets were given
one to the gentlemen, at the Ameri-
can House, and one to the ladies, at the
/ Parker House-which deserve moro
! than a passing mention.
Gov. Nichols and the Fifth Dis
trict Ievee Board.
West Baton Rouge Sugar Planter.
! The action of Gov. Nichols in sum-
marily removing Messrs. Cordill, Col
tharp and Maxwell from the Fifth Dis
trict Levee Board, without assigning
any reason therefor, is one of the most
glariDg instances of blind, partizan fury
and revenge that has ever come under
our notice. Senator Cordill, one of the
members of the Board who was thus
uneeremoniously fred, is the father of
the Fifth District Leyee Board is an
able and energetic man and has gained
the confidence of the people of his en-
tire section, where he is universally re-
garded as an authority on levee mat
ters. Messrs. Maxwell and Coltharp
stand equally high in the estimation of
the people of the Fifth District, who
feel that to these gentlemen, more than
to anyone else, are they indebted for
their present excellent system of levees.
The injustice-not to say illegality-
of Gov. Nichols action in the premises
is shown in section 2 of the act under
which the Board was created, and
which reads as follows:
1t shall be the duty of the Governor
to appoint two competent persons pos
sessing the requisites of qualified cleo
tors for each of the parishes embraced
in said leyee district, to serve as leyee
commissioners for the respective parish
es, and they shall hold Office during the
term of the executive appointing them,
and thereafter until their successors are
appointed, qualified and iuducted into
office. They shall have supervision of
the location, erection, repairs and main
tenance of levees in said district, per-
suant to Article PA of the Constitution.
In the absence of any official reason
as to why these removals were made,
we are compelled to surmise cause
therefor. The only possible cause the
Governor had for deeapitating these
gentlemen is the fact that in their Off
cial capacity they accepted $4,000
from the Lottery Company for the
leyees during the recent high water,
and are now in favor of accepting the
$3.50 900 that will accrue to the levees
under the Morris revenue proposition,
should the lottery amendment be adopt
ed by the people in 1892.
If these-and these alone-constitute
Caesar Nichols reasons for removing
Messrs. Cordill, Coltharp and Maxwell
from the Board of Commissioners of the
Fifth Levee District, then indeed has
the acme of antocratic imperialism
been reached. 20 ~
Senator Duson was in town on Mon
day and gave us pleasant call. Hav
ing purchased the ST. Landry Democrat
from Mr.. j. w Jackson, he expects to
enter journalism at the expiration of the
lease of that paper, on January lst
next The Senator has had many
years experience as sheriff and deputy
sheriff, and for two years has been
sjerving the people in the Senate; and
while meeting with many yexations and
disappointments, he has doubtless also
found it in all these positions difficult
matter to please everybody. But when
he enters iournalism-cou journal
ism Louisiana country journalism
will find that he has tackled his
toughest job, particularly if he ex
poets to make any money at it. To
make decent living in this business,
now a days, Senator, with State gov
ernment that seems TO try to starve out
It's press, you must not only sit on the
editorial tripod and at the desk, but
you must roll mp your sleeves and 60
to the case and perform a large share
of the mechanical work yourself I'm
der Republican rule in reconstruction
times s-itwas different. But in doing
away with the profigacy of thatera our
Democratic legislators have gone almost
to the other extreme and have treated
the press with shameful penurionsness
so that to make your new venture a
success, you must not only bring all
your acknowledged tact and ability in
to play, hut must also !" take off your
coat and roll up your sleeves and
learn how to set type, for Jordan is a
hard road to trayel-We believe.
The Second Animal Fair of the Calca-
sieu Fair Association takes place in
Welsh, La, on july %, 30 and 81. The
people of that locality are alive to the
good that will result to their parish by
the display of its products, and conse-
quently have left no stone unturned
looking toward its success. Premiums
in money will be offered, and this added
to the enthusiasm that the announce
ment has aroused will serve to bring
forth the resources of Calcasien and de
the wealth to be derived from
her soil.
A Washington special to the New
Orleans Picayune of July Gath says:
It's said a prominent official Of the
New Orleans custom house has gotten
himself III trouble by recommending
two different applicants for the posi-
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