St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1891-05-16
the gratitude Of large class OF people.

I
the gratitude Of large class Of people
propose only to cite one instance
During the session of the Legislature
measure came before it for repea
OF the Sunday law and strong pressure
was brought to bear on the Governor
by the saloon keepers who controlled
quite number of Representatives. /
! mistake not the repeating law wa.
passed By the General Assembly, and
sent to the Governor for his signature
He vetoed the measure, and, failing te
pass over his veto, it was killed. This
was bold and courageous act; and ]
feel that many people of the State will
|.be inclined to thank Governor Mich
oils for it. There is one class particn-
larly who am sure appreciate that
veto and applaud the courageous man
hood which dictated it. / refer to the
whole working population OF New Or
leans-and other large cities and
towns where if the Sunday law had
been repealed stores and places of
business would be in full blast and
operation on a day which should be
devoted to social and domestic and
religious purposes.
Many a poor girl, half worked to
death all the week, can thank Francis
7. Nichols, by his veto of the act re-
pealing Sunday law for standing be-
tween her and the inexorable demands
OF insatiate greed and avarice. Many
men, young and old, who are slaves
all the week, can thank him for one
day Of freedom from illreqnited toll
one day which they can spend in the
bosom of their families cultivating
those finer feelings of domestic love
which ennoble our race-one day out
OF seven to rest mind and body, to
revel in the pure air and sunshine
which the Almighty in his benefcence
intended as much for men at least as
for beasts But for the courageous for
titude of Governor Nichols, this one
day would have been wrested from
them by the ruthless demands OF ava
rice; and / am sure the working pop
ulation in city and country are not
such ingrates as not to give one credit
to Governor Nichols for interposing
his executive arm to defend them from
injustice. Francis T. Nichols is the
Grover Cleveland of Louisiana bold,
fearless, courageous, determined imam
of strong convictions, of stainless integ-
rity, of unblemished record in war and
peace; a man of grit, of pluck, of back
bone a man who will not be bulldoz-
ed by every ward politician or every
editor, who imagine because they can
work the boys or pen a little editorial
they have the right to dictate to the
chief executive OF the State what his
policy shall be; and if it does not COM
port with their ideas, they proceed at
once to hurl at his honored head the
thunderbolts of their indignant pro
tests and, to use the vigorous language
Of Cleveland, to fill the air with the
turmoil of their discomfort" / write
these lines to speak q word in defense
Of MIN has been malignea, abused
and vilified veteran soldier who was
fighting his country's battles, defend
ing her honor and liberty when many
of the cranks who now numerically
assail him were making mud-pies in
the streets and had not progressed
enough in geography to be able to lo-
cate on the map that theatre of war
where Nichols and his comrades in
arms we're performing those deeds Of
valor and heroic courage which have
reflected an immortal glory upon the
arms of the Confederacy.
HENRY L. GARLAND, JR.