St. Landry democrat., 1891-02-14
The American Bastile.
New Iberia Enterprise.

New Iberia Enterprise.
Tho centennial anniversary of 1893
the memorable year of the French
Revolution-the year that saw the
storming of the Bastile and the hehead-
ing of Louis the Fifteenth, is close at
hand. Then a mere order of an irres-
ponsible King, was obeycd without trial,
and men who advocated new ideas, men
who were in his way, men who Op-
posed the existing order OF things, men
who dared to have opinions, aspirations
and convictions, and to utter them,
were here incarcerated. In short the
BaStilc was used by the "ins," as an
engine of oppression upon tho "outS,"
and as a force to suppress free thought
and OveraWe men who lOnged to be
free. The day came in France when
the last drop of blood had been taken
from an exhausted people--when gaunt
want stalkcd in all portions of Paris,
and when famine strobe unappeased
| through the land. Aristocracy and
privileges by famed revenues and gov
eminent monopolies had done their
fateful work. The hour came when the
people had no more to dread and no
more to lose 1t was then, in the des
pcration of despair, that they massa-
cred the Swiss guard and beheaded the
King. 1t was then they stormed the
BaStile. The light. of Gods sun had
never shone upon such another scene.
Poor, ragged, daZed WretcheS, foul
with vermln, sclothed in dirty tattels
and bloody fetterS, went forth, sup
ported by their avengers, to look again
upon Gods blue sky and green earth
Some were manlacs, some were dement,
ed, some came out only to die. Men
created in the image of God, immured
tor eighteen years IN a lOathsOme dun
geOn. without Il knowledge of any crime
charged or committed, and without the
shadow Of trial. What should be
done with such IA suburb of hell ? Echo!
WhatY Fellow citizens, | warn you
that we are verging onward to that
same abyss, and unless you obstruct its
progress, you will surely be brought to
grief before the centennial arrives
Free America is building a Bastile to-
day which is as purely the creation of
the spirit of tyranny, aud which will as
surely crush out and blight the liberties
OF freemen as did that mute and horrid
pile in Paris. That Bastile is the power
vested in Or United States Supreme
Court and speaker of the House of
Congress. There is power in this
country that works like a mole in the
carth'-a power immense, secret, cum
ming, unscrupulous. That power is con-
talned Ill foreign syndicacy. lis repre-
stnfatlves are the railroad kings and
UdU Street bankers. Its congresses are
small cOEclaves of a half dozen leaders, |
who c0nCOct schemes in some private |
office. Its courts are of bribed officials. |
Its power is deliberately and surely !
packing the Supreme Court, to secure |
the undolng Of all the great work which |
has been done for the people in past !
years. Can the steady change in the |
tone OF this court and in the character |
or ITS decisions have escaped the peO-
pIeF Already the granger decisions are |
reversed. The power Of the States to
regulate their own internal affairs has |
been denied. These judges occupy
their position for life-they are not re-
movable by the power that appointed
them,-thelr decisions are permanent.
They are gradually building up sys-
tenn OF judicial law to take the place of
statute iaW-tO say what the law is they
usurp the power to say what the law
shall be. In the darkest pages of his
tory there can be found no blacker
tyranny than judicial suppression.
During rabbe term of Congress,
to free government, but
openly Decentralization passion reigned
supreme, the ants took possession of
the excitement to have a decree estab-
llshed forblddlng the use Of the mail
for anything pertaining to the lottery
question. Tie very framing of that
law shows imbecility. | regret to say
that our own members went heart and
hand with our foes and voted against
the interest of Louisiana. Now, as re-
CARDS the re-charter of the lottery-the
whole business is confined in a nut
she'll. am satisfied that the ratio of
)ro Will be nine to one. Many hobbies !
rave been entertained by the ants, but : !
when they come to argument their |
falls in ruin. The last hobby
Introduced is, that if re-charter is voted, t
he company will monopolize our State
government. Fudge. Now, let us
Jew the thing with some reason. Tie
state is involved-millions of property t
5 exposed yearly through the freaks Of Il
are paid out yearly
no purpose the lottery company pro-
loses to remedy all these evils-pre- a
adice lnterposes and as substitute,
REQUIRES the appointment of leyee COM
llssloners, who are empowered to issue
onds to the amount of one million dol
IRIS, to be used for the prevention of
mOrtgaging the homes for
7curty thus drowning the people with
ebt, In order to keep them from being
roWned by water. Citizens, do you
now what a mortgage means? 1t
eans at its best, financial ruin. Study
our interest well, then act. Do not do
) E.. A. O'Sullivan did first vote under
audulent representations then regret .
hen too late. Follow David Crockett's
otto""see that you are right, then 90
read, You will have many saints
no VIII try your nerves; but be your W
va SAINT and thus, have reason to 4
large no one with deceit. y
81