St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1893-07-22
Elective Police Juries.
Tli,aotlaux Sentinel,


Taxation without representation y
is to NIL true Americans a most 0dious
doctrine, and its actual practice in any
form OF government is justly classed as
usurpatioD. 1t was this species Of usuf-
patton, muIe than any other sort of OBJ
preston by the British Crown, which
led our forefathers to raise the standard
OF revolt against the mother country,
and to proclaim their independence
from British rule, and to assert and
maintain that Independence with the
sword through a long and dreadful
war.
From the declaration of Independence
to the present time, taxation without
representation has always been held
in peculiar abh0rrence by Americans,
they have Temporarily submitted to it,,
it was to avoid what seemed to them
for the time being to be greater evils.
Here in Louisiana we have patiently
submitted tor the last fifteen years to
taxation without representation in
our parochial government. For that
time our police juries bave been given
US by the Governor; and while they
have the power to tax us at u higher
rate than the Legislature itself, we have
been deprived of our American prero-
EatlV6 OF choosing them.
When this undenUcratic system was
inangurated, the people quiesceDtiy SUBJ
mtted to iJ as IA means OF averting
greater evils then confronting them.
just emerging from tue saturnaia Of
radical misrue and the tyranny OF the
reconstruction times; our elections still
dominated by federal interference; our
PARISHES ali deeply plunged iuto debt,
by Irresponsible police !iuries foisted
upon the people, by the enemies OF the
South with many parishes still under
tile control OF the ignorant freedmen,
dominated by unprlnCipled white men;
I it was impossible to rescue tlitir paro-
cliiat governments from mlslule except
by substituting an appOlntlVe for the
elective system.
The expedient proved successful in
accomplishing the ends for which it
was devised, and as long as there was
d necessity tor its existence, the people
quietly submitted to this system which
denied them one OF their most sacred
rights. But The necessity which gave
birth to tile appointive system has hap
PLY passed away, and the system itself
should be abolished, aud "a return to the
elective, the tue American system,
should be had as speedily as possible.
There il no longer amy ieasDn to persist
in tile appointive system OF Police Ju~
rOrs.
White suprcmacysh has been establish
ed throughout the state; the Federal
Government no longer interferes in our
State elections; the Force Bill hassbeen
killed beyond resurrection the races
are at peace, and thes negro begins to
understand his true position in the tpo-
litical economy, and has lived long
enough to realize that his rights are
equally secured under Democratic as
well as Republican administrations and,
as ii consequence, he has lost his inter
est i'm politics. The misrule and reign
oil spoliation, to avoid which the ap-
pointiye system WAS created, are no
longer to 10 feared in this State, il
parochial home-rnle bg re- established.
The people know this, and knowing
st. ii gals them to see themselves de-
prived OF home rulc. They are FESTIVE
under the continued deprivation OF their
rights, and unless the present legisla-
aure restore them their valued preroga-
tive at its coming session, they will
make themselves heard at the coming
election.
The press can do much by agitating
klie inalter toward securing an curly re-
turn to The elective system Of Police
s5nfies.
i4eE tile demand be for IA change to
take place ut the next general election !;
slo not integfere with the present Older
oil things.