The Opelousas courier. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1852-1910, 1893-08-12

The Guillotine Again Applisa

soon alter Governor Foster was in
stalled in office, a petition was numer-
onsly signed by the voters of the first
ward recommending the appointment
OF Edward NJ. Boagni, ESQ.,, as a suit
able person to represent it in the
Police Jury. He was appointed and
when the new appointees met to enter
upon their official duties, he was re-
elected President thereof. Everything
went on placidly until few weeks
ago, when the guillotine was employed
in cutting off the heads of Messrs. Du-
pre- and Guidry. DR.. Barry and Ike
Roos were appointed by his Excellency
the governor, to take the seats made
vacant by their decapitation. The
ousted members flew to the court and
sued out an injunction, preventing the
new appointees from qualifying until
the further orders of the court. The
old members continued to act and are
still acting, whilst the new are kept
ont as if saying: Thou art so near.
and yet, so far.
At the next meeting of the body it
resolved to reorganize, and by ISLANDERS
supposed it would be complete; but
not SO. The administration wing went
no farther than to depose the President,
E. M. Boagni, and to elect another in
his stead. The meeting was consider
bly, ruffied. and as the work for which
they had met could not be done salts
factorily by green hands it was ad
journed to Monday last. In the inter
i'm Mr.. Boagni concluded to go to
Cooper's Wells for his health and ac-
cordingly went, via Baton Rouge to oh
tain leave of absence from his Excel
lency, which we suppose was granted
as requested. At all events, Borgni
went To- the wells and is there now, we
believe.
The Jury met aud was called to or
der when 10 and behold, the guillotine
had cut off the official head of Mr..
Boagni, and Mr.. w. Evans presented
his commission aud was sworn in as a
member of that body. 1t is useless tn
say, it was a complete surprise to all
who were not 10 the secret. Mr. Boa
gni may prolong his leave of absence
Indefinitely without any fnrther author
ity from his Excellency. But the peo
pie of the first ward, having by "a large
majority, recommended his appoint
ment, are little curious to learn in what
he had offendedq He had voted the
Democratic ticket, in fact it was said
and generally believed he had done more
to decide the election in st. Landry,
than any other. He is not knawn to
have faltered in his duties as a member
of the Police Jury and if he was i'm
molated for any other canse, tho people
would like to know where the Govern
or finds ld,U, other than his arbitrary
will, for the exercise of such power, +
We write in no captions spirit, but it
does puzzle us to comprehend, why one
for whom lasge majority expressed a
preference, and who had always been
faithful and efficient in the discharge
of every official duty, should thus be
:. cut off even in the blossoms of his
usefulness, with no assignable reason.
There must be toad under the chip;
Whittier are we drifting? Are we
really ruled by masters, while cherish
ing the delusion that we are demo,
cracy? In this case the people pre-,
ferred Boagni and he had served them
acceptably.
Wake mp fellow citizens aud at the
next election make il a0ett understood
that gou rule and that you hereafter
agill rule.