The Opelousas courier. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1852-1910, 1893-05-27
re Should be Taken i'm Select
ID ing Representatives,

Nox, out iasG issue, we ventured to
10 ma some remarks on the subject of
theSublic indifference to the selection of
ne eesentatives. The theme is fruit,
!9It'1 thought. and whilst we have no
loeY our animadversions will be needed,
we fhvertheless again venture to dis
char. what we consider duty
lmpqled upon US as journalist. We
are q, more disposed to do SO from the
lacpdrniversally conceded that news
pahces are, or should be public
edkhe. tors.
sr 50 said that our legislators are
fgaimonly chosen, without reference
qualifications. mo allusion is
reAde to their integrity.) We hardly
,shink it necessary to say anything in
proof of this assertion, as 1T is notori
ously conceded. That it is wrong, re-
quires no argument to show. The fact
is glaringly demonstrated at every
election that voters, under the be-
hests of party, place men In the halls of
legislation and in other official positions
of great Importance, many of whom
would never be chosen to represent the
voters, if hs alone were concerned
This is wrong, for no individual should
be entrusted with important public
matters, who would not be equally
trustworthy in those of private concern
of the same nature. Whenever this is
done distinction is thrust upon men with
out special merit, and some degree of
splendor given to obscurity. Our form
of government is Republican its
source Of authority is the democracy.
The ancients were far better aquainted
with the democratic form of govern
people were not only the source df au-
thority and power, but were them
selves the Legislators. They legislat-
ed for themselves and without repre-
seutation. Any government confided
to representatives, is Republican gov
ernmeut.
Whenever corruption and degenera-
cy set up among the masses, the SYM
netry aud strength of the Republican
form of government must inevitably
be lnarred, and impaired. AS far back
as the time of Aristotle, when there
did exist pure democracies, he found
many striking points of resemblance
with tyranny.
He held that the exercise of despot-
ism. whether by Ruler, or, by major
tiles, was the same in it's ethical char
acter Who, in this day can, or, will
deny that majority of the voters, when
inspired by no higher motive than par
ty success, is capable of exercising tyr
annous oppression upon minorities
See, to what results pal tizanship has
brought us 7! The Republican piinci-
pie has been lost sight of-has in fact
been snbordinated 10 factionat ascend
aucy. The aDill of mDorities is no
longer necessary or Indispensable to
factional success. A shorter way has
been fouh and unscrupnlonsly exer-
cised to insure the success OF iDdivid
uals. The laws are no longer OBJ
stacles to factional purposes. We bab-
BILE of democracy, but dominant
faction cares more for the machinery
of elections and the power to manipn-
late the returns, than for all that major
tiles may decide.
These are facts, denied or not
Whilst the question of the races was OF
serious moment, it was excused by
those who were beneficiaries as race,
but that struggle has been ended
for several years, and the means
adopted to secure white aseendancy
have now become equally available to
factions among the whites. SO that it
ia no longer the colored race alone that
is affected. How long this may con
tinue to be the case we of course know
not, but that there will come period
to it. is certain. These ruses of parties
ignore vital laws at every step, and
virtually amount to rebellion and rev"-
lntiou.