The Opelousas courier., 1895-08-03
Ballot Reform.

Ballot Reform.
We could not but be ashamed fol-
our parish when we read that oul
delegates withdrew from the Bal
lot Reform Convention lately hello
in New Orleans. 1t seems that oul
political leaders recognize the jus.
tice of the demands for a reform.
ed ballot but had been instructed
by their constituency that they
must not support any such meas.
ures as the suffrage amendment.
as, should an educational q%ualif.
cation become necessary too many
of said constituency would be de.
barred from the God-given right
to masculine humanity-of voting,
Seems to us, had we received such
Instructions, we would have made
it a point to fail to materialize at
the convention. Such action
shows the parish in a doubly I'M
desirable light. It says to the
world: "We will not vote for an
educational suffrage qualification
because we are an exceedingly IL
~literate parish, and we I not
willing to put a premium on edu-
cation by making it a ballot-cast-
ing necessity. No, sir; we are
happy in our ignorance, and we
want no bosh about 'Readin', Ri
tin and 'Rithmetic.' We are too
old for that. All the same we are
sufficiently smart to know we have
got the political whip hand of par
ish affairs and we ire going to
keep it," Such action also says:
"We know that ballot reform
would benefit humanity in general
but as it would take from us i'll
particular our vote on election
day we will none of it." Could
any stand be more unjust, more
unfair? If, as was claimed by the
delegation, these men are capable
and intelligent yeomanry it seems
to us that they could in this day
Of cheap books and educational
facilities readily acquire the neces-
sary qualifications. In case they
are mentally too inert to do so,
then should our parish continue
under the rule of it's illiterate
vote? Other parishes may be rul-
ed by educated and intelligent vot-
ers, but our must stay just where
it is. Other parishes may put the
premium up on education. but we
are satisfied if our children can
ride a Creole pony, dance at a
"Cajun' ball, have access to beer
and whisky, and vote on election
day! Could mortal man want
more in the cup of bliss? What
do we want of High Schools and
Colleges, as long as we have all
the rights we want and are per-
happy in ignorance? What
matters it if we are left behind in
the march Of progress? Our chill
dren don't need to be smarter than
we are; SO let us alone in our ig-
norance! Let us wallow in it, vote
in it, revel in it, die in it and be
buried in this happy ignorance
For shame, that St. Landry
should take such a stand! With
as much intelligence, education
and refinement as we have in our
beautiful country, to let a few ig-
norant "Cajuns'' lay down the law
to us and make a butt Of ridicule
and a laughing-stock of as grand
. parish as the State can boast !
Let us have reform; let us i'm
prove ourselves in every way pos
let the children know that
unless they apply themselves and
cultivate the intelligence God gave
them they can not have the rights
of representative citizens. If these
''sons of the soil'' are as industri-
ous and energetic as represented,
seems to us that if they could
not come in on the educational
qualification they could at least
show 5000 worth of property and
;hus come in onIthe money quali6-
cation. Be that as it may, we do not
;hink the prosperity Of our parish
absolutely depends on their votes,
out we do think it depends on
hose things which tend to the
creating of just and intelligent
avs, those things which place a
premium on intellectual and moral
advancement and of these forces
reformed ballot-an intelligent
,allot-is by no means least. !
The most noticeable feature of
he recent International W. G.. T..
]. Convention, held in London,
vas the fact that sixty-fye pull
its, of all denominations, were
urned over to the women, and
ixty-five sermons were preached
0 ~sixty-ive large London au-
women. Perfectly
s%tounding !! Ten years ago this
yould not have been dreamed Of;
We years ago scarcely possible
ut to-day? Not only possible,
ut done! Truly .sthe world do