The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1897-12-04
E0UR-HEADED .sZ1
GOYERNNENZ.

tional convention to revise the OF
ganic laws of the State, that almos
y everybody is cutting out work 70
that body.
Pretty nearly every person want
something put in the constitution
and if it were stuffed with all tn,
tsumpery notions, the cranky va
carries and the corrupt jobs that sr@
being fixed for it by the self-ap.
pointed constitution thinkers, il
would be an astounding monstrosity
indeed.
and indispensable provisions which
the new constitution must contain,
and these demand the most careful
consideration by the wisest, best
and most patriotic of Louisiana's
citizens, and all that is done should
be nodded in accordance with the
true principles of constitutional
democratic liberty.
Now that there is q strong and
unmistakable drift of popular feel
4nS SO"o1uS SOS1dISSlC CcutI2llS" IN
national policy, it is not strange
that there is more or less DISPOSE
ton to tincture State institutions
with an element of arbitrary power.
A proposition to that end was put
forth by the Times-Democrat of
Friday in its demand for a State
health department. 1t said:
Whatever legislation may be passed by |
Congress for national quarantine, Louis |
lana must have State Board of Health. |
There are matters which the Federal
Government cannot touch, which solely
within the jurisdiction of the State; and
there must be some sanitary body to look
people. 1t will be simple and easy
matter to draw the line between the powers
of the Federal Government and those of the
State Board of Health.
The constitutional convention can give US
such laws as we need on this subject. The
State board ought to be in the Constitution.
We want it here, because the administra-
ton OF our sanitary affairs should b. above
partisan politics. We need body with
powers extending throughout the State, not
restricted to New Orleans any other To- ,
eality, chosen by the people directly o. in
directly, and not the mere creature of the
Governor, Legislature, City Council or ,
other similar political organization. We
want, in fine, body coordinate with the
representing the whole community, and
responsible to the people.
Here, perhaps, is the most ,adi- I
cal and remarkable innovation t
upon the democratic republican in v
stitutions of Louisiana that was F
ever recommended in the history i
IF the State, or of the United a
States. 1t is nothing less than a n
to add to our State t
a fourth coordinate g
Independent of all c
others. il
The system upon which the b
everal State governments, as we'll v
S that of the United States, are a
'ased, is that they are each and all Ic'
opposed of three coordinate ele- Sc
aents, the representative, the ex- N
cutive and the judiciary. Each is b
quail to the others in dignity, and C.
ach is Independent of the others in
$ particular sphere and special N,
lerogatives. The Federal Gov
rnment is SO organized, and the Pi
re State of Louisiana possesses &C
lese three requisites of a demo- in
rattle public, namely, a General m
ssembly, a Governor and a Ju- D
iciary. To these the esteemed BY
,ntempory wishes to add a of
urth, or health department., lnde- Pr
:ndent of the Legislature, indie kn
.ndent of the Governor and indie of
:ndent of the Judiciary. wi
The triune or trinity feature OF pr
which is the most strik- to,
Z character of the American po- au
ical system has always been held
the ablest statesmen and politi- tol
l. philosophers to be as nearly the
RECT rs Is possible to any human sit