The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1898-05-19
The Constitutional Convention,

l >AA~ VIVIAN
Mansfield Journal: There was too
much political chicanery among the
ajority for them to look after the
interests of the State as a whole.
Amite Independent: And they
have made a complete botch of the
whole thing, and we are now sorry
that the Convention was not defeated
by the people.
Mer Rouge Democrat: Though
the new organic law is far from what
the honest people of Louisiana expect
ed and desired still it could have
been made worse.
Farmerville Gazette: The New
Orleans press has been particularly
hard on the Constitutional Conven-
ton, but no more 50 than that body
OF political jobbery deserves.
Alexandria Democrat: The Con-
stitutional Convention has only cost
the State $145,000. There are not
many who will believe that the organ
ic law framed by it is worth such an
amount.
Bastrop Appeal: After months
of political dickering and miserable
plotting and trading the notorious
Convention, called to write simple
chart to guide the political affairs of
great State, has submitted the re-
suits of its disgraceful gyrations to q
Disguised people.
Times-Democrat: The causes of
the Conventions failure may, in our
opinion, be briefly classified under
the two following heads: l. The
sacrifice of principle to expediency,
which has left the Convention as full
of deals and dickers as Havana har-
boris full of mines. 2. The attempt
to embody every conceivable form of
Legislation in the organic law, instead
of merely laying down few general
principles and leaving the rest for
legislative action from time to time.
Shreveport Times: The journals
OF the State are pausing sufficiently
long from the publication of war news,
to pour vitriolic wrath upon the do
ings of the Constitutional Convention.
Indications are rapidly multiplying
all over the State that the people will
organize to repudiate both the men
and measures that are so distasteful.
This, of course, does not include the
few who have heroically endeavored to
oppose the adoption of the measures
that are an utter reputation of the
purposes for which the Convention
was created. A solid democrat
League" should be organized to carry
the will of the people into effect.
Shreveport Times: The lawyers
Convention at New Orleans seems to
occupy a seat away back now and the
man who now says that he thinks we
are or should be glad that we have
such menagerie would or should be
natural curiosity. It would be q
blessing to the State if they would
just burn up all traces of their acts
except their speeches and 20 home
and let US try and forget that we ever
had such an institution. We except
speeches, for the State may get some
good out of them that might in a
measure compensate for the money
the Convention squandered at the
peoples expense, provided the ora
tors would have all their own expense,
and donate to the State. The idea
would then be for the State to estab-
lish what we might call a literary pris-
son, and hereafter, instead of sending
convicts to the penitentiary as at pres
ent, sentence all who can read to the
literary prison and require them to do
nothing but read speeches. 1t would
beat the Dutch plan of punishment
by dropping water on convict's heads.
Shreveport Journal: The Consti-
tutionsl Convention is about to draw
it's last breath, and would that it could
be buried and forgotten. It is true
that the people of the State, who ex-
pected so much, and received so little,
at its hands, will not feel the evil eff
fects of it's many blunders for some
time to come, as most of it's obnoxious
measures do not 60 into effect until
1900, about two years after it's ad-
journment. If not a wise measure,
this was discreet one, because the
Convention will have had time to
':ix-up" their political fences before
the people realizehow badly they have
been humbugged by the Conven-
ton, and their wrath will in a meas.
ure have spent its force, before they
can have an opportunity to wreak
their vengeance by wrecking the pol
itical aspirations of the recreant del
egates. When the Convention met
we had great faith in the outcome of
it's labors, and sincerely tried to up
hold its hands and aid it with what
encouragement we could extend, but
at last we have been forced to admit
that it was dominated by the most
nm mort hu o1ocoopk of H. -.