St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1898-01-29
Constitutional Convention

On The second tuesday Oh reO-
ruary. which will be the 9Th OF that
month. the Constitutional C0nven-
ton, which was called by the people
at the election on the second Tuesday
OF January, will assemble in New
Orleans.
The chief topic to be treated by
the convention is the revision Of the
suffrage franchise, in order to take
the power to vote out OF the Lands,
first. OF the ignorant and shiftless
class, and, second, out Of the hands
of foreigners.
With q negro population embra-
cling quite one-balf the total OF the
people in the State, almost wholly
ignorant aud as shftless as mentally
benighted, but armed with The bal.
lot, the State is perpetually over.
Swallowed politically by black and
menaclng cloud.
Such situation demands prompt
and effectual relief, and it can only
be secured by imposing on all vo-
tiers an intellectual or educational
qualification, with the alternative Of
q property requirement for those
whe, while unlettered, have exhlbi-
ted intelligence and thrift sufficient
to have accumulated property and
to have become payers of taxes oil
rect to the State. The crying need
for the deliverance OF Louisiana
from the possibility of being domi-
mated by = vast depraved, ignorant
and shiftless element, is too impera-
tive to be disregarded.
Francis Bella,ny, writing in the
illustrated American, says: LOU
isiana 1t present has the loosest SUI
frage lave in the Union. You do
not have to be q citizen, or even a
resident. in order to vote. You
may he q subject Of q foreign king
and on visit to this hospitable
State you can vote without natu-
ralization and Their return home.
This is almost literally true.
Any foreigner who has sojourned
in the State for one year and who
shall declare 10 form his intention
OF becoming a citizen may vote in
all political State elections, aud
there is no legal obligation resting
on him ever to become 3 citizen.
Doubtless there is q moral Obliga-
| ton, but moral obligations do not
count in party politics.
Such State of things is q mon-
strous outrage upon all citizenship,
for f0relgnc=s- .;.l:n NO interest in
the State, are placed above natives,
who, in order to acquire the rights
Of citizens. must have lived for
twenty zone years under free insti-
iutions; while aliens, with no
knowledge Of free constitutional
government, after brief and tenn
porary residence. may vote without
absolvin9 their allegiance to the
kings, emperors aud other fo:eign
potcntates whose subjects they may
he.
Such abuses Of the principle upon
which the entire superstructure oil
all free government rests must end
III its destruction, unless a prompt
and effective remedy be applied
Constitutional liberty and free in
slitutions cannot long survive ex.
cess of political corruption and s
prostitution Of the sacred suffrage
franchise.
The ballot is not only means fol
the upbuilding Of free government
It is also 8 most dangerous weapon
for its destruction. The ballot is
like dynamite, which, while it may
be made q most useful servant in
the hands Of those who will use il
with care and intelligence to secure
the best results Of which it is capa.
BILE, becomes in the hands of the lg-
norant and the vicious cissees q
most destructive and dangerous ele.
ment. 10 place proper restrirc'
tions around the use Of the ballot
is the first duty OF the convention
There are various other matters
which will command attention at the
hands Of the convention. Among
these is . reorganization Of the Judi
ciary. Theiabrogation Of the pres
eht system Of the district judges,
| and the substitution in their places
of judge for each parish or county,
seems to embody the best view that
has We: been presented for tue re.
form.
The authorizing Of cities OF the
first class in the State to issue
bonds and borrow money with
which to construct . system oil
needed public improvements, such
IA works for drainage, sewerage,
paving and the like. is . matter Inst
will also be brought before the con-