St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1900-06-23

The Bill to Elect Asses
sOrs and School
Directors.
INDErINirELY PosrroNED.
The following Is an extract from
the proceeding OF the States Senate,
OF Tuesday, juno II. 1t will be
found interesting, as it gives both
side Of the question:
Senate Bill No. 81 (by Mr..
Smart)-Authorizing the election
Of assessors and school directors in
Ill the parishes OF this State, tue
parish OF Orleans excepted. Tn.
favoraly by judiciary committee.
Mr.. Murphy moved that the bill
be indefinitely postponed.
Mr.. Smart said it seemed he Was
not TO be heard on this bill. AZ =
matter Of personal privilege he de-
sired to say be was the oldest Demo-
crat on the fioo:, having served in,
the party for forty-tive years, and
had done public service in the capi-
tal since 1861. He had desired
that the bill go before the commit:
tee on parochial affairs, but men,
bere OF the judiciary committee had
requested that it be sent to that
committee. The bill had been re-
ported uufavorably without his be-
ing heard, and he appealed to ar.
Hurphy to permit him to be heard
on the merits Of the bill.
Mr.. Murphy said the motion was
debatable and there was no desire
10 cut Mr.. Smart off. He explained
Why the bill was reported without
Mr.. Smart being heard. There
were two bills on the same subject,
and when one was reported unfavor'
ably It was agreed. Without objec-
ton, that the other should be also.
The bill was fraught with matters
of great importance to the State.
He urged that it would be calamity
to elect an assessor and supervisor
by the people. He should be ap-
pointed and removed st will by the
Governor, and should be under the
direct supervision Of the Audi
tor. This secured more equitable
assessments than election could,
Tor IL elected the assessor would go
before the people on the issue ct
how assessments and would win on
this issue. Until come method OF
equalixing assessments was adopted,
It would be extremely dangerous to
elect the assessors and would be
still more dangerous 10 elect the
supervisor OF registration, on whose
discretion depended the registration
Of every voter in the parish. Ii the
assessor were surrounded by local
temptations he could register those
not entitled to vote.
Mr.. Smart said il he had been
permitted to offer q substitute to
his bill this discussion might have
been avoided. He proposed to Of
fer = substitute cutting out asses
sors and referring to school directors
alone. To get this matter before
the Senate he moved that the mo-
ton to postpone be laid on the table.
This motion was put and lost and
the motion to indefinitely postpone
prevailed.
Senate bill No. 81 (by Mr.. Boone)
Providing Tor the election of as
SCISSORS OF the State and parish taxes
and fixing the time for these cleo
tons in each parish OF the State, the
parish Of Orleans excepted, came
IN on unfavorable report from the
judiciary committee, and Mr.. Muir
ply moved to indefinitely postpone.
In defense of his bill Mr. Boone
said he had always been q Demo-
GRAFT, and in presenting THE bill he
was upholding the party. 1t had
been animated that tue measure
was unSriendly to The Governor. The
Governor had no warmer friend
than he, but it was an Inherent right
existin. IN the people 70 elect their
oficers. He simply desired to
make legal what was inherent. The
people demanded the right to select
and II would not do to cay some one
else could make better selections.
He knew OF an assessor vho was
turned out OF office simply because
he had increased tue assessment on
valuable property. II the people
we're permitted 70 rule themselves
they would not object to paying the
necessary taxes.
So fac ~ the influence the people
would have ON the assessors, It was
known that while the sssessor was
nomjnslly named by the Governor,
III know how he was really named.
II was better that the Assessor
ehould be responsible to tue whole