New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1903-08-01

THE GUBERNATORlAL CONTEST

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great interest manifested on the
part of the politicians and some of
the people Of this State in the next
Gubernatorial election Several
candidates have been brought out
hv their friends and many proml
nent men have been spoken of. SO
it seems the voters of the State will
have plenty of candidates from
which to make their selection.
Another question OF great import
aure is also attracting much atten-
ton is the manner aud mode OF
making nominations The method
OF doing so has f.~maily been by
State conventions, hut owing to the
mode of conducting these conven-
tons by politicians, wire puilers
and bosses few men have been
able to control and nominate whom
ever they pleased for the offices of
State and I will add the parishes
nlso. To such al extent has tins
been practiced in the past that the
most intelligent voters aud ablest
papers in the State are now de-
nanding nominations by primary
election, giving to the Democratic
voters the right of choosing their
own candidates Two of the candi-
dates already in the field Jastremski
and Blanchard have come out forpri-
maries aud have given their views
on same. The third, Mr.. Price
has also endorsed primaries, but
not for the voters to select their own
candidates, but to send delegates
to y cone., ton to make nOmina-
tons. This is no better than the
old plan for the reason that it will
be impossible TO arouse sufficient
interest in the election and many
of the most intelligent and indie
pendent voters will not be candi-
dates or take any interest in the
election. The result will be that
the politicians, tricksters aud bosses
will select the men and control the
convention and nominate whom
they please The primary election
by which all the candidates are
compelled to go before the people
and they select their own candi-
dates is the most democratic and
the best. The candidates will be
compelled to go before the people
AID advocate Their claims for their
votes. They will have the chance
to see them, hear them advocate
their claims for their votes and
will he able to make their selection
much more inteIIigentIy than by
the Convention plan where men
are often selected rs candidates
that were not known or even heard
of by one ont of every hundred
voters. In addition to this, it will
have an educational advantage in
better qualifying the voters to
make their choice. This method
Of making nomination by the Demo
cratic party has been adopted by
Mississippi, Alabama and Texas
and has consolidated and reunited
the party in those States aud many
others aud will do the same in this
State. When nomination is
equivalent to an election as is the
case in this State and most of the
Southern States, the voters should
have the right to make the nomina-
ton.
OF the men spoken of the claims
Of the Hon. N. p. Blanchard are
far superior to those Of the other
two candidates. He is man of
great ability and long experience
in gubernatorial affairs, in Con-
gress, in the Senate ind on the
Supreme bench has ably and in
diligently discharged all the duties
required Of him. He is one Of
tho best posted men on the Rivers
and Harbors in the State, IL not in
the nation. When chairman of
the Rivers and Harbors Committee
in Congress to quality himself for
the Intelligent discharge OF his
duty, he travelled over the United
States visiting every seaport and
river aud harbof that were demand
ing improvement SO as to enable
him to judge BY personal inspection
of THAR uOrkhinASa
As chairman of that Committee
he has been able to do more for
the Improvement Of the rivers and
harbors Of this State than any man
we have ever had in Congress- |
frankly admit had it not been for
his powerful influence in Congress,
we never would have got the ap-
preparation for the locking of the
Bayou Plaquemine and the improve
ment of the navigation SO as to
give us short and direct route to
the Mississippi river and New
Orleans at all seasons of the year.
This appropriation Of One Million
Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand
Dollars was obtained six or seven
years ago, an amount amply suf-
ficient to have completed the locks
and opened that route years ago,
but why it has been allowed to
drag along and not completed, /
never have been able to learn and a
great many of our people are
thinking those locks and navigation
will never be opened and our peo-
pie forever be left at the mercy
of the Railroads. Blanchard is
in no manner responsible for this
for he was onsted from his seat in
the Senate aud has not been in
Congress since, il any persons are
to blame it 10 the Senators and
Representatives Who have been In
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