The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1903-04-12
POLITICS IN TWO STATES.
-Times-Democrat April g:

| government. The spectacle OF candl-
dates for Governor and candidates for
the United States Senate meeting to-
gether at Winona and taking the peo-
pie of the State into their Confidence
was a healthy one, and gives promise
of a popular administration of the at
fairs of the State in days to come.
There is no question that politicians tn"
world over prefer gum shoe methods in
politics, and perhaps these Mississippi
candidates would adopt these methods
by preference if they were permitted to
do so. But in Mississippi the people de
mand part in the politics Of the State
and gum shoe methods are not to the
liking of the voters. They desire to
know, as they have right to know, the
views an dthe policies of the men who
are asking their franchises that they
may vote inteligently and for men of
their choice We are told that all of the
candidates for Governor candidly told
the people their views on all the ques-
tons now before the State for settle
ment, and that there was no attempt
whatever to evade issues The principol
issue in the campaign is the distribution
of tie States educational fund, one of
the candidates desiring that each race
shall receive exactly the sum it contrl
butes to the fund, while the other there
candidates are in favor of continuing
the ditributiOn as now, according to the
number of educable children and with
out regard to the sum contributed by
the separate races. But the importance
of this issue, grave as it is, IS over
Swallowed by the Importance of the fact
that the views of the candidates are
known to the voters, and that they may
register their will as they desire. In
deciding upon candidate they are not
receiving a pig in poke.
Unfortunately we do these things diff
ferently in Louisiana. We have been,
and still are in the habit Of selecting
public officials by the gum shoe method
and without any definite idea of what
they stand for. We, too, are to have a
gubernatorial campaign this year, but
the candidates will not come out as
they have done in Mississippi and ap-
peal to the voters ON policies and prin-
cip1es. Very few people, and these
mainly of the class which has axes to
grind, will know what the candidates
stand for Already several names have
been mentioned for the chief Office in
the State. Why have these gentlemen
been mentioned for that high office?
Does any one know what they stand for
in State politics? Their policies are not
known Finally convention will assem-
bic and name will be presented to the
people of the State for which they are |
to vote. because certain bar
gains have been =. made, of which the
mass of the people are ignorant, and in
which they have no part and no interest |
except in the payment Of the bill.
1 Which is the better method, that of
or that of Louisiana? There
can be but one answer to that question |
among those who have firmly ground
ed belief in the desirability of republi- |
can institutions. If the people are to |
have any voice in the government of the
State the people must know for whom
they are voting, and not discover after |
the election that they have selected a
man whose views. are directly opposed |
to their own. The Louisiana method is |
eternally wrong and the Mississippi |
method is eternally right, if there be
any merit whatever in the republican |
form of government The man who is a
candidate for the suffrages of the peo-
pie should let the people know precisely
for what policies and what principles he
stands, and should succeed or fall on
those policies and principles TO obtain
office furtively is to destroy the admin
lstration for good before it is inaugu-
rated. -r:
The time will surely come when we
snail adopt the Mississippi method, and
The sooner it comes the better it will be
for the State. The gum shoe. should no
onger have place in American poll
les, and the man whose methods are
furtive should be kept in private life.
This method of the partisan in one por-
ion of II State declaring that can
aidate stitnds for one thing. while
partisan l., another section declares that
ne standss for another, the candidate
meanwhile keeping. silent 0 nall the pol
cies that are UP for settlement before
he people is not honest politics. The
lay is passing everywhere, despite the
Efforts of the politicians to keep it