The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1903-10-10
Il REMINDER.

Il REM/NDER.
The editorial quoted below
was taken from the columns of
the New Orleans Times-Demo-
GRAFT. Though it will probably
evoke but passing interestamong
our readers, still it will very
likely serve as a gentle reminder
of a little incident which a few
weeks since opened wide the
door of hope to some of our To-
cal politicians. Objection will
hardly be raised to the source
from which the article is taken as
the T. D. for a long time daily
furnished campaign material for
some of our friends.
When the Constitution of the State de-
cded that biennial sessions of the Legisla-
ture were sufficient to transact the legal
business of the State, the lawmakers evil
IDENTIFY did not take into consideration the
needs of local candidates for office. This
oversight of the makers of the Constitution
has given rise to another law making power
| in the State, as we learn from the Franklin
ton Progress, published in Washington par
| ish, this State. The candidates for Office
| in that parish have not found the election
laws to their liking and have, with the as
| sistance of the Democratic executive CON
| mittee of the parish, started movement to
| nullify them. The following agreement to
| be signed by all the candidates for Office un-
| der the primary system of nomination is to
be found, of all places, in the Office of the
clerk of court of Washington parish:
Estate of Louisiana, Parish of Washing
ton We, the candidates now running tor
the nomination of the Democratic party for
sheriff, clerk, representative, treasurer, as
SCISSOR, superintendent of public education,
and all ward officers do hereby agree that a
poll tax receipt for the year 1908 will not be
a requirement to the qualification OF any
voter in the coming primaries which are TO
be held in Washington parish, Louisiana, on
! Oct. Is and 81, 1908.
1--WE further agree TO abide by the deci-
: sion of these SAID primaries which are to be
held according to the primary laws of this
State, except as to the poll tax requirement
as above mentioned.'
If the candidates and the Democratic
committee are bent upon the notification OF
the law, it would seem that they are putting
themselves to unnecessary trouble and ex'
| pense. Such a small matter the law Of
( the sovereign State not being permitted to
: stand in the way of their convenience, why
S should these candidates have any election
whatever Why not settle their differences
among themselves and induct each otae
l into office, without going through the for
$ mality and the expense of an election? Thu
E thing has been done before, and why should
d. the sssovereign parish of Washington ane
r its s.sovereign'' candidates hesitate? "Th'
intention of the agreement is not TO set aside
any law" Informed by the Progress
.sbut to save the party from contest o
/ split in its ranks" Commendab!e nullih
caiicn, truly; but why not tie hung for
sheep as we'll as a lamb? The law not be
ing permitted to stand in the wsy, why no
7 do away with the election? Why not lie
the man have the Office who break int
2 it7 That is
r 1.-The good old way, the simple plan,
That they may take who have tn
power,
y And they may keep who cam"
All the talk about the difficulty in the con
struction of the election laws of the State
l nonsense. These laws are as readily Gun
derstanded of the people, are the law
against burglary or arson, and, moreover
they are equally as binding. The troubl
: is that the meaning Of the election laws G
, the State are not dubious in meaning or in
, tent, as is claimed by certain seekers afte
Office, but that they much too plain I
suit certain politicians. Nothing can
more certain than that any man who is nc
capable of understanding the plain languag
: of the franchise clause of the Constitute
which has to do with poll taxes and tn
!, sections of the primary and general electio
, law as to the qualification of voters, is nc
mentally capable of fulfilling the duties {
any Office in the State or any OF the parishe
theI eof.