The Colfax chronicle., 1903-06-13

"Apply Your Own Caustic.''

"Apply Your Own Caustic."
Two weeks ago We criticised the re-
marks of the editor of Harlequin, re-
fiecting upon each parish schoolsuper-
intendent of the State as ga political
pensioner." with "no education" who
pokes his nose into parish schools oc-
casionally, "as an excuse for drawing
800 per month in each parish out OF
the school funds" In discussing the
matter we made the error OF quoting
the old law on the subject, which is
now extinct. Having discovered the
mistake in an hour OF two after mail
ing the Chronicle, we at once wrote
the editor of Harlequin the following
letter:
CoIfax, La, May 80, 1908.
J. NJ. Leveque, Editor Harlequin,
New Orleans, La. Dear Sir-I find
since mailing pa per this morning that
have made the faux pas of suppos-
ing the law prior to 1898, relative to
schools, was still in force, whereas
the new constitution provided for the
General Assembly to make a change,
which they did with an exceeding lib
eral hand, providing that parish
superintendent's salary shall not be
''less than 5000 nor more than
81, 200" OF course have laid my
self "wide open," and you can "trip me
up," in fine style, but Ihave discover
ed my error too late to correct it un-
til next issue, so will have to stand
to the rack for whatever caustic you
may apply. In the meanwhile / want
ell you to know went of half-cocked,
and now understand that your criti-
cism has great deal more force than
| first appreciated. Am free to say
that my remarks would have been
quite different had known the super
intendents' salaries in the parishes
had been raised nearly four-fOld by
the legisla ture Uf 1902.
Yours very truly,
| H. G. GOODWIN.
| In the issue of Harlequin of June
4th, Editor Leveque reproduces our
article of May 3Oth, under the above
heading, and, following it with our
letter of the 3Oth, adds the following
remarks:
Apply your own caustic, Brother
Goodwin.
have no desire to blister you.
And for this magnanimity l only
ask that, as an honorable citizen
you join me in breaking down the
disgraeeful scalawagism into which
. in pa atient toll and selfishness, We have
upbuilt the machine We call our "dem
Ocracy."
Your Blanchards are not going tG
do it.
J. It will take a candidate with graz
matter and grit and the grace of Coz
Z to get busy on this problem.
o 1t is a bigger fight than was TIN
q lottery fight.
z On the side of enfranchisement, OI
6 the side of liberty, on the side of hon
y esty demanding that the people
= money shall be spent in substantial
z benefits for the State and not in feed
= ing and keeping full the maws of pc
q litical buzzards, you will not now fin
q arrayed the little huckster politician
9 In time yes-when the people bt
IS come thoroughly impressed with wha
g their form of government really is.
g Theiactis penetrating. percolatine
Os And believe me the ''ideals' woul
Is smash are not ideals-no more tina
80 yon carrion over which those buzzard
$, are circling.
g Bespeak you, Editor Leveque, {
q ills reallyso grave as the lottery issu
lo and it's vampire crew? Or. does Ha
= lequin disport itself in the polite,
n arena for some one yet behind tt
d. curtain, with the ''gray matter" an
:. the '.grit" to work out the problel
of our States salvation? You nan
ii ii your issues in quite certain term
t. Now tell us your man who isprepart
and ready to lead us to them in fl
: fruition.
. Beshrew yOu with quite hDer
. tongue all those who have thus Il
= been named to lead "our Democracy
q but in all the caustic of your cursir
Z we have yet to discover whom "
I have for our better Moses to lead
the breaking down of machine "scal
wagism."
III We are but of the common herd
country cousins, and in patience wa
, for our city kin with the gray ma
. ter" to set the pace and name thu
! quarter horse, before we join you in
: crusade we know not who is leadil
Z and to what end it shall come.
Z Ours is but q common cause, al
I we seek but men known to the CO.
mon people to lead it. Should o
simple folk agree upon such an ol
we may be artless enough to folio
unless You can show US a better m