The Lafayette advertiser. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], La.) 1865-19??, 1904-08-24
Tangipah0a School Board.

Amite. La. Aug. l.. 1904.
TO the Editor of The Times Democrat:
The common, everyday. humble
citizen is to he congratulated that he
a in that fair. open and fearless
defender OF the rights of the people.
The Times-DemOcrat. a medium
through which. in the hours when not
to dc SO would prove him a craven.
he can give vent to his pent-up in
dlgnatlOn at the high-handed method
OF self-appOinted leaders in running
rOugh-shOd over the voter and insult
ing his manhood. While | am not
given TO writing newspaper articles.
SUCH a manifest injustice has been
done h voters IN this (TangipahOa)
parish that the time for silence is gone
forever.
While the Office of member of the
Parish School Board is an appoint
I've one under present rules. the
parish central committee in the ate
general election. recognizing and
influenced by the Democratic principle
that all officers should be named bv
the people. ordered "a vote for all
offices. even the appOintive ones, and
it was agreed thai the Ones receiving
the greatest number of votes should
be appointed. In his speech delivered
here Mr.. Blanchard promised to
appoint those nominated. Now why
this has not been done is the question
am writing this article to ask. Mr..
Blanchard grew eloquent in his Amite
speech over the advancement the
people of the Florida parishes had
made, and had much to say concern
ing their intelligence. Why was all
this? Was it. as some claimed.
merely to get votes: Why is it he
has said, Though out of your in
telligence you have spoken, you can't
have what you want?'
| purpOsed at first to write him a
letter and ask him these questions
personally, but vas assured by one
who knows him better than | that he
would not cOndescend to answer me.
| declared my intention to visit him
at the capital and ask him to at least
tell us h furnished him with the
slate for the School Board for this
parish. but vas assured by a leading
politician that it would be a waste of
time.
am not sore over my defeat. but
am indignant. and | think Justly.
that a great and fundamental princi-
pie, without which good government
can not exist. has been ruthlessly and
wickedly violated. Why were some
of the nominees for the School Board
appointed and moi the others? Some
body knows. Will they tell? Ger
tainly not if they can help it. Mon
that are that little always think them
selves big, and think the rest of us
too little to be noticed. But some of
us. if We do not know already. are
pretty apt to find out, and then some
r going to wish we hadn't. Man is
afflicted with a superabundance of
tongue and will talk. and there is no
cOnfidant but that has his confidant.
and not all the telephone wires are
private Ones. and consequently a
storm is going to break over the
heads of the guilty in due time.
A patriotic people are a patient
people. but they will not suffer always.
The highest ethical teaching is thai
the injured are unwise. and SO in this
case the self-cOnceited meddlers have
Overstepped themselves. for the board
finally selected have too much self.
respect to lend themselves to the
~furtherance of the we'll known scheme.
1t is true Al per cent of our pOpula'
ton are illiterate. but all the brain.
of the other 53 per cent are not insane,
nor two, nor even a dozen heads.
J. L. VINING.