The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1904-09-24
DUAL OFFlGEHOLDlNG.
A Crying Abusa-How the Governor of
the State Overrides Inc Con-
stitutipn.

A prominent New Orleans attorney
with the courage Of his convictions and
the temerity to make them known,
strikes a telling blow at one of the
numerous fragrant violations of the
constitution and laws for which the
present state administrator promises
to become nnenviablv conspicuous
vide the following communication
printed in last Sundays issue of the
Times-Democrat:
New ORLEANS. SEPT II, 1904.
To THE EDITOR OF The TINES DEMOCRAT.
1t may help some day to secure re-
lief from the abuses and intolerable
conditions now prev aiiing to call pub
llc attention to them SO that the people
Will know IN what specific direction to
urge and demand measures OF relief
They are now to about engage in a cam
paign to elect municipal officers whose
influence, views and recommend ationg
may have weight with the present gem
eral assembly-perhap enough to SCI
cure some measure of relief at least.
4 La any event, if the people elect muni-
cipal officers who will earnestly seek to
have the general assembly pass laws
abolishing useless Offices or CONSOLE
dating them with other Offices. reduce
ing salaries, ETC.. the full responsible.
ity will rest with the general assembly
il it resists and defes the demands of
the people and its members may be re-
tired to private life.
A politician has a healthy respect
for the wishes CT the people when en-
phatleally and polntedly expressed. [
am one who does not despair of OBJ
tanning some relief from the present
members of the general assembly. I
am al op6imist.
One of the crying abuses prevailing
is the custom of holding dual Offices or.
/ positions. There are many illustrious
| patriots who are not satisfied with
sucking one public teat: they want to
crowd two, and perhaps three. into
their mouths. [ have in view several
| such pap-suekers, who appear TO have
started on the public teat ia their early
| infancy, and to have grown full sets OF
Whiskers and teeth during the process,
and who bid fair TO keep up the suck
ing process until they lose their teeth
from old age! The stomachs of these
venerable old infants are SO accus-
toned to public pap that I myself sim
eerely fear to advocate a change of
diet, as it might prove fatal if ever
enforced.
The constitution, article Is, SAYS:
THE powers of the government of the
state of Louisiana shall be divided
into three distinct departments, each
of them to be confded to separate
body Of magistracy, to wit: those
which are legislative to one, those
which are executive to another, and
those which are judicial to another. 81
Article II says: mo one of these
departments. nor any person or col |
lection OF persons, holding Office in |
any OF them shall exercise power prop
erly belonging to either of the others, |
except in such instances herein after |
expressly directed or permitted. .
But, Mr.. Editor, "What is the con-
stitution among friends?'' The spirit.
and, perhaps, the very letter of this
solemn instrument is fagrantly set at
naught by many of our rulers, each of
whom has taken an oath TO support it.
The most notorious, and, perhaps. the
most serious infraction of the spirit
OF these articles is the act of Gov.
Blanchard in appointing on his execu-
tive staff members of the senate and
house. To such an extent has he gone
in this matter that a list of his staff as
governor reads like a roster OF the
general assembly. Nobody would OBJ
Ject to these illustrious statesmen aban-
doning the legislative halls to array
in respondent military
uniforms, warming the coolies Of the
executive heart and eliciting the won-
der and admiration of the fair sex.
But the trouble is, they will not aban-
don the legislative halls. They hold
On with grim tenaci6y to their sena-
torlal and representative positions
while still part Of the executive
branch OF the government. I trust
hat the contingency is very remote,
but, nevertheless, a case might and
may arise where the constitutional
tights and prerogatives of the general
assembly might have to be vindicated
against executive aggression. If SO. :
T is evident that these statesmen on
he governors staff would hold d.
rided allegiance; and it is much to be
cared that the constitutional rights
Ind prerogatives of the general as
'embly would be sacrificed TO retain
executive favor. These political Taio-
ais would rather suffer death than
ose their three-eyed peacock feathers
md yellow jackets. IF
This pernicious practice is a serious ,
natter to the people, as it enables the :
Executive to coerce and compel Ieeis- =
alive action to meet his desires. be- L
ause 1t assures him at all times a T.
naJerl6y OF the senate and house, who
re under such obligations to him thati
hey dare not resist his will. v
The great principle of division of
ne powers and functions of govern n
1ent into three separate and inde-
endent branches is utterly sacrificed, =
nd, IN the twinkling of an eye, con-
tltut1onal restraints and Limitations r
re swept away which our forefathers |
ecured after many years of suffering y
nd the expenditure Of much treasure
nd blood
It was fondly hoped that an execu-
We who had himself attained the
lghest judicial, executive and Iegis-
alive honors, and TO whom the consti-
ltlon should be sacred, would not be
he first to violate its spirit, if not its
ttef, as the present governor has
one IN appointing members of the
7neral assembly to his official staff
az 10 using his influence with his ap-
olntees to secure lucrative and honor F.
ole appointments for these senators =.
i'd representatives. p
II, IN this matter, Gov. Blanchard C
IS 1oIloWed the example of his pre-