The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1905-04-08
Petty Politics in the Governors

4 the bitter and exciting New Orleans
1 municipal campaign OF last fall than
was given him in the Times Democrat
of Sunday, A pril2, over the well-known
pen-name of tCynieus. The "Cyni-
cns,, antilles are . regular and nota-
| BILE feature Of the contents Of the
Tines Democrats Sunday issues, and
there is probably no ADLER or more
| incisiqe writer connected with the
| Louisiana press than the author OF
these spicy and scholarly contribu-
| tions.
In the particular article now re-
ferred TO 'sCynicus' recalls the fact
/ that at the primary election held to
select Democratic candidates for state
Offices and United States senator
something over a year ago, the Excess
sive and corrupting patronage Of the
governor was the most important is
sue before the people. 1.-THE unsuc-
cessful candidate" says "Cynieus,"
pitched his campaign almost solely
on this issue, while the successful can
didate, not SO outspoken, admitted that
the patronage was excessive and
should be reduced, his only objection
to a sweeping reduction being that the
provisions of the law placed the mat
ter in the hands of the legislature,
rather than in those of the governor.
Gov. Blanchard in that campaign, at
least tacit1y, pledged himself to assist
in the reduction of the governors
patronage. How has he carried out
this pledge?''
| This question is answered by citing
a number of instances to prove that
/ the governor has kept hawkseye on
every possible opportunity for exer-
cising the gubernatorial influence
and prerogative in the filling Of Of
fees, however petty their grade and
emolument. In this respect, if the ex-
amples mentioned by "Cynicus" are
authentic and Of that there IS little
room for doubt-Gov. Blanchard has
made a new record, eelipsing the
| achievements of his predecessors and
belying his ante-election assurances
| that he favored diminution Of the
excessive patronage of the executive
| Office.
Among instances cited by ssCynicusn
was the removal Of one of the best
| known Democrats in the state-a man
rejoicing in the sobriquet Of "Johnny
| en- the Spot the little place of
messenger for the Louisiana Commits
1sioner to the World S Fair at St. Louis.
Johnny" had committed the unpar-
donable sin Of supporting Gen. las
tremski in the primary, SO he was
ousted from his humble job TO make
way for Blanchard partisan. "Cyn-
icus declares this is the pettiest thing
ever done in politics by governor. ;"
1t is asserted that Gov. B1anehar
made it condition precedent to the
appointment of some of the members
OF the board of state assessors for New
Orleans that he should have the selec-
ton of the assessor IS clerk. Mr. NAL
10y protested and was informed that if
he declined to accede to this arrange
| ment, the proposed clerk would be APP
pointed assessor in his stead.
Then the governor claimed and ex-
ereised the right to select the secretary
of the board of assessors, thing un-
heard OF. But he did not stop here.
He discovered that there was minor
job in the office, called by courtesy
assistant secretary, but in reality
position of messenger to the board. y
The governor Wouldn Il wait for such
slow process as mail communication
to snap up this $50 job, but is declared
to have used the telephone to notify
the board that it was unnecessary for
them TO choose a messenger as he had
a man already picked out for the
place.
The scathing series of indictments
presented by "Cynieus" closes with
the charge that the governor is now
engaged in deliberate plan to re
move DR.. G. A. B. Hays from the
place OF superintendent of the State
Insane Asylum at j Jackson for the pur-
pose OF carrying out political deal
by which East Fe1iciana was carried
from the Jastremski column at the
primary election. We quote the con-
Guiding paragraphs of the ssCynicus"
excoriation:
Thus the Office of superintendent Of
the State Insane Asylum has been
made the price of a political deal,
which it is difficult to characterize in
parliamentary language. Had / the
vocabulary of Johnny n-the- Spot /
might approach the subject in some
confidence, but as it is, the public will
have to do its own swearing.
Iss very few states is such an Office
regarded as a political one. There is
generally believed to be something
sacred about the care of demented men
and women by the state, which has re-
moved such institutions from the cor
rupting Influences of politics, but here
in Louisiana the use.of the executive
by the governor has grown
to be such an evil as to endanger the |
most sacred interests of the state. 1t
has gone 80 far ID the hands Of the
present executive that neither high Ii