The Lafayette advertiser. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], La.) 1865-19??, 1907-02-13
Don t Practice What They Preach.

Don t Practice What They Preach.
To The Advertiser;
Please allow me space to comment
upon one OF the strongest commenda-
tions of the City Council made by The
Lafayette Democrat.
quote: The cardinal principle
which has actuated the administration
and which is made part of the plat
form is Justice to ALL or IL other
words, the fundamental Democratic
idea that government should o9 admin
istered impartially for the benefit OF
all the people, and not Il select lew,
who may happen to have control on
influence over hose in authOrisy.'
This all sounds very iiLv, but IL
would come with batter grace from
others than those who nave sinned as
often against this cardinal principle
as the present administration haSdOne.
For instance / remember one of the
first acts OF this council was to set
aside the will Of the people 10y appoint
ing on the police force as an assistant,
a candidate defeated at the polls d few
days previously, WAen rGnAiNg toi the
Office OF City Marshal. As I reward
for MS services during that campaign
this defeated candidate was made the
cO-equal on the police force Of his OPP
pOnent III had been duly elected by
the people.
10 d man up a tree this looks like a
direct miscarriage Of Justice to ALI
by "a select few VINO happened 10
have control or influence over those in
authority Most certainly this mode
OF ciruumventing the VIII OF the people
as expressed ut the DaliOt boX was not
in accordance with ''the fundamental
Democratic idea that government
5 h O Id be administered impair
TALLY for the benefit OF all the people,
Also, when the council soon after
being indicted into Office, adjudicated
the public printing not to the lowest
responsible bidder as the law OF our
state c0nndads. but to the highest bid
der-waS the council actuated in pay
ing a political debt in this way out of
the public funds, by the fundamental
Democratic idea that government
should be administered impartiatty for
the benefit OF all the peopIe, n not
for a select JeW, who may happen to
have control or intiueuce over those in
authority" The significance OF this
public printing deal is better
u n d e L S o d Ii e it is
explained hat the lowest bid was made
by The Advertiser, which had opposed
the council il the recent campaign, n
the highest bic "a submitted by The
Gazette, which was then under the con-
troll of Mr.. r. I Creig, who ardently
supported the colncil then as he is
dong now as the editor of The Lafay-
cite Democrat. The official proceed
ipgs OF the council show that although
the bid OF The Advertiser vas S14.00
nevertheless the council gave the con-
tract to The Gazette at Sl50.00 a year.
This seems to be an aggravated Ease
of 'impartiality" with all trace OF
Justice left out.
Then again there is that transfOrma-
ton of the old Bank OF Lafayette
building into a modern city hall that
the taxpayers voted $4,000 to pay for
the erection of, on ground o be ac-
quired by the town for the purpose.
The will of the people as expressed at
the ballot box was clearly defeated by
this deal between the City Council and
the officials of the bank, who were rep
resented on both sides of the transac-
ton at one time. If this be admins
tering public affairs with Justice to
ALP it is a brand of justice that is Pc
culiar in that it always seems to re-
dound to the benefit in some way of
the same select few who happen to have
control or influence over those in au-
thority. And of these most peculiar
brands of justice and impartiality the
people have had enough and too
much.
l suggest that The Democrat might
accomplish more good in the world by
devoting its energies toward reforming
its own political household, than in ex-
posing the hypocrisy and i~nsincerity
of their platforms and pledges by call
ing public attention to principles and
virtues that they give not the slightest
outward evidence of possessing. This
is poor politics.
JACKsoNIAN DEMOCRAT.