The southern sentinel. (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910, 1907-11-08
Communicated.
Editor Southern Sentinel:


Governor Blanchard has acted
very wisely in calling the Legis-
lature together at this time, it is
timely, and / trust that every
member of the Legislature will
attend this extra session and do
his whole duty to his constituency.
in which event the saving to the
State of Louisiana from fees and
commissions alone would several
times over pay the cost of this
extra session the first year.
The gross receipts of the sheriffs
office of Winn parish will figure
In the aggregate $4,000 this year
or nearly three times the COVER
nor's salary. The above figures
are only an estimate and may
not be exactly correct but they
are not far off. This includes all
the revenues of the Office from
different sources but comes dir
ectly from the people through
taxation. This vast sum of money
represents nearly one third of all
the parish taxes which is in my
opinion very wrong. l consider
it wilfully so to tax the great
masses of the people almost to
confiscation for the benefit of
three or four officials.
believe in equity and justice to
everybody alike. l believe that
every official from ward cOnsta Die
to the President of the United
States should have q reasonable
and just compensation for his
services and believe the salaries
of some officials should be raised
to where there is, at least, q Just
reward for services rendered. For
instance, a member of the Police
Jury of VIM Parish gets $500
per day and if be puts up at q
hotel that would uphold the dig
nifty of the cause be is here to
represent, he will have practically
nothing at the end of his week IS
toll to compensate him for same.
There are other instances where
members of Legislative bodies
are underpaid. In my opinion
those who work without sufficient
pay should be considered rs seri-
ously as a reduction in those who
are over paid.
Governor Blanchard has SIM
ply taken the situation by the
foretop, for which he deserves
much commentator. There has
been a great clamor over the State
of Louisiana for q reform that
now seems inevitable. Any can
didate who would at this stage of
the game step in the way of this
reform move which is unquestion-
ably badly needed, ought to be.
and in my opinion, will be buried
politically.
If the Legislature enacts such
laws as in my opinion will mete
out justice to the State of Louis
lana and especially to VIM par
ish / shall withdraw my PROPOSE
ton to collect the special school
taxes free of charge, but l shall
not do so at this time, nor will /
until after the Legislature shall
have adjourned, and not then.
unless the laws referred to above
shall have been enacted.
am willing to leave the ques-
ton of legislation to those select
ed by the people to legislste. If
they see fit to put the sheriffs of
the State on salary basis or cut
the commissions to q reasonable
and Just basis it will be satisfac-
tory to me in the event of my
election.
/ will not be seen or heard
around the Hobbies of the State
capitol, nor will / be q pardner In
any way to- move that would pre-
vent or have a tendency to prevent
the Legislature from enacting
such laws as would be ~ the
best interests of the State.
/ endorse this call for an extra
ordinary session of the Legislature
as the masterpiece of Governor
Blancha,d's gnternatorial record.
Respectfully,
ID II