The Lafayette advertiser. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], La.) 1865-19??, 1907-11-12
The Vital Question Before the State
Legislature.
N. O. Item.

Governor Newton G.. Blanchard
has acted with political wisdom in al
lowing Lieutenant Governor Sanders
additions to the purposes of his Spe-
cial legislative session to stand. We
believe that he would have displayed
craftsmanship as we'll, had he nullifed
them and then ordered a special ses-
sion to consider the same proposals.
in regular manner. This course would
leave the people real laws, without a
stain upon them, Or a hole in them
through which the lawyers of the first
aggressive corporation will drive a
fOur-horse wagon.
By accepting the Sanders proposals,
the Governor places %squarely upon
Mr.. Sanders and his friends the Onus
of accounting rigidly and fully to the
people of Louisiana for the fate of
every reform measure proposed for
consideration in Baton Rouge next
month.
Mr.. Blanchard was right, and every
body who has a superficial acquain-
lance with the history of Baton Rouge
methods knows that he was right,
when he sought to confine the debate
solely to the Overshadowing issue be-
tween the Common People and their
political despoilers. He was right,
in seeking the settlement of that issue
in favor of the People, to try to avoid
the complicating effect of the presence
in Baton Rouge of a corporation lob
by.
If a lobby appears there now, it will
be the fault of MI. Sanders; and Mr..
Sanders will be to blame for the effect
it shall have or other legislation.
If no lobby appears, that will be a
sur sign that the corporations do
not take Mr.. Sanders action serious
ly enough to fight it. 1t will mean
that they believe it illegal and of no
effect, that it is merely a political
gold-brick sold to the People of
Louisiana by a gentleman running
for office: and the corporation council
of Louisiana are themselves a capable
coterie of gentlemen who know their
own business better than you and L.
But keep clearly before your eyes
the real outlines of the genuine issues
before the people. Don't let the fun
ny little monologues of Led-and-B os-
sed newspapers make you laugh so
hard as to overlook that this is the
real question for YOUR Legislature
to answer for you:
Shall ieaders-dnd- bosses continue to
pluck from the public funds of Louis
lana. erery gear, hundreds of dollars
they do not earn, while Louisiana re-
mains so poor that 1t can not educate its
children, provids roads for its turner's,
perfect its lerees, or do any Of the hun
dreds of lesser things that Advance a pop
ulace t0,card higher comfort and higher
culture?
This is the only real question now
before your Legislature. The corpo-
rations will be controlled, later if
not now; that is inevitable. But
NOW, on the eve Of this election, the
long-suffering People, standing with
its votes suspended above hundreds
of ballot boxes throughout Louis
iana-NOW with the Legislature of
on parade before its mas
tiers and its judges. NOW is the only
time for the attack on the organized
Leaders-and- Bosses who have held
long enough a sovereign power over
the public fortunes which belongs to
the People alone in a State which Is
truly free.
We stand convinced that the pas
sage Of such legislation IS part of
that which Mr.. Sanders proposes for
corporation control is absolutely
necessary to put the State of Louis
lana in real command of its own bust
ness: but we r utterly opposed to
the consideration at this time, of this
OF any other legislation which may be
juggled to prevent the removal from
Louisiana's shoulders of the oppres-
sive burden of spoils politics, at q
critical opportunity. once lost not to
be regained save by the same sort of
lucky chance which has brought it
within the Peoples grasp to-day.
Such chances fall once in an average
mans life.
Louisiana will fail to appreciate ito
own veal in this opportunity, II it toll
crates IN instant the choking Of
tile blanchard laws by the expiOita-
ton OF . measure, which, atlbest, must