The Lafayette advertiser. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], La.) 1865-19??, 1907-11-12

Office, but, acting upon unofficial IN
formation, he, for one brief instant
and for one purpose only assumed
the functions of Governor in New Or
leans. and. without consultation with
or notice to me. issued a proclamation
su~ppleinenting the call | had made
for an extra session by adding to
that call two additional subjects.
one to increase the power of he
Railroad Commission, and one
to eject all foreign corporation, or
corporations holding charters under
other States, as well as Federal or
porations, from the State OF Louis
lana, which either bring suits in the
Federal court, or which remove a
case from a State to a Federal court.
"By so doing the Lieutenant Gov
ernor has rushed the extra session
into the very danger l had so careful
" sought to avoid in framing my
proclamation"
DANGER OF LOBBIES.
'The consideration of the two SUBJ
jects put up by him will, it is feared,
| arouse powerful adverse influences
and precipitate powerful Hobbies on
the Legislature, representing all the
foreign or outside corporations land
their name is legion), including the
railroad, telegraph, telephone, steam
boat, express companies, sleeping car
interests and many others.
1.-THE possibilities of combinations
between these interests and those be-
hind the existing offices and the emOl-
uments now attached to same, to pre-
vent legislation affecting the one or
the other, are clear.
''There are many ways of defeating
legislation-some direct, some indi-
rect; some open, some secret. Con-
stitutional amendments have to be
proposed. Joint resolutions propos-
ing the same require a two-thirds vote
in each House of all members elected.
Calling the long rolf would doubt
less produce the affirmative votes OF
those present.
.'But how about the absent members
and perhaps. those dead and re-
signed? Where a two-thirds vote OF
all the members elected is necessary
to pass a measure, an absent mem.
Der cO~unts--cOunts against the prop
osition. Absence, therefore, from
either house when such a vote is taken
is an indirect or secret way OF defeat
ing constitutional amendments needed
to be put before the people at this
extra session, and without which the
session will be largely a failure.
= THE RESPONSIBILITY.
"By injecting the new matters pro
posed by him, the Lieutenant Govern
, or must assume before the people tn
responsibility for whatever disapoint
ment to them, or failure of thei
, hopes and expectations of remedia
, legislation, at the hands of the extr;
session. there may be.
ION him is the direct responsible
!. ity for securing the passage OF legl
latiun pertaining to the matters sc
!. up in his proclamation, and on him
too, must he fastened the responsible
, ity should there be failure OF passag
: of the measure proposed in the origin
: u! proclamation issued by me.
1T was my first intention to us
: the constitutional power vested in IN
to rescind and revoke his supplement
\ tai proclamation because OF the ele
: menI of danger of failure of the Who'll
Z scheme of reform it had injected Int
the situation. But, in the hope shat
may have exaggerated the danger
p upon further consideration l hav
q concluded 70 let the bed remain as n
2 has finally made it up, with a ful
/. knowledge that the people OF the Stat
, will place the responsibility where
e belongs if the vital reforms, tiscs
suggestions, and economies OF publ
: expenditure called for in my origins
proclamation should fail, for I'll
, reasons l have given, of proper cor
r sideratiOn and enactment at the DON
D ing extra session.
"As to the propriety OF the Lieuter
/. ant Governors act, l have nothin
e to say. De gustibus non est disp,
e tandum.
He has a precedent in the histOr
8 of our State for his action in tryin
: to invest himself with gubernatoris
+ power during the brief absence OF tn
Governor. That precedent aros
when the negro Lieutenant Governor
Pinchback, himself absent at tn
. A. .-sAI a.. Cov0rnnr 4