The southern sentinel., 1907-12-13
EXTRA SESSION or THE LEGISLATURE.

just oogSuiuSo hdS aSSohPHShSo
more in the way of saving money
to the taxpayers than perhaps any
session of the Louisiana Legisla-
lature that has ever been called
together. The necessity for these
reforms has been known for sew
eral years, and was only forced
by the general demand among the
people. that these reforms should
be made. so much so, that num-
Der of the candidates throughout
the State, almost IN every parish.
wrote lengthy platforms and prof
fered to do the work i'm the Offices
of sheriff and assessor for about
the sums fixed by the extra ses-
sion. The first in the State to
publicly announce his willingness
to do this work at a reduced cost
was Mr.. Jack Parker of Ouachita,
a candidate for sheriff of that par
ish. He was followed by Mr.. X.
H. Fletcher and Mr.. J. w. Wasson
ofthis parish. and these announce
ments and platforms made in every
parish paper in the State made it
imperative that something should
be done and after the extra ses-
sion had been called the members
took the cue and they did the
work quickly and well. The fact
that it was asserted that "the re-
sponsibility. for the success or
failure of the extra session would
fall on the shoulders of Lieutenant
Governor Sanders" a responsible
ity which he in no way attempted
to shIrk but placed himself in the
breech and in his opening address
to the Senate. he made plain to
the Senate and the people his
position.
Too much credit canntt be
bestowed upon the members of
the Legislature for the zeal and
energy displayed in acting upon
the measures demanded. Work
ing under the strain of business
and planting interests requiring
attention and services. in the midst
of a financial stringency. and the
claims df a warm political cam
paign, they have patriotically and
zealousiy given their time, means
and best efforts to enact the re-
form legislation required. In a
review Of their work. the New
Orleans States concludes:
They have taken up their work
with patience. they have refused
to be driven. cajoled or controlled.
but like misrepresentation of the
people they have worked with a
fidelity and 6rmness Of purpose
that will command for themselves
the highest admiration of unbiased
men all over the State. Not a
small number of the members are
candidates before the people eith-
er for reelection to their. present
positions, or for other Offices, yet
they have not permitted that to
interfer with their work; and while
they have been busy serving the
State at Baton Rouge their politi-
cal opponents at home have been
active in their campaigns against
them.
Inc spectacie afforded OF falth-
fulness Under suchtrying circum-
stances as we have described is
most gratifying. and the fact that
the people appreciate it is being
made manifest every day. The
Lieutenant Governor. ]. Y. San
ders, upon whom Governor .Blan-
chard, in his chagrin over the
manner in which the Lieutenant
Governor had ''called the turn"
on his move, endeavored to shoul-
der the responsibility for what he
appeared to forecast as the inevit-
able failure to accomplish results,
has no need to be ashamed of the
situation as il is now presented.
He has put his enemies to confus-
ion by his firm adherence to duty
and hv The laval sp,ooxt IL.