The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1908-12-17
HOW THEY VOTED ON THE AMENDMENTS.

selves and in human nature.
HOW THEYVOTED ON THE AMENDMENTS.
eff the provision in the Constitution OF
Connecticut and dozen other
States-that the Constitution can be amend
ed only by the vote of majority OF the
qualified eectors-prevailed in Louisiana,
not one of the ten amendments submitted
at the late election would have carried,
saws the New Orleans Times Democrat.
"Barely half the qualified voters, 1913,
took the trouble to even 60 to the polls and
barely half of those who went there voted
on the amendments, either for or against
them. The vote ranged from 81 1902 on No.
2 to 1851 on No. Concerning Confed-
crate pensions), with an average OF 4O,566
on each amendment: or about q per cent
of the qualified electorate of the State.
There was no open opposition to the amend
ments, no campaign against them
The Confederate pension amendment led
the van, receiving 4047 more than any
other and $3.50 more than the lowest. It's
majority, 40,225, is greater than the vote
received for most of the other amendments.
Cameron Parish voted against all the
amendments.
Referring to the only obnoxious amend
ment in the list, which was 'conceived in
iniquity and brought forth in SIM and
had once before been voted down by the
people, the Times-Democrat says there
were some mutterings against No. 5, in re-
gard to the proposition to raise the salary of
the Superintendent of Public Education.
There were, indeed, mutterings against
the political dicker, but the opponents to
the measure intended solely for the bene-
fit of would-be political dictator had no
leaders and consequently there was no
organized opposition, and it carried, the
bosses being stronger than the unorganized
voters. How 1.-THE goods were delivered :"
after an unceasing and untiring official
effort of four years, is told by the Times
Democrat in the following summary of the
vote on the Salary Grab:
'As matter Of fact, a majority of the
parishes voted against the increase, the
vote standing thirty-five parishes against
it to twenty-four in its favor. Nothing
but the almost solid vote of the city con-
trolled by the organization and two
suburban parishes, which have joined the
city organization, Jefferson and st. Ber-
nard, carried the amendment. Outside Of
these the vote stands: For the increase of
salary of Superintendent of Education,
1924; against an increase, 1O,049; majority
against the increase, 1926. Had the coun-
try parishes voted as strongly as the city
did, they might even have swamped the
city majority, but only one in six voted on
the amendments for or against them.
Webster and VIM voted four to one against
it.; Bienville and Livingston five to one;
Bossier eight to one; Red River nine to
one; Cameron twelve to one, and Claiborne
fourteen to one. Compare this with the
parochial allies of New Orleans, St. Ber-
ldlO, WutIc CItI0 WdS d SOlIldiy VOIG
opposition, and Jefferson, where the vote
was 1O5 to for the amendment, only ten
electors being in the negative
There is food for thought and hope for
better things, political, in the words of the
Times Democrat Had the country par
ishes voted as strongly as the city did,
they might even have swamped the city
majority, but only one in six voted on the
amendments for or against them" Weigh
the words well, country voters, and in the
future go to the polls like patriots in the
discharge of sacred duty and vote down
the ''jobs'' Of political tricksters and the
graft" upon which the bosses feed, grow
fat and insolent. eft is not in our stars.
but in ourselves, that we are underlings."
The friends of government by the people
and for the people, have the power if they
will only use it. External vigilance is the
price of liberty"
MAI. w. A. STRONG.