The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1908-05-09
uIoaisianas Sorry Political Plight.

New Orleans Times Democrat of Thurs
1 day, April %. publishes the following
EDITORIAL, setting forth in forceful ant
truthful terms the deplorable plight il
which the Democratic party Of this
state has been placed by the profes
sional politicians who control its or
ganization and destiniss with despotie
and almost uudisputed sway
| Tuesdays election IN New orlean:
| will satisfy every one in Louisiana
that this city has gotten under tbs
control of a set OF politicians who vii.
carry out their purposes at any cost
to the state and the people, and whom
it is going to be very hard to ouss and
dislodge, as they have captured the
control of the party and the election
machinery. Twice within toe last two
months these politicians have shows
their contempt for the party and the
people, for Democratic self respect
and even for the law
TN the primary OF Feb. Is the Dc.
mocraey of New Orleans was discred
tied and disgraced before the state
and the Union by frauds as gross a.
any ever perpetrated, frauds that re.
qoired perjury and forgery to perpa.
trate-the voting OF the dead and de
parted, the emptying of bundles o.
bogus tickets into the ballot boxes and
the poll lists being filed up with
names Of voters who had not voted.
! all dele ia such d reckless, careless
aud hurried manner that the commits.
aioners did not have time TO arrange
them properly and wrote the names OF
in alphabetical order.
Yet this crude and crooked swindle
won, out succeeded in its purpose and
elected the man whom Inc city ring
wanted for lieutenant governor; and
there Is not even the small consolation
that the ballot box suffers were pua-
ished or even prosecuted, or are likely
to be prosecuted or punished for their
election crimes.
with these frauds fresh and uufor,
gotten, the bosses Tuesday perpetrated
their second fndignity aud outrage or
Louisiana. An extra session costing
the voters some $40. 900 or more had
been held to remove some Of the ex.
tray agance and Wastefulness under
which Louisiana was administered. As
the governor pointed out in his mes.
sage, the entire fiscal system of the
state was extrava CANT TO the last de
gree, it costing US from three to twenty
times as much relatively as It die
other states TO make the assessments
and collect the revenues. It was not
pretended that the Louisiana system
vas any better or even as. good al.
that of its neighbors, aud in the de-
falcation of tax collectors this city
held the record. The only argument
presented in favor OF tho plan now il
existence here was that it created more
offices and diverted more money from
the treasury into the pockets or the
professional politicians. So conviGe
ing were tie arguments il favor Of tie
policy Of efficiency and economy, as
against the system ia force, as fat
salaries and fees for cheap ward poll
tictans, that the voice u The people
was practically unanimous for ths
proposed legislation. The amendments
we're passed BY The legislature, and 81
Tuesdays election the people of Lou
isiana toutsiae OF the inaaence ofsthe
ffng1 voted twenty to one in favor Of
them, except IL Jefferson and ST. Der
nard, controlled by city ring In
fueaoas.
"Bat when we come to the city vote
we find the contrary. The vote as
counted, and it is well under present
conditions always to speak OF the vote
thus, shows, If We were to believe the
returns, that the Democratic voters OF
New Orleans are nearly len TO ono 81
favor OF giving sI00, 900 q year to the
bosses ~ return iof their p9lttical
services n administering ti1es affairs
q New Orleans ara Louisiana. The
election may pc almost regarded u
the liPas Ct feSttHontal to the city
poldeia9s, E git q Sioo. 0oo yearly
for tie magnificent manner in which
f}er ean47I3aft.1 .444a ,.t,3,aarv5 3 Tat,
20, anu the splenaia total taey piled