St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1909-04-03
CRYING WRONG OF PRO-
POSED DIVISION Line.
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F
CONTINUED from first page)
sion comes within six miles and a
half Of the city of 0pelousas, when
there was no necessity to locate it
nearer than eleven or twelve miles
from that point, because a straight
line of division running due north and
south could have been adopted, which
would not have come nearer the city
Of Opelousas than eleven miles, and
which would have given to the pro-
posed new parish the full amount of
territory and population required by
the Constitution. Such a line would
have left in the old parish several
large communities, which are OPP
posed to being transferred to the
proposed new parish, and at least
two Of which communities would be
farther off from any county seat that
could be located within the new par
ish than they are from 0pelousas,
thus, in so far as these communities
are concerned, eo~ntradicting the pre-
tense Of the di~visionists of giving to.
the inhabitants Of the new parish
nearer access to the county seat.
Here the inquiry naturally arises:
What induced the Legislature TO
adopt such an negotiable and unfair
line Of division in the enabling act?
/ answer that the parocbial commit
tees Of both houses were thoroughly
informed on this subject, for | APP
peared before both bodies, as the
representative of the 0pelousas Pro-
tective, Association and set forth in
detail most of the objections to the
line above stated, urgently appealing
for justice to the old Commonwealth
of st. Landry, but my appeals passed
UNDECIDED. The four members Of the
House from st. Landry, elected BIZ q
combination with some of the in1nen-
tial candidates for parochial Office.
and all residents within the proposed
new parish, in conjunction with the
two Senators from this district, stood
solidly together in support of the de-
mands of the ~divisionists, and BY
their powerful influence induced both
Senate and House to support and
vote for their measure, though many
of the members Of both bodies adj
mitted privately not only The uneon-
sti~tutionality of the act, but the in
Justice and un~fairness Of the line of
division proposed. Tbs influence Of
the four members of the House over
their felloW-members, and of the two
Senators from this district over the
members of that body was paramount
and on every hand I was met with
the remark that the question was d
local one, and that the members Of
the Legislature not interested were
bound to. presume that the Repre-
Esentatiyes of st. Landry parish in the
House and Senate correctly repre-
scented their constituents. So that
the citizens Of 0pelousas and Of the
mother parish have been compelled
to appeal to the courts to protect
them against this great wrong, which
if brought upon them. would be ire
parable. Nor can the ~diyisionists
claim to have been taken BY surpaise
BY the Injunction process. [. nv
self, urged the uneonstitutionality Of
the proposed act, not only before the
Legislature, but in an elaborate brief
published ii the official journal at
Baton Rouge during the session Of
the Legislature, and republished else
where; and they were therefore fully
forewayned that the constitutionality
of the act would be tested in the
courts. Their answer, given to The
Senate and House committees, was to
give them the act, and they would
take upon themselves all of The re-
sponsibility and risk of maintaining
the constitutionality Of the same, as
well as Of carrying the measure be-
fore the people.
TH0S. H. LEWIS, SR.
WANTED.-Reliable and expert
eneed white lady, to take charge Of
Dardeau's Hotel, in Vile Platte.
mchI3-tf ARTHUR DARDEAU.
s-@@s-
Just received, a fine line Of bath
accessories, such as soap, sponges,