The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1909-11-25

Plans of the Machine Already Wen
Laid-Politicians Expect Easy Sail
ing in the Legislature-Can Garry
Election Unless Voters Are Aroused.
The Peoples Fight Must Be Made in
the Legislature Y
New Orleans TimesDemocrat No
vember 70: "If the people are to make
any organized effort to defeat the plan
of the Democratic machine to amend
the Constitution so the Governor may
succeed himself, now is the time to be-
gin the work"
This declaration was made yesterday
by prominent lawyer of New Orleans,
who all his political life has been a
regular" but who intends to bak at
the plan of the bosses to put the amend
ment through the Legislature and then
to carry it in an off year election before
the people.
According to him the machines plans
already have been laid, and if those
plans are to be blocked energetic work
is necessary, and it must be begun now
He said:
MACHINE PLANS LAID.
"The recent editorials in the Times
Democrat on the proposed repeal OF the
constitutional provision which provides
that the Governor of this State shall
not succeed himself are most timely in
deed, and thousands of good citizens
are rejoiced at the splendid calls to our
people to save their Constitution, their
State and themselves from the terrible
evils of an ofice-holiing dynasty, or,
as the Tinles=Democrat so aptly phrases
it, from perpetual governor
"You have not sounded the alarm
any too soon, for the battle lines OF
the enemy are already formed, and the
promoters of the scheme are so strong
ly entrenched behind the breastworks
of political patronage, sinecyTes, soft
snaps, etc, that it would be difficult IN
deed to assault them successfully had
the attack been much longer delayed.
In fact the State machine claims to
have ample votes in the lower House
of the Legislature at the present mo-
ment to pass the resolution when 1t IS
presented. Its leaders assert with equal
emphasis that they lack but one vote
of having the two-thirds necessary ir
| the Senate, and claim that they will gel
that one vote in the election Of the sue
Icessor OF Senator Mafston, who recent
II resigned. As this is an off year, and
1.-The people will take bat little interest
I'M that eieetion in all probability the
machine will find it very easy matter
to elect its man in that district.
'The State machines bases its claim
Iof the control OF tifs Legislature, as ons
of its supporters puts ii, on the follow
ing: Why just look at the members O
the Hozase who are holding State ant
city Jobs. Don't you suppose these -fef
| lows know where their jobs COM
from? Do you suppose they are goint
to vote themselves out of good thing
! / tell you they will vote with the STATE
machine when the time comes for th'
Legislature to submit that amendmen
to the people Every one of them VIII
holds job will vote to submit, II
| won't dare to do otherwise. Beside:
There are many members of the Senat
| in the same boat, who hold good job
themselves, or who have relatives or in
Ifiuential friends holding good jobs I'm
der the State machine, and they wi
dance to the music too, as you will Sc
when the time comes.
time FOR THE PEOPLE TO ACT
THAT is the view of practical poll
Itician, and sit shows as nothing else ca
show, the power of patronage, and
shows also the absolute necessity, M
Ionly of the defeat of the propose
amendment, but the necessity also fc
still further reduction of the Coy
ernor's patronage. And now that tn
fight is on, / wish to suggest that thei
lis no good reason why the peop
should not make use of this occasion
lhave restored to them at the next Sc
sion of the Legislature, all of the
| rights that still remain in the hands I
the Governor. In other words, there
/ no reason why the people should n
5 make this an offensive instead of a d
Ifensive fight with the State machine.
Suppose you look into the stateme
of the practical politician / just spol
of and find out just how many mer
Il bers of the Legislature do hold poll
!: cal places given them by the nnaehin
+ In fact, if you will look into the who
situation, am confident that you W