St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1909-03-27
Mr. Ogden,s Position.
Onelousas. 18th March. 1909.

There seems to be quite an interest
manifested BY all intelligent people
IN the question now agitating the
public mind relative to the injunction
suit recently taken out by Mr.. 3.
B. Dnbuisson and others TO prevent
the election from taking place on the
18th Of next month.
I am in favor of retaining the old
parish, but | am loath to see any set
Of people deprived Of their right to
cast their vote on any question IN
which they may be interested.
NV idea was to have fought the
issue before the people at the polls,
and I entertained a strong hope that
after a careful and vigorous cam
Ipaign that the old st. Landry men
would have carried the election, but
now that the Courts have been APP
piled to, The matter has assumed q
different hue.
If q vote can be legally polled I'M
der Che present conditions | intend
to cast my vote TO retain the old
parish as I do not believe that the
votes of The people should be stiaed.
or that they should be restrained
from exercising the right Of franz
chise.
There have been efforts made in SO
many ways to cut off this privilege
that | look with fear and trembling
upon any move the object Of which is
TO deprive q man of his vote.
I am not d politician, and have no
Ak to grind, and the allurements Of
office hold out no foundations TO
me but as a citizen, proud Of the
rights that are or should be accord
ed a citizen, I feel in common with a
vast majority Of our people that it is
a most dangerous precedent to stop
an election upon a matter Of so much
moment and public concern.
AS to the legal phases Of the case
FL have been so much absorbed ID my
professional pursuits that | have not
found the time to give the matter
that attention, without which IwouId
not presume to express an opinion.
find arrayed on one side a lawyer
of great ability, the Nestor of the
0pelousas Bar, Mr.. Thomas FL. Lewis,
for whose opinion on any question Of
law I have the highest respect, but
find on the other side a man of hugh
ability, che Attorney General. ! find
that two coordinate branches of the
Government have approved Of the
election and as to whether the other
branch, the judiciary, will do SO re-
mains yet to be seen. The fact that
the matter of the calling Of the cleo
ton was carefully scrutinized BY the
judiciary committee composed Of
lawyers, and approved by them points
out the seriousness of the contention
of the interveners in the injunction
suit, and none Of said committee, can
with grace say, that they simply
acted to please the people.
The question vel non, is an inter-
esting one. Under the Constitution
there can be no doubt that Id a clear
cut case for d change Of a Parish
line or the removal Of a Court House
a two-thirds vote Of the people Is
required, but query is it so when the
election is for the purpose to create
a New Parish.
II is true that in the creation of
a new parish. q line is changed, but
lis this not an incident, and not per
se the purpose of the election.
These are nice questions, and those
who wish to play with the human
mind, and who are led on by their
own convictions, should not lose
sight Of the fact, the question is q
most serious one.
It seems to me that a District
Judge would pause before declaring
as unconstitutional a law Of this
character, but would rather throw
that responsibility upon the higher
tribunal which alone can set this
question at rest.
Had we who favor the retention
Of the old parish beaten the Division
lists at the polls It might have crush
ed out this desire to carve up old ST.
Landry, but the legal step that has
been taken viii only serve to quicken
their energies and arouse q deeper
and stronger determination On their
part to finally succeed in their eff
forts to create the parish Of Evan
geline.
II the old st. Landry people should
have been beaten at the polls, while
not having carefully considered the
matter, | cannot but believe that
legal proceedings of the proper kind
could have been resorted to in order
to have prevented the carrying out
of an election that would Gf uncon-
stitutionaD have established the new
parish without the right to do so.
| would have liked to have seen
the election go on. and in case the
divisionists had won the victory be-
fore the people it would. / think,
have been time to have asserted such
right as doubtless would have existed.
These are the expressions Of one
who is free from the atmosphere Of