St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1910-07-16
mr.. LEWIS TAKES SEY.
ERAL SHOTS AT THE
ADMINISTRATION
st. Landrian Says Governor
Sanders Has Not Acted
Square With the People
Opelousas, La, July Il. 1910

Opelousas, La, July IL, 1910
Editor Clarion: In yolr last weeks
issue you commend the election O.
Governor Sanders to the United
States Senate to fill the unexpiret
term of Senator McEnery. The chic
ground Of your commentator
is that the Governor did moi
deceive the people, or, in Other
words, that he has carried out the
public pledges made by him in his
platform and in his campaign speech.
es.
Unfortunately for him, he made
numerous pledges, for no candidate
for that high Office in the whole his
tory Ct the State ever made such
direct, oft-repeated and almost beg
ging appeals for votes. | can only
recall a few of the pledges be
made. He promised to give to the
the people a b~usiness-like administra-
ton Of their State government; but
instead of doing that, his executive
power and influence have been mainly
directed toward the creation of a
political machine throughout the State
by the extraordinary increase of ex-
ecutive appointing power and patron
age.
The first session of the legislature
of his administration he created n
hundred and ninety new offices, and
the session just ended it is said pass
ed nine acts creating additional Offices
to still further swell the power of the
executive. The grand total of these
newly created Offices will be
given out to the people later to open
their eyes as to how their Governor
has given them a bu~siness-like adj
ministration.
He promised to give to the people
an economical administration, and
that there would be a surplus left
annually to be imputed to the pay
ment of the State debt in capital and
interest. Instead of carrying out
that pledge, his administration has
cost the people the amount
expended by the Heard and Foster
administrations. and instead Of there
being a surplus to go on the State
debt, Mr.. Thomas, the best posted
member of the House on State fl
nances, predicts that there will be
a deficit in the State revenues of
$250,000. Their administrations cost
the people not over 100000 an
nuallY, while the present administra-
tion has cost the people over $4,000
600 annually. Gov. Foster not only
kept the State expenditures within
the limit above stated, but BY bust
ness-like management he was able to
pay off a million dollars Of the State
debt. The aggregate expenses of
the Foster and Heard administrations
amounted to about 100000 for
each four year term. Though there
still remains nearly two years of the
term for which Sanders was elected,
yet the appropriations Of the first
session added to those Of the session
just ended exceed by several hundred
thousands the enormous sun of 49,
100000. Some Jealous partisan Of
the Governor has offered the expla-
nation that the increased expendi-
lures were made necessary by the
progress and development of the
State. Instead of that being the
case, there has been no progress and
development since the beginning Of
the Sanders administration; on the
contrary there has been continued
financial depression and shrinkage of
all values. This depressed condition,
together with the ravages of the boil
weevil, have made the payment of
taxes a more grievous burden on the
than for thirty years past
And yet the Sanders administration
has contriVed four proposed constitu-
tional amendments increasing the
of taxation, and which the adj
ministration expects to put through
at the fall election. The extrava-
gance and waste of the present State
administration is a crime against the
Again, the Governor promised that
he would break up lobbying in the
legislature, a promise that caught
the ear Of the people and doubtless
won him favor throughout the State.
Though he could have put through
the legislature any kind Of a legisla-
tive act, yet he made no attempt in
that direction, and the lobby was
openly and VIGOROUSLY maintained in
both sessions Of his legislature. Mr..
Editor, don't you think that there
just q little bit Of deception
practiced upon the people right here?
Again, he made the people believe
BY his course at the special session Of
the legislature held just before his
election that he favored a reduction
Of the excessive fees allowed the
Sher:is, but the reduction Of those
fees at the special session was to a
considerable extent doae away with
by the first session of his own legisla-
ture, and with his sanction and APP
Did he not deceive the
people?
Again. he eulogized the primary
election system, declaring that no
man should hold an office of honor