The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1910-11-03
FOR CONGRESS, FOURTH DISTRICT,
Hon. j. T. WATKINS
OF WEBSTER.
THE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS.

At the election next Tuesday there will
be submitted for approval or rejection ff-
teen amendments to the Constitution in the
order following:
No. provides for the levy Of six eights
of a mill on the dollar in the Parish of Or
leans and three-eights of mill in all the
other parishes of the State, for the purpose
of aiding the proposed Panama Exposition
at New Orleans.
No. 2 authorizes the Panama Exposition
Company to issue not exceeding Sc, 500 900
in bonds at five per cent interest due in fifty
years or less.
1t is estimated that New Orleans will pay
S4,OOO,OOO and the parishes 81, 20O, 900 of
the proposed tax.
1t is stated that the bonds and the inter-
est on them for ten years will amount to
S9,OOO,OOC. Is "the play worth the candie?''
We think not. The money could be ex-
pended to greater advantage to the people
as a whole for better schools and roads,
provided the appropriations are unincum-
bered by the attachment of political strings.
Vote against amendments / and 2.
Amendment No. 8, levying one fourth
of mill tax for visionary good roads, is,
in our opinion, undemocratic, in this, that
it allows the people of the parishes no voice
in the location and construction of their
roads. They are required to put up and
shut up, while lot of high salaried ap-
pointees, recognizing no responsibility to
!. the people, are given free hand to do as
they please. This amendment should be
showed under SO deep that its political
sponsor will never dare to undertake it's
resurrection.
Amendment No. 4 authorizes the issu-
ance of an unlimited amount of bonds for
the construction and operation of ware
house, appropriation Of property, etc. Wei
know of no good reason why the State of
Louisiana should give its endorsement to
this individual enterprise. Vote against.
Amendment No. 5 proposes to aid the
schools by changing the present law. I'll
is an unnecessary innovation and seeks to
discredit the fair-dealing and patriotism
of the police juries of the parishes of the
State. 1t has long been pet scheme of
former State Superintendent, who is the
head of the Educational Oligarchy of the
State, and, because the police juries re-
fused to do his bidding, he now seeks in
an indirect and underhanded manner to
sand bag them through this amendment,
which. if adopted would strengthen the
political machine at the expense of the
schools. We are in favor of liberal taxa
ton for our .schools-three mills, or even
more-but We are opposed to foreign die
tation and force bills. Vote against.
No. authorizes issuance of new bonds
to retire or refund the State bonded in
debtedness. Vote for.
No. Z authorizes appointment of two as
sistants to the Attorney General. Vote for.
Amendment No. authorizes the levy.
ing of special taxes not exceeding ten mills
for drainage, roads, schools, etc., under
the control of parochial and municipal au-
thorities. Being "free from all connec-
ton with State boards and officials we
favor the adoption of this amendment.
Amendment No. provides for levying
one-fifth of mill for Confederate pensions.
1t is waste of words to advise Louisiana
voters to vote for this meritorious measure.
1t should be adopted unanimously.
No. 10 is known as the Juvenile Court
Amendment. Vote for.
Amendment No. II authorizes the chief
Or associoat justice. to retire on full pay,
when he has reached the age of seventy ,
i've, and served fifteen years. Vote for. !