The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1910-07-10

Escape from Emasculati0n.
The omission of the enacting clause
of the Nettles' locker club bill may null
lily its operation, since this clause is as
important as the bill itself.
1t would seem that some one has
tampered with this bill.
As reported from Baton Rouge
Thursday morning the bill, as published
in full, was prefaced with the enacting
clause and all the legal requirements of
legislative enactments.
The locker club bill came from the
House with the enacting clause 1t
reached the Senate Hith the enacting
clause, therefore, to intimate that in
the enactment of the bill this clause was
omitted, inadvertently, is ridiculous.
The bill, when read, could not have
passed the House and the Senate with
out the enacting clause. This omission
could have arrested the attention of
some of the General Assembly and the
omission supplied.
There was no opposition to the bill
when in the House. 1t was amended in
the Senate so that it would not operate
against wholesalers. As amended it was
passed. 1t was then returned to the
House for concurrence and there it was
approved. Finally the bill reached the
engrossing clerk, and from there comes
the mystery. Who did it, or how was
it done?
Was it accidental or designed?
1t matters little how it was done, the
purpose of the bill may be defeated
Although there was no evidence of
opposition in the Legislature to the bill,
there was a silent influence operating to
its notification,
There is more ways than one of
reaching such a purpose. 1t is not
necessary to proclaim the intent from
the housetops with megaphohe or with
a brass band.
In preparing the bill for the signature
of the Governor word or line or two
or paragraph may be omitted, Or some
word may be added, and then "the deed
is done"
1t is not not charged that 'the deed
was done" with intent to destroy the eff
fectiveness of the bill, but that "the
deed was done" is manifest and all suf- !
icient.
The purpose of the bill was to regu- !
late and if necessary to suppress the So
cial clubs in which is operated bar as
in saloon. 1t was directed at near
beer" places where the law applying to
the sale of intoxicants without license
is disregarded with impunity
1t is unfortunate that Representative
Nettles was not as vigilant as was Rep !
resentative Leon R. Smith of Caddo 1t
would seem, at least such is the Gait
casian's information, that when Gov
ernor Sanders was about to sign the :
commission form of government bill he ;
noticed its irregularities and called Rep
resentative Smiths attention to its de- ,
fects, due to care1essness in the en-
grossment from the original as passed
In the House and Senate.
This commission bill, as it had come
from the engrossing office, being defec- ,
tive by these several omission, these
would have nullifed the enactment. |
Without hesitation Mr.. Smith applied |
himself personally to the proper en-
grossment of the bill, and when satisfied |
that it was as it had passed the House
and Senate he sought Governor Sanders
who readily signed it.
Whatever omissions there were in the
commission bill may have been due to |
accident or inadvertence on the part of |
some one in the engrossment of the bill, |
but had such omission failed of correc-
ton, at the proper time the influence
which is against the proposed govern
ment by commission would have re-
joiced in the accomplishment of |
what they failed to secure through de-
feat OF the legislation.
If the enacting clause of the locker
bill has been omitted, its approval by
Governor Sanders gives it no force in
law, and it is therefore worthless. It
may be regretted that this mutilation of |
the bill was not discovered in time to
secure its correction from the original
enactment. However, should the defeat |
in the locker bill lead to it's notification, !