The Thibodaux sentinel. (Thibodaux, La.) 1905-1912, 1910-05-14

agricultural interests of our State
which have suffered vast losses from
insect pests. Therefore, urge yo,
to pass such laws as will be neces
sary to carry out all these forms ot
conservation.
Drainage.
| Louisiana contains over 10000.
600 acres of land that needs only tc
be drained to become the most pro.
ductive in America. No engineering
difficulties are to be found in the
drainage Of this land; merely ques,
ton OF the location of proper canals
and the money necessary to dig
them. This land when drained and
reclaimed can be made the homes OF
thrifty farmers who can cultivate il
with the certainty of bounteous re-
turn for their labor. BY every way
possible the reclamation of this land
should be fostered and encouraged,
and T~recommend legislation which
will render possible the speedy recla-
nation of these waste places, there
by making them productive to the
individual and source of revenue to
the State.
White Slave Traffic.
Laws should be enacted for the
purpose of suppressing this iniquitous
species of social crime While 1t is
true that this traffic has not devel-
oped into alarming proportions in
this State, nevertheless conditions do
exist which justify and make neces-
sary the enactment of strong, penal
statutes upon the subject. A propa-
ganda is being carried on, all over
the country, for the suppression of
this traffic, whenever, and wherever
it rears It's ugly head. And to this
end the Legislatures of a great many
OF the other states, and the Congress
of the United States, have passed
such laws as l now suggest. Louisi-
ana is never backward in protecting
the cleanliness of society.
The Segregation of the Races.
1t appears, by recent decision of
the Supreme Court, that some ambi-
guilty exists in the use of the terms
employed in the Concubinage Law
and in the Gay-shattuck Law, with
reference to the meaning of the term
negro" This decision has given a
restricted meaning to these statutes
and they should be Immediately
amended by the Legislature in order
to fully carry out the true objects
of these two most valuable and i'm
portant pieces of legislation, one of
which was to maintain the integrity
of the white race pure and free from
any taint of negro blood, and the
other to place such restrictions, linn
itations and safeguards around the
liquor traffic as would regulate it and
keep it in proper bounds. suggest
that it would be competent, under the
decision in question for the legisla-
ture to substitute the words "of the
colored races" for the words "of the
negro races" If this be done, the
statutes will then apply to all persons
of mixed as well as full, African
blood.
Public Executions.
l recommend to your considera
ton the necessity for law upon this
subject which will insure, in the
future, that legal executions be car
ried on privately in the presence of
a few competent witnesses and to
this end l suggest that criminals con-
demned to capital punishment be ex-
ecuted within the walls of the State
at Baton Rouge, under
the direction and supervision of the
Board Of Control of the State Peni-
tentiary.
Experience has convinced me that
the business of the State vested in
Bodies is too widely
divided among too many boards.
Consolidation would at once GEN.
tralize responsibility, curtail unnec-
essary Offices and, at the same time,
improve the public service.
I, therefore, recommend consolida-
ton of all boards and commissions
having german duties and requiring
a like quality of capacity and fitness
in the persons charged with their ad-
Panama Exposition.
During the current year an active
has been started in this
State looking to the holding of an
Exposition in commem-
,ration of the completion of the Pan
ANA Canal.
The advantages, direct and indi-
rect, to the people of Louisiana Of
such a ceiebration cannot be overes-
.imated. The unrivaled and undevel- |
,ped resources of our State will more
speedily attract the attention of the
world in this manner than could 9TH
erwise be done by many years Of
constant exploitation.
I, therefore, recommend that what
ever legislation is proposed to aid
Ind assist in the promoting and Sc
curing cf the sitqs of the Panama
Ixpositien n for Louisiana and any
,lan proposing the expenditure Of
public money should be submitted to
he vote of the people of the State
1t the Congressional election to be
leld in November, 1910, and that
iuch financial aid be in the form of
! special tax levied upon all of the
axable property situated in the
state. In q matter of this magnitude
where large sums of money are
sought from the people, the people
PITHY SAYINGS.