The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1910-11-17
THE GOVERNOR AND
THE LEGISLATURE
ITO The Caucas1an)

bers of the General Assembly bowed IN
acquiescence to the will of our Governor
would really be amusing if it were not
such a matter of serious moment. This
was especially true of the last regular
session of that body.
At the first session, the Governor said
the lobby is pernicious and injurious to
legislation, which should be free and un-
trammeled. His supporters whooped and
shouted, and the anti-lobby bill went
through the House with a hurrah. At
the second session the Governor said
nothing, and those same members that
voted aye two years before changed
their minds and voted nay. The Gov
ernor said we must retrench and stop
the leaks in the State treasury. His fol-
lowers said: "a splendid idea, we must
retrench." The Governor then prepared
bill spending millions more than ever
had been spent, and his partners at once
said: tIt is a splendid bill and must not
be amended as our Governor is an ex-
cellent fnancier, for when he was trying
to get in he did not think it required so
much money" The Governor said that
the Executive must not influence or in
terfere with the legislative department.
The public shouted its approval, and so
did his partisans. When the Legislature
met, the Governor, in actions, said: 81
was mistaken, the Legislature does not
know what is best for the people, my
private secretary must tell them" He
said: "The penal farms that are making
good money must be sold" The Legls-
lature, through both its committees,
said: "This is bad business, because
when the State sells anything, she can't
get full price, and when she has to pur-
chase property, the condition IS re-
versed; besides, as the farms are now
well improved and making money, why
sell them at all" The Governor told
the committee, in effect, they were
foolish and he needed the convicts on
his good roads" The committee then
reversed themselves, and said, "Oh, wise
Governor and great agriculturist and
fnancier and road builder, you know
what is best, please vote our views for
us
The Governor said: "The Fish and
Oyster Commissions are good things,
but are too expensive, and there must
be merger to appease the people. :. His
clans said: Wise and economical Gov
ernor, you are right, vote for the merg-
er," and so the merger came The Leg
is1ature adjourned, and the Governor
said, in actions, 'Tfis Merger Comnlis-
sion is making too much money out of
the people, you had only 50 wardens,
they must be increased to II, and, for
good measure, add two inspectors and
pay the chief more money, we must not
have any money left" Doubtless, his
supporters will say correct. Eyes, let's
have more officers and betetr salaries. I"
SsWe fooled the people that time and
saved the commission and our salaries
too
The Governor proclaimed aloud that
dual office holding must cease, and the
people said amen The Governor looked
over the Legislature and saw that near
ly. every member from New Orleans was
drawing two salaries and that he might
be Governor and Senator, SO dual office
holding becomes a dead issue.
The Governor declared for curtail-
ment of executive patronage, and the
masses supported the declaration. After
being elected, he, in deeds, proclaims
that his former position only applied to
his predecessor in the executive chair,
and that he must have patronage and
more patronage to satiate his supporters
and to oil the machine so it would run
smoothly.
When there was a vacancy in the
United States Senate, the Governors
friends said: "Who can wear the tog;
of the lan1ented McEnery but our owr
y. Y? No one can represent our oWr
Pelican State like this wise statesman
financier, orator and agriculturist. Sc
he was elected. He has declined osten
sibly to save the Panama Exposition, bu
| in truth to save the Office of Register O
Voters in New Orleans, and now yot
will observe his same supporters bein!
led BY the nose to vote for whoever h
may choose and say they made mis-
take and that the people can't do with
out Jared in the Governors cahir fo
two years more.
When will this day of trifing with is
sues and practicing deception on tn
lpeople end? When will the people opel
their eyes to the true condition as
lreally exists in Louisiana. Jefferso
said: The general spread of light an
knowledge has laid bare the palpabl
truth that the general mass of mankin
has not been born with saddles on thei