St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1910-07-30

II -
handed over to j. Z. Sanders a State
government democratic TO the core.
1t goes without Saying that the
only danger to democratic govern
ments IN the States lies in excessive
executive patronage. and wherever a
political machine controls a State
Government, the main spring Of the
system will be found to be executive
patronage. Just in proportion as the
power to choose governmental Of
hclals IS withdrawn from the people
and conferred upon Che executive.
Just IN that proportion is democratic
government destroyed and personal
government substituted. An execu-
tive appointee at once becomes a
partisan or at least an apologist of
fhe Governor. However it may be
elsewhere, it Is 50 in Louisiana. As
2 rule an appointee is chosen because
of his political or family influence,
and without regard to his qualiica
Tons. Naturally all persons within
the circle of the ~appointee's influence
also become partisans of the Cover
nor, and where the appointive power
IS widely distributed as is the case in
Louisiana by legislation carefully
devised for that purpose. the in
eFltable result is the creation Of a
strong political machine. The pres
ent Administration has shown re-
markable constructibility in that d.
rection, indeed it is n Of its few
distinguishing features. In that
sense it has been "a constructive Adj
ministration." It has constructed
more new offices and governing
boards, dependent upon executive
favor, and has constructed more ways
of boosting official salaries than any
administration since reconstruction
days. The official statistics in proof
Of these charges have been widely
published, and SO far as | know,
never denied. It is quite reasonable
10 presume that the members of the
Senate and the House were consulted
as to the appointment Of these new
officers throughout the State. Quite
naturally, also, such ~dispensation Of
the vast increase of patronage predis-
posed them fayorably towards the
Governor personally. and accounts for
the readiness and the unanimity with
which the Legislature OVERRIDE the
primary law in electing the Governor
to the e. s. Senate. The Governor
had been in public life almost since
he obtained his majority, as Member
Of the House, as Member of the Con-
stitutional Convention, as Speaker Of
the House, as Lieutenant Governor,
and as Governor. He, therefore,
had had ample time and opportunity
to demonstrate his ability and pur-
pose to subserve the interest of the
people. But none Of the Legislators
who have So efusively eulogized him
were able to point out q record of
public service 10 the State that en-
titled him to a seat in the u. s..
Senate. Neither do the newspapers
that are now p~roelaiming his great
ness remind their readers of any
great or good thing that the Cover
hal done for the people. In
keeping with the systematic course
Of Legislation, heaping up executive
patronage by the various measures
was the increase Of official salaries
by an aggregate amount exceeding
$l.O00,000.0U for an Administration
term Of four years. Nor is ii to Be
wondered at that the numerous Office
holding class created by this Admin
istration should be very close to the
Executive personally. These numer-
Gus beneiciaries of executive favor
at once became trusted captains and
lieutenants Of the machine in every
parish in the State. Here was laid
the foundation and cement Of the
Sanders machine, 50 plainly to be
seen and understood that, "a way
faring man, though a fool. need not
err therein That machine if de-
prived Of that power and patronage
could not have lived a day nor an
hour. Take from Tammany its 49,
900 offices AMI Yhu would thereby
draw the teeth Of the beast.
We 10 not yet know how many
new Offices were added by the session
lust closed to the 1870 created by the
previous session. The sun total can