St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1911-08-05
STARTLING PROOF OF
HALLS AFFINITY
TO GRAFT.
The Records Are Very Cruel
to the Man Selected to
''Save the State

I1l HWY Vic 1SNO1 u VI koO44eS-
tor Luther E. Hall is probed in
the Journal of the Louisiana Sen
ate the more completely is it
shown to be out of harmony with
the present reform pretentions of
the Good Government League
candidate for Governor.
I'VE pointed out some time
back that the only measure
which Senator Hall contrived to
place on the statute book was
one creating an useless attorney
ship for the Tensas Basin Levee
Board and increasing the salary
of the secretary thereof.
ION Tuesday we showed that
although Senator Hall was glad
to join in levying tribute on the
sorely ridden taxpayers of his
district to provide comfortable
berths for oficeholders, he was
not willing to vote to create an
institute at Lafayette in which
the white children of the great
southwestern section of the
State might be trained in indus
trial pursuits.
We proceed now to another
phase of Senator Halls career at
Baton Rouge, particularly apt in
view of the fact that Boss Parker
has placed him at the head of the
Goo Goo Legions, a valiant
knight sans peur ct sans re-
proche to lead the assault on the
citadels Of political graft.
Was Senator Hall opposed to
graft at time when there did
not loom before his minds eye
the prospect Of his present can
didacy2 Let his record in the
Senate answer.
When House Bill No. lie was
put on final passage in that body
Senator Hall was among those
who voted no.. (See Senate
Journal, 1893, page 1872.
But Senator Hall was again
in the minority. House Bill 116
passed both branches Of the
General Assembly. It was ap-
proved by the Governor, 1t is
Act % of 1898.
What is Act % of 1888? 1t
denounces and Furnishes with fine
and removal from office mem
bers of police juries who graft
from the public treasury,
Reads the law:
Section /. That it shall be
unlawful for any police juror to
draw money from the parish
treasury, either directly or indi-
rectly, other than his per diem
and mileage.
Section 2. That no police
juror shall be interested either
directly or indirectly In amy con-
tract the payment of which
comes out of his parish; nor shall
they be allowed to deal i'm parish
paper.
The Legislature was striking
at a public evil. It was seeking
to uproot graft from the public
service. It was going on record
on a moral principal as old as the
ages that no man should use his
power as a public official for per-
sonal pecuniary aggrandizement.
Yet Senator Hall was willing
to record himself against this
moral principle.
Boss Parker is deemed to be
a man reasonably we'll posted in
public matters, or would have us
SO believe. He cannot fail to
know that it is a common and
obnoxious form of graft for Of
ieials to be interested in public
contracts.
In the light of this record, can
he still pretend to tell the people
Of Louisiana that Luther E. Hall
IS the man to lift this State out
IF the morass of political inn
into which Mr.. Parker
and his organs maintain it has
sunk?
The law which Senator Hall
voted against is on the statute
books today, thanks to the af- |
irmative votes of Barrett, Bat
.helor, Cordill, Denechaud, Es-
,opinaI, Fenner, Fitzpatrick. |
Fuller, Laplaee, Lawrason, Liver
nan, Lowry. Murphy, Patten,
SamboIa, Si1Olars, Shafer, Sims. [
sirjaeques, ST. Paul, Williams.
We shall not undertake to say
Why Senator Hall voted against
t. But it furnishes another evi-
Ience of the utter mockery of
he pretentions of Judge Hall to
uperior civic and political
=
Miss Helen Stagg, Of White
lille, is the guest of her sister, |,
frs. Fred L. Sandoz.
Mrs. F. Derouen, and daugh-
er, Miss Lulu, of Vile Platte,
eft for their home Tuesday, h
fter spending a week at the
Iome of Mr.. and Mrs. Lee Wig d
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