Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1911-05-05
THE PEOPLE AND THE POLL
TICIANS.


Louisiana has the best primary
law of any state in the Union. That
is the deliberate declaration of the
esteemed Times Democrat, and that
contemporary claims to be judge
of such matters. AT least, since it
talks SO constantly of political cor
ruption, it ought to know some
thing about the remedies for it, and
the primary election for the nomi-
nation Of candidates is held to be
a remedy.
In its issue Of Monday the It'd,
discoursing on the care that has
taken to insure honest elections and
protect the citizens in the choice Of
their public officials, said:
We have on our statute books, al
least, the most radical and far
reaching primary law. The suf-
frage is guarded by carefully pre-
pared constitutional provision tc
shut out all unworthy voters. We
have an ultra strict registration
which. anywhere else would be re-
garded asi assuring absolute protec.
ton to the ballot box; and we have
copied from the Mississippi law, q
poll tax provision which in thai
and other Southern States where
the system has been adopted, has
been found to fully protect the pri
mary and make it an absolute ex
preston of the popular will. Yet
none OF these many projections
thrown around our elections have
fully accomplished the purposes fol
which they are designed, or have
done for Louisiana what they hav,
accomplished for other states.
But Notwithstanding the perfec
ton Of our electoral system, will
its numerous safeguards, the es
teemed contemporary declares thai
in its operation it is an egregiou
failure, and lays all the blame OF
the individuals who are elected Il
Office and on the politicians wht
are charged with controlling thu
elections.
Since, however, the politicians
who are accused of exercising sucl
enormous influence and power a
to be able to dominate the public
elections of Louisiana and to plac'
and maintain their subservient anC
dishonest creatures in Office, how
ever apparently numerous, after all
constitute only very small minor
ity Of the states's citizens, who ar
armed with the right Of suffrage
and TO contend that nearly the en-
tire body of Louisiana's citizens ar
not held in servile subsection by
mere gang of political tricksters AM
rascals is not for moment to b
credited.
Louisiana is not Russia. Louis
iana's citizens are not serfs, neithe
are they pitiful weaklings or idiots
They are not intimidated, althougl
the temporary quoted above aver
that there are citizens OF New Or
leans who dare not vote agaihs
the gang" for fear that their ia,
assessments will be raised.
Possibly there are some few VIII
are so easily intimidated; there ma
be some who are afraid of their owi
shadows, but that the citizens Q
this great state are held in politics
bondage by any such trickery is
foul and egregious libel.
The people of Louisiana are n
such contemplate towards as the
have been represented to be. The
are among the bravest in the worlc
and they demonstrated that fac
when they recovered their stat
from the hordes Of negroes and rae
icals who had been placed an
maintained in control by a powel
full national military force, keI
here to hold our people in politics
subsection.
The tbs TRADE against I'll
politicians comes to this: No maj
ter how dishonest or otherwise the
may be. they make up very sma
majority Of the population tn;
could vote If it would. The poop
have the numbers and the power
choose whom they will to be Law
| makers and enforcers of the law
and if they fail to do and leave tt
control Of their public affairs
such a minority, it is because ii