The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1912-03-30
SHOULD Be REPUD|ITED,
Monroe independent Says superin-
tendent Harris Obtained His
Nomination Under False pre-
lenses, and Democrats are Alb.
solved from Obligation to Vote
for Him.
Monroe Independent:


for Him.
Monroe Independent:
| Some of the newspapers or The
state, especially the Bossier Ban.
ner and Lake Charles American
Press, while outraged over the rep.
rehensible course Of State Superin.
tendent of Education Harris during
the recent campaign, have taken the
position that it is the duty of all
Democrats to stand By the result of
the primary election in its entirety
and vote for Mr. Harris. arguing
that the whole basis Of party politics
rests upon the loyalty Of the voters.
who help make the ticket, to the can.
didates nominated thereon
No one will dispute that this is
sound doctrine, but there are few
rules without exceptions, and there
are thousands of Democrats who be-
lieve that some consideration is due
them and the party by the candidate.
also; that the candidate, too, should
keep the faith and that in case he
does not, the voter Is absolYed from
his obligation.
Suppose, instead Of practicing de-
ception. and obtaining his nomina-
ton by false pretenses, as he did,
Supt. Harris, after securing the
nomination, had become q traitor to
his party and joined the enemy,
could it be argued that the party was
still under obligation to carry cut
its contract with him? We think
not. The party would have prompt
~ repudiated him.. This is the way
thousands of honest voters look at
it. They feel that they have been
absolved from any obligation, moral
Or otherwise, to vote for him, and
they are not going to do it.
What manner of man is 4. III. Har-
ris, anyhow, that he should wish to
serve with an administration which
he said would set back the educa-
tiona1 progress of the state ten
years? He charged Judge Hall on
the stump with being an enemy of
public education, and did everything
IN his power, after having secured
the nomination for state superin-
tendent of education without opposi-
ton as q, professea 11on=partisan, to-
bgcoaaffs1g 81
Vfofen partisan Of John Michel
and putting himself in opposition to
the best thought and sentiment OF
the state, and, as the vote subse-
quently showed, of majority Of
10000 Of the best people Of the state.
It. TT. Harris should be repudiated.y i
How to Punish supt. Harris.
New Orleans States:
The approval of the action of the
people of Lafayette and Cheneyyille
IN calling on perintendent Harris
to resign is general over the state.
There has never been such unanim-
ity on any proposition among the
country newspapers. Many of them
are exceedingly bitter in their at
tacks on the superb Thus
far we have found not single de-
fender of his course; and some Of
the strongest Michel papers have
joined the chorus against him.
In spite of this sentiment, however,
there is in many quarters a belief
that Mr.. Harris will not yield to the
popular demand to- stand from UNI
der, that he will hold fast to his
nomination and his job in the hope
that ultimately the feeling against
him will subside. f that is his idea,
he is likely to be disillu-
stoned, and if the people can find no
other way of amputating him from
his office they will probably pass a
recall law for his especial benefit.
Meantime, however, there is much
as to the best method of
the popular feeling in
the April election The Donaldson
vile Chief, which claims to be no
longer a Republican, but an inde-
pendent newspaper, suggests that the
most effective way of rebuking Mr..
Harris would be for all Democrats
to vote for A. CGarpenter, the Re
publican candidate for state superin-
tendent; but that is an extreme to
(Continued on page eighty