The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1914-08-01
Exneriment VS.. Experience.

Over in our sister State of Louisiana
the people, or at least q considerable
part of the people, have grown some |
what weary of well doing and are pro-
posing to swat representative govern
ment for a commission oligarchy. The
advocates of commission government
for the State by select council OF
men of brains and ability contend that
such body could never become an
oligarchy, because the plain people
would have the initiative, referendum
and recall to prevent such despotic ca
lamity. Such political adventuring-
after long experience with popular
representative democracy that has
proven excellent as a whole in spite OF
minor defects-looks good deal like
going into the jungle purposely to get
snake bitten because new and dandy
remedy for snake bites has been put
on the market.
A few men could meet in q quiet
place and play lot of very dangerous
politics sub rosa, looking all the time
as innocent as old bachelors at christ
ening. But the faddists and innovators
in government hasten to assert that
malfeasance and corruption could new
er creep in, even if sharpened and
creased for the occasion. Maybe not,
yet with Lord Bacon, Warren Hastings
and various other historical examples
in mind, it is very rash representation
to say that the great men of the future
are all going to be patriotic and unset
fish.
In the reign of Charles II five min
listers of the crown-Clifford, Ashley,
Buckingham, Arlington and Lauderdale
= furnished such scandalous sample
of bad public administration by a small
coterie behind closed doors, that the
word "cabal" was made up of their
initials and has come down to US as a
sign and symbol of intrigue, crooked.
ness and abuse of power.
Robespierre, the Jacobin dictator Of
France, fell when he did, not because
the greatest men of the times rose in
their might to crush him. but because
an obscure country member of the as.
sembly had the courage and hardihooc
to cross and defy the frantic despot al
the height of his sanguinary power.
This action on the part of an almost
unknown representative of ''bacE
district" electrically inspired the great
err men with courage and confidence
and the reign of terror was ended in 1
single hour of returning sanity.
Sometimes unassuming, plain, prac
teal men in public life see dangers Il
free government that men more abb,
and gifted overlook or pass up as insig
, nificant
Granting equally good motives AM
purposes in hundred representative
of the people under the present system
and ten members of a select commits
sion under the proposed experiment
the stronger guaranty of safety an
} continuous well doing under freedom
seems to be in the first.
The people who throw aside the soil
lessons of experience to go to the pic
: ture show of fads and Innovations ma
have more swell time than their ia
theirs had, but as like as not they wi
unload lot of trouble on their sons t
make up for their fun.
Improvement and advance are tn
order of the times in all things that a
: men recognize as good-in farming
medicine, surgery, business, charity
: social and religious institutions, etc.
. By exercising patience, tolerance
!. Judgment and carefulness in selection
t even the heterogeneous and blunderin
bicameral legislatures that so man