The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1915-09-18
NOT JUMPING ON JEFFERSON.

| NOT JUMPING ON JEFFERSON
Our estimable friend Thee. S
Landry, manager of the Wlllswooc
plantation in Jefferson parish and
one of the many good citizens Ascen.
sion has contributed to neighborlng
communities, recently took The Chief
to task rather sharply-though IN
personally friendly spirit-for the
editorial published in our issue OF
August IA under the caption OF
Troops Sent Across the Border,
which referred to the raid of the
Washington Artillery upon Joe by
lands notorious gambling resort at
I Southport.
We trust the reputation for fair
ness, conservatism and reliability
which this paper has endeavored to
maintain for so many years, renders
superhuous disavowal Of the impu-
tation that in semi-facetiously descrlb-
ing the military expedition across the
border of "The Free State Of JEFF
ferson," The Chief either went out
of its way to deliver can unnecessary
stab at community" or that its
structures upon lawless conditions
and practices that have long been
tolerated in Jefferson, more openly,
at least, than anywhere else IN Lou
isiana, could be fairly construed as
attacking the good citizens and law
abiding people of that .paHsh, who
undoubtedly comprise large major
/ ity of its population.
! As to the charge that our article
contained "at least one m1sstate-
ment namely, that among the doz-
en- gamblers arrested by the militia
and lodged in the Gretna jail was a
| deputy sheriff with his badge of Of
! flee pinned to his Goa" we can only
say that the statement was made in
good faith, based not alone upon the
impression gathered from a some
what casua. perusal of the lengthy
accounts of the Southport raid pub
lished by the city press, but also on
the remark of the governor of the
state, as quoted by the New Orleans
Times-Picayune, that ut seems some
what strange that among those ar
rested was deputy sheriff of that
parish, who had on his badge of Of
fee" 1t transpires, we believe, that
only the coat and the badge were
captured; and it may be quite pos
sible, as our critic intimates, thar the
owner of the garment was at the
time of the raid functus and ex-of-
ficio-a 'shad-been'' who failed to
give up his badge when his term of
service ended.
1t must be regarded as peculiar
coincidence, however, that the par.
tdipation of deputy sheriffs in the,
unlawful gambling games at South
port has been matter of common
report and belief for number of
years, as indicated by the article re-
produced from The Chief of January
so, 1909, in connection with our
comment on the Washington Artil-
lery's recent nocturnal raid across
the Jefferson border.
Furthermore, it is not likely to
be seriously contended that, with
out the tacit consent and construct
i've connivance of the parochial au-
thorities, the notorious gambling re-
sort could have continued it's opera
tons, comparatively needless of re-
peated exposures in the press and I'M
daunted by the attempts of at least
two of the present governors prede-
cessors to compel its suppression.
1t was this attitude of Indifference
and independence on the part of JEFF
ferson's lawless elements and consti-
tuted authorities that won for the
parish it's sobriquet of Free State
Of jefferson" The parish of Liv-
ingston formerly bore similar title,
L,,+ n %nr
ish was known fpr years as Bloody
Tangipahoa" for obvious reasons.
Both Livingston and Tangipahoa
were full of good people, whose in
fuence finally predominated and
placed their communities on par
with the most law-abiding and peace
full in the state.
And so, we believe, it is and will /
be with Jefferson. Far from having
any disposition to take issue with our
friend Mr.. Landry in his high esti-
mate of the resources and destiny of |
his adopted community, we heartily |
agree with him that Jefferson twill |
continue to thrive and progress"
that she has ssas fine people" and
is las grand parish as exists in this
state Neither Gov. Hall, the Wash
ington Artillery nor The Chief have
Jumped on this fine people or this
grand parish, whether deliberately"
or otherwise. 1t was the evil in
fiuences and lawless practices handi-
Gaping the fine people and besmirch-
ing the good name of Jefferson that
were jumped on; and when present
passions and prejudices have subsid
ed, our Jefferson friends will no
doubt concur in the general convic-
tiocts that Gov. Hall rendered them T
and their parish a signal service
when he sent the state militia on
hike to Southport to break up the
and baneful Hyland
den.
THE BASEBALL SITUATION