The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1915-07-02
HON. |. E. THOMAS,
SPEAKER OF The HOUSE
Gives Facts Regarding the Consti-
tutionaI Convention Bill and Re-
cent Contest in the General
Assembly.

house and senate who exercised their
independent, honest judgement in vot.
ing on the constitutional convention
bill in the general assembly were I'm.
able to obtain fair and just treatment
at the hands of the New Orleans press,
because of all three of said papers
were lined up Solidly with the state
and city administrations on the propo.
SitionS, l propose to show the facts in
order that the people of the state at
large may see for themselves the true
situation and contest that was waged
successfully in their behalf.
When the effort was begun in behalf
Of the rights Of the people against en-
trenched authority and an established
plan agreed upon by the state admins.
tration, represented by Governor Hall,
and the city administration of New Or.
leans, with the combined press of that
city, all connected with said effort be.
came at once the object of ridicuIe and
gross Misrepresentation, as has been
amply demonstrated from time to time
during the controversy. We could not
obtain fair treatment or even a look
in" through the columns of the New
Orleans papers. 1t is the first time in
the history Of legislation that the com
bination between the state and city
organizations has been defeated in its
plans by the house of representatives,
and attribute this solely to the justice
and equity of the principles for which
the country representatives stood.
nothing more.
1t is true that many members in the
house, myself included, did not believe
this wise time to hold constitution
al convention costing, with its special
elections. over Sl5O,000, when the state
was already bankrupt. also doubted
the wisdom Of the convention just now
because believe 1t will be thoroughly
politicalized. Why, by next September,
when the convention assemblies there
will be numerous candidates for state
Offices. who will have friends therein,
and my deliberate opinion is that a
convention held at such time would
lie subject to diCkerS and trades and
not that solemn deliberatiVe body it
should be. However. we let that pass,
and no contest over the calling of a
constitutional convention was entered
into.
Now as to the controversy at Baton
Rouge. When | arrived there had de-
cided to make no fight on holding a
convention this year provided the PEG
pie were treated right in the act call
| ing the same, and they had fair anG
just representation. AS soon as the
famous Sundberry bill was introduced
we ascertained that it provided for
only one delegate from each country
parish and seventeen from Orleans
parish and twenty-five delegates al
large, and that it also did not provide
for any resubmisSion to the people fol
their ratification Of the constitution
after adoption. AS soon as we saw the
bill was drawn in that way we openly
declared that the bill should never pas!
the house in that form, and we went tt
work vigorously to get votes enough
10 amend it, as we had no desire to de
feat the convention itself. After we
had secured sixty.five pledged votes il
favor of our amendment providing fol
resubmisSion to the people, which was
a clear majority of the house, the state
administration, seeing open defeat stal
ing it in the face, yielded this point ant
agreed to resubmiSsion. and we knew
positively that they did not desire tt
give the people a look i'm on the prop
osition, This was the first victory il
behalf Of the people. In justice to the
| New Orleans organization, ! desire to
state that they really favored resub
mission. but yielded to the governors
wishes in this particular. After re
submission was conceded, we still con
| tended that it should be held on the
date of the general primary, for the
reason that there would be full repre-
sentative vote of at least 100000 votes
cast, and in addition it would have cost
nothing to the state and parishes
where as at special election there
will not be over 10000 votes, and il
will cost over $4,000 to hold the cleo
tion, We were defeated on this point
I! by only one vote in the house, but We
still think our position was correct.
Now, as to the next issue, that of faii
and just representation, we were com