The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1915-09-25
NOT GOV. HALLS FAULT.

Governor Hall is the first chief ex-
ecutiYe, so far as we recall, to confess,
and, what is of more importance, to
demonstrate his inability to run the
state on the revenues which are avail
Observation-Disclosures Enterprise.
The above sQuib has been going the
rounds Of the papers so inclined, and
possibly they believe it to be true that
Gov. Hall has demonstrated his in
ability to run the state" on it's avail
able revenues. We should rather be-
lieve that these papers as "conservators
of public morals" were mistaken but
sincere than that they were grossly
unfair and inexact.
In the first place, the loudly bewailed
deficit is Prospective and not yet
actual. The increased appropriations
absolutely required for the educational
and charitable institutions of the state,
even after the items were pared down
as much as possible, will produce a
deficit in 1915 of between 100000 and
0O,0OO-and not till then.
The trend Of the times is such that
there is an increased cost of living, not
alone due to the rise in prices of COM
modities, but to the change in the
entire scale of living from artisan to
merchant prince. Every one lives bet
ter than his forefather. Electric lights
cost more than tallow dips, and auto
mobiles than OK teams, and human
society, all along the line, is approach
ing the higher, if costlier, manner of
living. II all have not arrived they
are on the way.
Our state institutions naturally feel
this change and must meet it. Under
Gov. Hall, each and all Of these have
made wonderful progress in equipment
and efficiency for the comfort and
benefit Of their respective charges.
A most cursory survey of the last
general appropriations will show that
these have been made with an eye to
keeping pace with the natural progress
Of the times. In one instance at least an
appropriation was made for the Louis
lana State University work, in order
that an equal amount might be obtain
ed from the Federal government. No
enlightened citizen will aver that such
action should not have been taken.
On the other hand, when it is seen
that no corresponding action has been
taken to modernize the methods of
assessing property, and to produce
greater efficiency in administering
parochial and state affairs, the old
Wasteful fee system being in practice
in the parishes, and thousands of dol
lars thus going into the pockets of a
fortunate few officers instead of into
the public treasury, it is small wonder
that the revenues of the state, assessed
and collected by obsolescent methods
should run short of the public needs.
No one, who has an iota of fairness in
his composition, will dare say that
Gov. Hall has not made the most
strenuous, the most superhuman efforts
to change this old order Of things,
That he has failed, after repeated at.
tempts, is clearly not his fault. He
cannot perform miracles. He can work
only through human instruments, and
as provided by law. When these fail
him as they did SO palpably, so wilfully
the fault clearly is not his. Therefore
in spirit of justice the blame should
be put where it belongs: upon the
people themselves, who have failed to
respond to the call for progress in the
methods of government as in other
branches Of human activity.
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