The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1915-11-06
LOUISIANA FIRST.

A certain class of people RE-
FIJSE-and a certain class FAIL
to understand why it is a labe
does not make a Governor
through ignorance, or selfishness
they cling to the belief in the
sovereign power of political ma
chinery.
The idea that a man cannot be
elected Governor-or cannot be q
good Governor-of Louisiana
without the label of "Democrat"
is q gross and rank delusion. This
country has been governed. in
turn, by Republicans, Democrats
and " higs, yet it has grown big
ger and bigger every year every
where except in spots.
In politics, the state comes first
except in Louisiana. 1t is
inconceivable that men OF
Louisiana can hold that certain
candidate for Office is the best man
for the Office and for the state :.
BUT, he is not q Democrat; the
party is first, and the state is Sec
ond. A prominent country news
paper, published in Opelousas.
says that if WE expect to head off
the building of a Progressive
Party in Louisiana, WE must
quit picking flaws in the two can
didates labeled "Democrat", and
work on the candidate labeled
"Progressive." In other words,
WE must subordinate the state to
save the party-the Democratic
PARTY. The merits of the man
Parker are not before US for con-
sideration; the needs of the state
government are not issues now;
the PARTY is AT STAKE, and
We must save it first, then WE
will take up the needs and require
ments of the State.
Newspapers like the Times
Picayune and the Item, both
heartily sick of Democratic mis-
management, hold that if Parker
was running on the Democratic
ticket, OF. the Independent Demo-
cratic ticket, he would sweep the
state-BUT, he is Progressive.
This is rank, rampant Toryism.
Numbers of men and newspapers
endorse every line of Parker's
platform, and admire and trust the
man, believing firmly that he
would regenerate the state and
place it back on a stable, paying
baeis, yet they hold that he cam
not, or should not, be elected be-
cause he is not labeled Demo.
crat"-a most delightful non
sequitur; it is convenient and
pleasing but does not satisfy. The
indisputable fact is that Louisiana
has been the victim of a system
built and fostered by the Demo-
cratic party, and there is no hope
or promise for relief from the very
source and cause of the evil. The
States needs must be satisfied by
q business system; and the only
way to inaugurate a business sys.
tenn. is to eliminate aud entirely
remove the deadly political sys-
tenn, which means the election Of
q business Governor instead of a
political Governor. 1t leads to but
one rational conclusion, and that
is the election OF just such a man
as nearly everyone regards John
M. Parker to be, and not such as
either Barrel or Pleasant is known
to be. The only question before
the voters is, who will best adj
minister the affairs of the state,
Parker, Barret or Pleasant? The
belief and sentiment are, that
Parker is the best Fl ted man.
Then drop fatuous and futile dali
lying and vote for Louisiana first;
ave the state, the party can take
IRE Of itself and live without pap
r q while, but the state cannot
i've without revenue and manage.
ment. Government by party is
mot bad in itself. but political ma
chinery IL not paramount to
government machinery, and can
not be made so without destroying
the latter. BY destroying the true
fnnctioning of government ma
chineJy, with arbitrary political
rules. voluntary cooperation dis
lppears and is displaced by half.
hearted, Ineffective, compulsory
az laid down by the
'ules Of the game; and the inevi.
able result is that the state goes
INTO decay. The blind, partisan,
POLITICAL machine despotism Of
louisiana, IL the cause and source
i al her troubles.
Warmth without weight is. what
n |