The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1915-07-02

the house, and won out by a vote of So
to S., and established the house of rep.
reSentativeS as the correct basis, being
founded on population. This elimina.
ted these delegates at large, which
would have held the balance of
power and controlled the convention.
The Times. Picayune claimed that the
convention would be weak one if they
did not have delegates at large. as the
country would send up men of rather
mediocre ability, l believe that if the
class of men who will 60 to the Conven.
ton from the country parishes it will
be easily demonstrated that the state.
ment was a gross perverSion of the
truth. We also had adopted an amend.
ment providing penalties for any fraud.
ulent or fictitious returns of the elect.
ton on either the call or on the ratifi.
fication of the draft of the constitution
The foregoing statement of the exact
situation is made that the public may
be informed of the correct issues on
which the contest was waged and not
be miSled by erroneous and false re.
ports by those who color their reports
to suit themselves. l belive those
representatives who stood firm and
voted their honest convictions, with.
out being SWerved by executive or
other influences. which pressed hard
upon them. are entitled to the thanks
OF the public in which the people will
have fair representation and also an
opportunity to pass upon the new or.
ganic law when framed, neither of
which things would they have had, if
the contest in their behalf had not been
successfully waged in the house of
representatives. The administration
papers all say the state administration
won great victories in the extra ses.
sion, and yet if you will look over the
record you will see the administration
was afraid to even introduce the bill
making the register of voters appoin'
tive. also the register Of voters appoin'
tive, also the Caddo levee board land
graf bill was killed in the house, and
the primary election law was passed as
the general assembly wanted it, and
hereby guaranteed genuine democrat.
lie primaries for democrats only, and
the governor vetoed it while the con.
vention had ten amendments written
into it by the house and so completely
changed it from the governors wishes
that its original introducer hated to
vote for it, and it was unacceptable
from its original form. ALI the legisla
ton passed by the extra session had
no opposition whatever. and if the
governor had not had the aid of
the New Orleans cityIorganizations
he would have been impotent to
have done anything where there
was a contest. With the finan.
cial affairs of the state broken down.
with the peniteutiary board so deep in
debt another bond issue must be piled
on the backs of the people for years to
come, and with bond sale that com.
PEELED the issuance of $424, 900 addition.
al bonds to pay fine discount, the bust
ness end. of the resident adminlstra'
ton cannot commend itself very
favorably to the people of the state
This is not personal, but simple facts
that are we'll known aud cannot be
successfully contradicted. Three extra
sessions of the general assembly aut
two constitutional conventions, al
costing thousands of dollars, speal
yolunmS concerning procrastinatiug
policies, that have been exceedingly
costly. Sober consideration of al
these matters should certainly bt
given by the electorate of Louisiana