The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1916-07-08
OLD AscENsIoN,s ALL RIGHT.

u
tribution from the faclle pen OF
former well-known resident of thi
parish: o,e
Waggaman La. May 20, 1916.
Ea;+or Jefferson Democrat Gretna, La
| Dear Sir--For the love of Mike, can 70
not find out from the DonaidsonVfiie Chie
lust what ails old Ascension! | sugees
| The Chief as medium for the desired INFORM
| alton not only on account of it being tn
| official journal of practically every body an
every board of Ascension. but also becaus
| this same journal saw fit, during the recen
| "invasion' by state troops Of Jefferson par
! ism. while holding her breath and gatherini
! her virtuous skirts about nef, 10 give US al
! unnecessary stab.
| First, / see that. in order to secure ful
nine months session of her high schools, i
has been necessary co borrow funds Tor
half months expense, and then to accept TN
offer of at least two of their faculties u
work gratis the other half month"; magnan
imous and patriotic offer for sure that Ger
tainy rebounds to the credit and glory o
these already underpaid tgenerally speaking
public servants However, ! will only sa,
that identical conditions as to state appor
tionment exist throughout the state-cer
tainly in unholy Jefferson.
Again, l see that her parish solons en-
acted an ordinance providing for compulsor,
dipping of cattle--a splendid step towart
progressivism and ostensibiy only taken afte
a thorough discussion with their various con
stituency, in order to ascertain Just wha
was best and wanted for their parish. How
ever, no sooner is said ordinance passed
when an Indignation meeting is held IN one
part of the parish and committee appoint
ed to inform said solons that it is not thei,
purpose to obey said law, and advise then
to repeal it. in SO far as their section is cor
cerned On receiving the said notice and adj
vice, said solons forthwith repealed said or
dinance-that is for that particular section
bo nra; standing for balance OF the
parish. Were such an anomaly to occur In
Jefferson | can picture the headlines IN the
Lie to-em;'' and were Hall still in power
no doubt another invasion would be IN order,
and this with some shadow OF an ex-
cuse Right here, | am wondering if this
same committee is still intact, for no doubt
should the legislature be rash enough to pass
a statewide dipping law, they would be right
there with similar notice and advice;
possibly not with the same degree OF sue
cess. however.
Again, | see it has become necessary for
this same police jury to re-enact an ordi-
nance providing for the assessment OF and
collection of road district tax for the year
1915. as well as for 1915. just why TINS
tax was not assessed and collected in 1915
seems to be obscure.
OF course. | will not comment on the AS
censionites' views of political honesty-they
may be perfectly upright and Q. X. to pose
as a Democrat, seek and gain places Dem
out and openly support and vote another
ticket However. | see that in Ascension S
case. the state executive committee did not
seem to think that way.
l really disappointed in my old home
parish. Possibly "Donnaud Jimmie
can tell just what is wrong. At any rate,
they should look up the old maxim about
throwing stones.
Respectfully yours,
THEO. S. LANDRY.
The statement that The Chief gave
its neighboring parish IAN unneces-
sary stab" is in itself an unkind cut,
for which there is no real basis or JUS
LITIGATION in the chronicle and COM
ment Of this paper on the sensation
al and salutary invasion of the erst-
while Stree state Of Jefferson" by
Louisiana militia under the orders of
Gov. Hall. That occurrence consti-
tuted leading topic Of public inter
est upon which probably every news
paper in Louisiana had its say, and
our criticism of the status of affairs
which provoked the military raid was
much less severe than that of many
other commentators, and could not
be regarded as reflection
on the law abiding population-the
good people of Jefferson, who form
the great majority of its residents.
Governors Blanchard and Sanders
both yainly erdeavored to bring
about the reformation in the notori-
Gus conditions Of disregard and nom
of law that Gov. Hall
finally effected by invoking martial
Jaw and forcibly breaking up the
gambling dens that had Eourished in
the free state for many years; and
here ought to be sense of satisfac-
ion in the mind of every Jefferson
an that this wholesome result has
been achieved. rather than feeling
If soreness regarding the rigorous
md peremptory measures by which it |
vas accomplished. Joe Hyland is
lead, the gambling houses have pass
d out, and we suggest to friend
TOD Landry that it's a good time to
ct bygones be bygones on this post
nortem subject and turn to the con-
liberation of live topics.
1t is indeed regrettable that Assem-
ion and several other parishes have
ound themselves cramped for means
o maintain an adequate public school
ystem, but this unfortunate condi-
ion has not been due in this parish
} any wasteful or improper use of the
ublic funds, but rather to the con-
effort of the school author
les to afford all the educable chill
rem of every ward and district the
est facilities available for acquiring
lie groundwork of good education. /,
has been deemed better to ne {
otiate temporary loans and accept
lie voluntary offer of patriotic teach t
IS to give, their services for the con-
udlng half-month Of the term gratis {
ian to curtail the number of schools,
lorten the term or reduce teachers t
larles. There is a general hope that t
e improved methods of assessment n
I'd taxation promised for the near o
ture will SO increase the school rev a
ues that the present shortage of {
nds will not recur. If Jefferson $
S been more fortunately situated {
an Ascension with regard to school I
nds, why so much the better for |
tferson, and if the Jefferson money Z
put to as good use as Ascension's, a
+ down-the-river neighbors have L
uble cause for eongratulating them e.
yes. W
With reference to the partial re- m
al OF the compulsory cattle-dipping Of
finance it may be said that physi- 1
conditions then existing made it m
actlcally impossible for many stock
ners OF the section involved TO COM W
with the terms of the measure, te
1t was only reasonable and just NJ
t their protest should be needed at
the enforcement of the ordinance M
pended until such tina ae facil;- Cl