St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1918-04-27
BIENNIAL SESSION OF
GENERAL ASSEMBLY
MEETS next MONTH
Louisiana Lawmakers viii Assemble
at Baton Rouge for the
Sixty-Day Term
MANY NEW Avs PROPOSED
FOR STATES STATUTE BOOKS
Vacancy in Senate Created by Rrous-
sard's Death May P~recipitate
Pilitical Fight-Governor-
ship to Be Discussed

> S1sF
A regular biennial session of the
Louisiana gener alassemDly will con-
Yene in Baton Rouge the early part
Of next month and will remain in
session for full sixty days, al pre-
scribed by the constitution which will
make its adjournment sometime in
July.
From all accounts the session
promises to be a lively one. AS a
general rule, the final session before
a state election is always lively as
probable candidates and candidates.
occupy much Of the odd time of the
Legislators and there is mnch SPAR
ring for place in the coming fray.
Owing to the war, however, it has
been almost tacitly agreed upon that
this time politics would be tabooed as
much AS possible and prominent and
aspiring statesmen who had a poll
teal bee buzzing around their heads
would have to shift for themselves.
up to a brief time back it seemed
just possible that for once politics
would be laid on the shelf. This be-
lief went a-glimmerng when Senator
Bob Broussard died two weeks ago.
Now, the voters (and politicians)
of Louisiana will have much to de-
eide in the matter of filling fine, fat,
lucrative offices for In addition to the
Broussard succession "a successor to
Senator Ransdell will also have to be
chosen in the September primary,
and contests in several of the con-
gressional districts also seem in
sight. These important matters will
undoubtedly attract much attention
by the legislators, for no matter how
much the average Louisiarian may
resolve to put a big wet blanket on
politics and political talk and spec
.ulation, the fact remains that 1t is
a matter of almost impossibility to
stop or eve lessen the wind-jam-
ming.
Already several aspirants are after
the Broussard seat as it seems well
understood that Governor Peasants
recent appointee, Judge Guio:l, will
not be a candidate at the September
primary. At present The only two
who have positively announced are
Ex-Governor Hall, now a resident of
New Orleans. and John cverten RI
IN some quarters II is
limited that Governor Pleasant
himself will cast his nat IN the Ilng4,
which in the event of his election,
would elevate Lieutenant Governor
Fernand Mouton of Lafayette to the
governorship.
For the Ransdell seat no active
candidate has yet announced though
friends of Harry Gamble are stating
positively that he will contest with
Mr.. Ransdell for the latter's job.
The sincerity of this statement, how
ever, is doubted in MANY quarters
and some of the wisnacres firmly De-
lieve that Ransdell will be returned !
to the senate without opposition. i
While all this preliminary skirm- ,
for the s~enatorship is going /
on, sight of the ~goyernirship and /
other state offices seems to have !
been lost to view, though it can well {
be presumed that before many weeks
have passed the wise men will begin ,
to take up this important matter and !
numerous aspirants for the governor 6
and other good jobs will be COM
Ing out and announcing their respec-
tive candidates..
The actual work of the legislature
promises to be important and al
ready it has begun to be noised
about that many of the members
have important" and f~ar-reaching
bills in preparation, or already pre-
0dEGu, " Huli AACO lie t0S4SAdL1fO
Wartime measures will un-
1oubtedly oceopy a principal place
IN the stage and be in the limelight
most of the entire term. Another
very important detail will be the
approval or rejection of the proposed
amendment to the fed
sral constitution. The "drys' an
lounce that the amendment will
EASILY pass the legislature while their
opponents are saying nothing and
wood. A few members-per-
laps there might be a large number
ARE very DESTROYS Of passing the
,uck" and letting the people vote on
is acceptance or rejection. Legisla
ors who wish to let the people pass
this important measure, are, in
he opinion of some of the more in
dependent solons, willing to shift
he responsibility of the amendments
cceptance or rejection and "let
do It."
In the scope Of a brief article it
yould be impossible to recount a
Ill list of all the important laws, but
hat they will be plentiful goes with
saying and the public will have
bide their time until the legisla-
va mill hnSiuc RI grind hoPara 4boy