The Donaldsonville chief., 1921-04-02

COMMISSION FOR PARISHES.
Proposed Change an Attack on Sys-
tenn of Reoresentati7e Government.

The following letter from Harry
Gamble, former assistant attorney
general Of the state, in which he OPP
poses the commission form Of govern
ment for parishes will no doubt be
read with interest.
"Two ordinances, according to
press accounts, have been introduc-
ed in the Constitutional Convention
proposing to abolish school boards
and police juries and to substitute a
board of three in their stead. 1t is
not clear whether the assessment and
collection of taxes would also be
placed in the hands of such board
"For some years now, it has been
occasionally suggested that school
boards and police juries are cumber-
some, inefficient and wasteful, and
that parish affairs generally are bad
ly conducted, and that the cure is in
concentrating authority - cutting
down or cutting out the representa-
tive idea-and hiring good govern
ment.
'It is admitted that there is room
for improvement in the management
of parish affairs But where is proof
that three men can be found in each
parish who could do better! Elimin-
ating wholly the fact that the rela-
tion between the people and their
officers is entirely different from that
of The business manager and his
stockholders, what foundation is there
for the assumption that the private
business of parish is so much bet
ter managed than the public bust
ness that the fundamental theory OF
our government should be changed
at it's base, at the place closest to the
people, and the autocratic system
substituted for the democratic. Judg-
ing from the percentage of failures
in private business and the frequent
change fo managers, even in big bus1-
ess, the assumption of an entire sue
cess in an attempt to hire good gov
ernment is wholly gratuitous.
ssBut the real objection to the. pro-
posal, and that which induces me to
call your attention to it, is that it
lis an attack on the American system
of the republican form of govern
ment. On the dubious plea Of i'm
proved efficiency, not proven any
! where, the representation and partic.
4 ipauioll Of the people in their aHaiis S
lis to be practically abandoned at
d their very fireside, and their business
delegated to two or three alleged ex-
i Iperts, who according to all past ex-
lperiences in government, would u
4 time become political tyrants. Under
!. our system the people need broac
land frequent exercises in self gov,
ernment to keep familiar with it, te
Ipreserve it, and their liberty along
& with it, even at the same cost. Those
!. .IWho propose the aband onment of this
/ iezercise are as ssslort-sig hted as eaost
l1rlff ortunate nations of the past who
q too busy or too negligent to trair
/ themselves for military defense. put
Il their faith in foreign mercenaries
only in time to become victims O
| their own hired experts.
/ stThat there is lost motion in tias
-|functioning of our parish system
= -lcannot be denied, and some contrac
/ ton in the size Of the parish boards
6 might help; but the remedy does no
S lie in laying the axe to the root Q.
, our whole system, and the practica
:. abandonment by the people Of loca
. lself government. On the. contrar.
: the remedy is a real menace, an in
: |sidious blow at our representative
E principle, which / hope your boar'
t will oppose manfully.
a Every truly yours,
: tHARRY GAMBLE =