The Natchitoches enterprise., 1921-02-24
The Craftsmanship of the Con.
StituiiOnal Convention

| Next Tuesday some of the lead
ing men of the state will meet il
Baton Rouge to work on a pro
gram Of constructive legislation
revise and frame a new constitu
tion for Louisiana.
These men have been selected
from every walk of life, lawyers
farmers, business men, etc.; mer
who appreciate the great respon
sibility deyolving upon them Al
this convention and whose frs
and most important duty will be
to select a president upon whom
will devolve the greatest responsi.
bilities of all, the first and creates,
OF which will be the selecting OF
the several chairmen who will be
charged with the functions of their
committees.
And there must be 10 error in
selecting this president, who must
be fitted in every way for the
serious duties deyolving upon him.
And which of the 146 is more
eminently qualified than one of
our delegates who is recognized
thruOut the state as man of abil.
ity, brains and judgment who has
devoted many years to the study
OF every matter that pertains to
the welfare of Louisiana, at home
and abroad; is familiar with her
laws and their defects; has a state
wide acquaintance and knows the
needs of the different sectionsY
A man of broad learning, tact and
culture, who helped frame the last
constitutions and by right of this
experience is fitted to help frame
the coming one. so the convention
will make no mistake if it elects
Phanor BreazeaIe as its head when
it meets next week, who in the
following letter, recently publish
ed in the N. .. papers, gives his
reasons why he aspires to the
presidency.
The situation today stands as
follows" +" the letter reads in part.
l wrote to each of the 146 dele
gates to the Convention, asking
hem to vote for me for president
t they believed me worthy and
qualified and believed that | would
serve if elected, fairly and impair
tally. / received replies from SO
# the members. OF these. "a |
we're pledged to Mr.. Bouanchaud,
q pledge themselves to me, sol
ssured me that they had pledged
helnseiyes TO 40 one, thought me
ualified, but did not wish to bind |
hemslves until the convention
net. The remaining 48 did not
nswer my letters.
Since then / haye had frequent
ntimations that I could strength
n my candidacy by outlining the
ersonnel of the various commit
ees and by an active campaign
Or the removal of the convention
0 New Orleans and by an alliance
4 several other propositions of
in which special inter-
st was involved that will come
efore the convention.
To all of these / have replied
mphatically that l did not desire
be position Of president of that
Convention if I had to obtain it'll
y promises in advance.
In discussing vito several del
gates the question Of removal Of
lie convention to New Orleans l
;ated clearly that I had made upl
" mind how to vote on that
uestion should it reach the con-
ention. Personally, would
'uch prefer to see the convention
cid in New Orleans, that | had ,
0 particular interest in the ques- ,
on, would make no fight and ,
ouid express no opinion one way
: the other, bat wanted every
le to know that when my name !
as called to vote on the question :
removal, | would vote to re- !
in it at Baton Rouge, merely be- :
use | tn hlught it was y matter Of ]
5od faith to do SO. That / UNDER 3
ood all the argument for and I
,aipst it, but / retained for my 9
II the right to vote on shat :
lestion as conscience dictated.
NV conception of the work of q
Q convention is far ABOVE and Y
,yond the mere personal ambi- : :
ms Of any individual and politics :
every character and kind should
rigidly shut out Of the organi-|
lion Of that convention and from
work. There should be no nn-
'tain or equivocal action 10 the
emises, and boiled down, the
uation appeals to me as beingl
really reduclble to this position:
. election Of q candidate avow-
!, expressed, or implied, tor
- Office at the next election
ans that that convention will be o.