The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1921-04-09


organization would be formed in the
next campaign TO Swing the patron
age club" which the old ring used to
maintain itself in power for a quarter
OF a century. They urged that their
organization and any other political
organization be prevented from follow
ing such tactics and that the best
method Of preventing it was by the ap-
pointment of civil service commits
sion by the governor for long terms.
The Rosen ordinance proposed a
commission of three men with overlop-
ping terms at salaries Of $4,000 a year,
one to be appointed for six years, one
for nine and one for twelve years, and
at the end of their respective terms
the succeeding appointments to be
for twelve years each.
THE methods of running primary
elections in this state are a public
scandal, and the present system of per-
mitting the use of slush funds in poll
tical campaigns is debauching the elec-
torate and should be stopped by a con-
stitutional provision with teeth in it,"
]. Flood Madison, delegate from More
house parish, asserted in a statement
before the suffrage committee of the
Constitutional Convention recently.
Mr.. Payne of Natchitoches introduc.
ed an ordinance designed to obviate
the necessity for multiplicity of elec-
ti0DS hv narp,ittin0 q oaporaI alaot;or
to take the place Of primary in cer-
tain cases. Its provisions are:
"All candidates for offices made
elective in this constitution shall be
nominated by primary or primaries
to be held by the several political par
ties as shall be provided by law; pro-
vided that where seventy-five per cent
OF the number of registered voters in
the state or in any district or parish
or municipality thereof, shall be affil-
lated with any one political party, there
shall be no primary election in the
state, or in the district, or in the par
ish. or the municipality as the case
may be, and in such a case may be,
and in such a case the legislature
shall provide for election of such off,
cials at the general election by first
and second choice voting"
An ordinance was introduced by Mr..
LaFargue of Avoyelles covering the
distribution of public school funds. 1t
provides:
There shall he free public schools
for the white and colored race, sepa-
rately established by the Legislature
throughout the state for the education
Of all the children of the state be-
tween the ages of six and eighteen
years; provided, that where kindergar-
ten school exist, children between the
ages Of four and six may be admitted
into said schools. All funds raised by
the state for the support of public
schools. except poll taxes, shall be dis
Cributed to each parish in proportion
to the number of children there is be-
tween ages Of six and eighteen years.
The plan OF the State Bar Associa-
ton. more generally known as 'the
Spencer Plan," for reorganization Of
the Judiciary system of the state, was
introduced by Mr.. Sholars of Ouachi-
ia. The ordinance is in the same form
by the Bar Association meet
ing at New Orleans, February 26, with
two changes. One change keeps the
present judges of the Appellate Courts
in office. 1t provides:
1.-The chief justice and associate JUS
tices of the Supreme Court and the
judges Of the several courts of ap-
peals now in office or heretofore elected
to, but not yet inducted into office.
shall be respectively chief justice and
associate justices of the Supreme
Court and judges of the Courts of Ap-
peals hereby created"
The other change relates to the re-
tirement of judges. 1t provides:
ANY Judge of the Supreme Court,
Courts of Appeal and District Courts
may also be retired either % upon
MS own application, after having
reached the age of 20 years and after
having served continuously fifteen
years in judicial capacity immediate
y prior to his application for retire
nent, and provided proceedings for his
have not been initiated.