The star-progress. (Opelousas, La.) 1917-1921, 1921-01-26
FORMER GOVERNOR
SAYS ORGANICLAW
SHOULD BE EXPLICIT
MANY Vital Issues to Be
Presented to Con-
yention
PLEASANT HAS
TWELVE" POINTS
Brevity May Not Be Key
note Of Gathering,
After All


Shreveport. La, Jan 21,--Erama 3
new constitution as nearly right -
possible, without regard TO the quss-
tiou Of length. is the duty Of the Con-
stitutionaI convention, in the opinion
OF former Governor Ruffin G. Pleas
ant II this is done, be believes the
new organic law win give satisfactory
results to the state.
am my opinion, the former ggyer-
nor said. in discussing the work p Re
done, there are twelve great s1 II,seis
that viii particularly engage the at
tention OF the constitutional c0nVeu-
tiou, namely: (1l Suffrage. CD rsveH-
ue and taxation, CD the judiciary, CO
good roads, CO.. drainage and reclama-
ton, CD conservation OF natural re-
sources, CD public schools. (sl iastl
tutfous OF higher learning, CO elaem-
osynary institutions, e10l the rights
and limitations OF corporations, err
port control, CID the status Of the
city Of New Orleans.
"The fundamentals Of cur repabi-
can form Of government. such as the
bill OF rights and the duties and pow
ers OF the legislative and ezecuEiva. de-
partments are already well covered Ia
our present constitution The same
is true with reference to the judiciary
department, except that the court ma
chinery needs to be repaired Ia some
respects and changed IN others.
while / believe In writing the new
constitution IA as few words as pou-
sfble. I would not make It short mere
Iy tor the sake OF brevity Il shauld
neither be proIix nor terse. II tha
former as parad0xieaI as it may seem
It would tend to rigidity and infIazi-
biI1ty; If the latter, it would be weak
ened with the quality Of ultra elasti-
city. There Should be enough robust
strength infused into the constitution
to guard the rights oE the whole peo-
pie, protect the poor against the
mighty, the weak against the strong.
At the same time there shouId Be-
such sensible and legitimate lIher
aIity shown in it as to assure capital
and business enterprises that they
would receive fHst trea4mant sad 81
open field for honest effort. a Iacan
ic constitution canaot accomplish an
of-this.
Magma Charta was a snort eonsti-
tuticn and served as a wonderfrss a.
production to free government, but It
was too short. and has been supple
mented and enlarged from time IS
time by the bin Of rights, the girss
American Legislative assembly Ii vIr.
gfnia, the May3sower compact. eha
constitution Of the United States and
the constitution OF every state ia the
American union.
'.Absolution abhors ali constitutions
Therefore. the shorter the canstitu.
tion the more pleasing it is to these
who have autocratic tendencies.
whether they be IN the political s.
ciaI or financial world
"A state constitution cannot be com
pared fairly with the constitution y
the United seates either in respect y
subject matter ar volume. The fed
eraI government is a supreme saVer
eign only in national, interuatisna
and interstate affairs, and possasse.
only such powers as are delegated s,
it BY the states. Its constitution i.
necessary because the states have
not given It a sufficient grant of BOW
ers to make It long. Yet. notwifh
standing this fact. it is 80 per cen
longer now than It was in I7s7. whei
it was adopted
Let rs frame our constitution y
nearly right as possible, without rs
gard to the question of length II
i should necessarily contain 3gg art
v cles again IN order to be a goor
g. wholesome sovereign charter. tina
4 would be short indeed, compared wit
7 the scores ef volumes Of legisIatffa
acts and thousands Of volumes ef Z
= ports containing the Jurisprudence
la the states and the nation. upon while
n lawyers and lirigants especially al
the people gsueraIIy nust rely 3.
the maintenance to their rights.
7 believe that we are going to has
a a great convention The membersh
n averages exceedingly high In its cal
bination Of ability, honesty, ezDerien
learning and patriotism.
Mr and Mrs. Clyde Burgfu Of Gro
ley motored over Sunday and We