Year: 1878

| tutional amendments are involved, II it serves


no other good purpose, should OF least satisfy


all future legislatures Of the utter folly and


futlity of such experiments in constitution


making. About the only fact the fate Of these


measures leaves no doubt about is the neces.


sity for the immediate convening of consti
| tutional convention, while the fact that fully
| two-thirds Of the voters ut the recent election
| failed to vote upon them at all clearly inli-


cates that this necessity ts universally recog-
| nized by the people. There can no longer be
any doubt Of what the people desire in this


respect, and, consequently, OF what the Leg
islature must do in order to carry out their
Wishes


1t Is even doubtful II the actual votes cast
for or against any one Of these amendments,
can be accurately and reliably ascertained !;
while. upon one Of them-that amending arti-
Gle 131 of the constitution of 1863, which locates
the State capital and prescribes the manner
OF changing its locality-lt is very grave
question If any Of the votes. either for Baton
Rouge or New Orleans, can be counted at oil
We are firmly Of the opinion that such votes
as have been voted strictly In accordancewith
the instructions contained In the Governors
message are absolutely null and void.


The question as between Baton Rouge and
New Orleans was not before the people, The
question simply was-shall article t31 of the
constitution OF 1868 be stricken out and On
amendment inserted in It's place. taking from
the Legislature the power of removing the
State capital from New Orleans and submit
ting the question as between New Orleans
opH ofH -, +b> ,Jo F..
settlement.


No other reasonable conclusion can be
drawn from the act OF the Legislature SUBJ
mitting the amendment, and If this conclu-
sion is correct the only votes that can be
counted at all are such as bear the indorse-
ment For" or 'Against the first proposed
amendment" It must be apparent to oil
sensible people that votes cast so unadvsedly
as these cannot be accepted as an expression
Of the popular will.


But could the actual vote for and against
each one Of these measures be definitely as
certained, yet, the PRONUNCIATION of such of
these amendments as may have more votes
for than against them would involve O grave
responsibility.


It is already ascertained that o "maiorty



failed to 'approve and ratify" single one of
these amendments. This may present tech
nical question for judicial determination; but
1t matters not how it may be decided, the
fact will yet remain that there has not been
an expression Of the popular will upon q SIN
gle one Of these measures.


In view Of these facts we do not see how the
State authorities entrusted with the compla-
ton of the votes upon these measures and
the PRONUNCIATION of the results can possibly
reach any other conclusion than that of the
Board and our own Board Of Cam
vassers in regard to the amendments sub
mitted at the preceding election which was,
that it was impossible to ascertain from the
count Of the votes the will of the people. |
Under the circumstances this will be the most
conclusion to all parties, as it |
will serve to avoid all controversy, and at the |
same time, to make all the more urgent the |
pressing necessity Of Immediately calling |
constitutional convention. There can no !
longer be any doubt whatever of the will of |
ihe people, and the consequent duty of |
,he Legislature in this respect There |
s o three-fourths Democratic majority in |
both houses of the Legislature, and the party |
will be held to strict accountability for It's |
action upon this all-important question. Let |
here be no shirking no avoidance of plain |
Ind imperative duty, but let the Legislature |
'bey the commands of the people, promptly |
Ind without regard to doubtful questions of
policy or fears of exigencies, which they have |
10 right to take into consideration


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