Newpaper, East Baton Rouge Parish, LA submitted by Charlotte Sehon ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** --------------------------------------------------------------------- Louisiana Capitolian Baton Rouge Louisiana March 8, 1879 Vol No. 5 TO THE VOTERS OFTHE PARISH OF EAST BATON ROUGE The undersigned, candidates to represent this parish in the Constitutional Convention, adopt this method of submitting to you our views of some of the questions of paramount importance, that will have to be acted on by the coming convention. We do not propose to enter into a lengthy argnment of any of these matters, but only to put concisely before you the course we porpose to pursue, shoul you think proper to honor us with your confidencce. The poverty of our people, and the embarrassed condition of the finaneial affairs of the country, to a great extent brought upon us by the reckless and corrupt administration of the government, from which we have just emerged, imperatively demand from those you may select to represent you, a zealous and unnemitting effort to reform abuses of every kind and in this direction the abolition of all useless offices,the reduction of all salaries, now much too high, to the lowest standard, conrpatible with a proper and efficieot service of the public; a reoganization of the judiciary so as to secure a cheaper and more speedy adminstration of justice;without repudiation, an adjustmeat of the State debt on such a basis as will preserve the honor and credit of the State,relieve the taxpayers, and secure to the State's creditors a prompt and satisfactory payment of their interest. By these and other economical mean, our impoverished people, overburdened, with a taxation that threatens conflscation, will be relieved, the prostrated industries of the country will again revive and with restored energies, every one will hopefully strive to bring back to State that prosperit to which she has so long been a strauger For the accomplishment of all these reforms, we promise our earnest and active co-operation. Many of the colored voters look with suspicion upon the convention, fearing attempt to interfere with their rights,proted by the present constiution. We believe it would be impolitie unwise and wrong to incorporate in the constitution of the State, any clause having the effect,directly or indirectly, of abridging the rights of any class of citizens, colored or white, as possessed and enjoyed by them under the present constitution and we plodge ourselves to actively use every effort in our power to prevent any such abridgment and will strive to secure to the colored citizens, the rights they now enjoy. It is useless to say that will devote ourselves untirigly to carrying out the will of the people of the State expressed at the late election , in favor of the removal of the seat of government from New Orleans to Baton Rouge, a messure not only of immense local interes? but also one of paramount import in importance in the direction of reform and economt. Very respectfully Andrew S. Herron, Robert T. Young, ?eon- Ja?tremsk;