The Ville Platte Gazette from Ville Platte, Louisiana • 2

1 1 Section 1 The Gazette Thursday, Dwmbw 30, 1976 Vllle Platte, La. Editorials Guest Editorial Barroom Search Law Farewell To 76 Infringement On Rights A 1171 slowly ekes out its final hours, it is time to pause and reflect upon its impact, before going forward into the unknown of 1177. It was a year of pomp and pageantry as America celebrated her KBh birthday, and a Joyous nation united in patriotic fervor to wish her well. It was a year of peace, with no American boys dying on the lonely battlefields of foreign lands. With but a few exceptions it wasa relatively peaceful year for most countries in the World.

It was a period of calm for the most part, with no major scandals to shake the public's faith in the nation. It was a presidential election year that saw a relatively enknown southerner rise to the highest office in the land, even theth he carried only 23 of the SO states. It is the first time in over lit years that a candidate from the Deep South has been nominated and elected. The year 1971 also was a hard year for many. Economically speaking, Joblessness and slow recovery from the recent rscssslm were an ever present threat in some sections of the country.

Droughts, early freezes, and other unforseen enemies of the mm who feed the nation, caused the Agricultural scene to be bleak in many areas. Bat by and large, it visa year of relative normalcy a year whan people felt proud of being Americans again. It vaaayoaff wane America for the first time in several decades teemed la relax and laugh at herself again. As we look forward to 1977, we cannot guess what it holds in store tor all of us. We can only wait patiently, as it unfolds its mysteries day by day.

Let us hope that by its end, we will find ourselves reluctant to sse it go that it will lead us toward peace, prosperity and love. Let us pray that 1977 will be a vintage year. It's long overdue. MORNING ADVOCATE Law enforcement agencies are walking a conatituional tightrope in seeking ordinances allowing police to conduct searches of barroom patrons on the premise that lethal weapons may be found. Bars are the source and scene of many killings.

The mixture of alcohol and guns or knives is not advisable at anytime. And in an effort to curb such crime, the City of Alexandria started the weapons search procedure. Bar patrons are warned, via large signs, that merely by entering the premises they subject themselves to possible search for concealed weapons. In that city, barroom shootings have been reduced from an average of one a week to only one in nearly two years. Now, Concordia Pariah has adopted a similar law, and other areas have begun to follow Alexandria's lead.

District Atty. Ossie Brown of East Baton Rouge Parish says he will ask the city-parish council early next year to approve a barroom search ordinance. It may be concluded, then, that the bar search laws are effective in reducing crime. What cannot be conceded, however, is the constituionality of these laws. One of the basic reasons for the founding of this nation was a desire to escape tyranny.

Even 200 years after the struggle to escape such bonds, the fear of a police state still exists. If police can walk into a bar and search every person there for no real reason other than the hope of finding a concealed weapon, what ia to stop the spread of such searches, to other places even eventually into private homes? If people in bars are fair game for such searches, what about those attending private parties where alcoholic beverages are served? The idea of such searches without warrants sprang from the necessity to prevent airplane hijackings. But requiring a person to be subjected to an impersonal search by an electronic gadget ia one thing. Allowing uniformed, or plainclothes, police to simply walk into an establishment and physically search people ia quite another. Granted, there ia a need to reduce the number of fatalities and injuries that result from fights starting in bars, but alternative means of doing this without the search law ought to be found.

Perhaps being more tough on the establishment owners who make little or no effort to control their patrons would help. Bar fights usually are not the owner's fault, but establishments with records of violence could be dealt with more stxlngently. In Texas, it is a felony to be caught in a bar with a concealed weapon, and conviction carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison. Surely, there is some law, or combination of laws, that can be used to reduce this type of crime without resorting to the barroom search law which constitutes a direct Infringement upon the rights of innocent persons. Evangeline's Pride Editor, I would like to share a little information with the urban, suburban, and rural consumers concerning the American farmer, the source of our food supply.

The farmer is a consumer also; he must purchase his food, clothes, automobiles, machinery, and everything else he needs at current market prices which he has very little control over as much as we have. For example, he needs a new piece of equipment on his farm. The price is set, not by supply and demand, but on the cost of Educing that certain item, argues with the dealer, but ends up paying the price anyway. He uses his loan for the equipment and. it is delivered to his farm.

He uses it to produce the crop. When the crop Is harvested, the tide is turned. He does not and cannot say he will demand a certain' price for his crop. He must take what the market has to offer. He is at the mercy of the market.

He has to accept the price that will be paid. So it is with the South Louisiana sugarcane farmer. During the only year of the high sugar prices, he received what the market paid. He also paid and is still paying a lot more for everything that used sugar, and even a lot more for materials that used substitutes, Just as we all are. But the price of sugar dropped to record lows, but the price of land, rent, labor, use of capital and machinery did not go down.

So where ia he? He ia caught with the law of supply and demand on what he produces, but it doesn't have much effect on the materials he buys. All of us can't work in plants, offices, schools and stores; someone has to be the producer of our food supply. Stop to realise that over 90 per cent of our population depend on leas than 4 per cent, those we call farmers. Let's not be critical of our farmers until we walk a mile in their JAMES J. HUBBELL NAPDLEONYTLLE Favorable attention waa focused on Evangeline Pariah Wednesday with the swearing in of two high ranking members of the atata JoSdary In the courtroom of the venerable okl courthouse.

Lscttana fupreme Court JustieeAJbertTaU and Third Circuit Coat of Afpanl Jue J. Burton Foret, both parish natives, were wen in by retired Jud J. Cleveland Fruge, another highly receded EvancsKae Jurist Parldi pHM dans not have shining reputation throushout fta atesfl. At evocptfea to that dismal pkovt Is the regard and redact earned by several Judges who had their start In Jss Fnee and Justice Tata are two, by every account and aaaaaara, of the meat admired legal inindsmloutaiana. They are known far lastr tateSsenee, judgement, honesty and integrity.

fce Fire's as dty court and district Judge ia one he en be JnstSafcJy proud of He begins lue first tern en the Third CsecSt bench, following in the footsteps of Judge Ftuge and JaeScsTate. parish residents can be proud of their accomplishments and the Rootless Society A Myth Guest Column; they nave earned for themselves and, through them, the re wish Justice Tate and Judge Foret well in their formidable taCa and thank Jud-e Ftuge for his past work and the dignity he Itet3 la the state Judiciary. Adcock Back (hit Tkn Gazette encouragat Its renders to spook out on Editor at3c Issues of the day through Its Letters on to tn the eivj an guns cofntnonvory ccHurnoa. (Moraiag Advocate) For years, many social conclusions have been reached on the premise that America has been developing an increasingly rootless society. That rootleesnesa, it has been thought, is to blame for much of today's unrest and social ilia.

Not so, say two University of California sociologists, Claude Fischer and Ann Stueve. The American population ia not moving any more than it did previously. Their research has led them to conclude that it ia a historical myth that moat of our ancestors lived and died in one place, with the same relatives and neighbors nearby. They have studied church parish records, tax registers, census and other data and have found that over the peat two centuries there either has been no increase in American mobility or a decrease. It ia true that about 40 to 60 percent of an average American community's population moves away every 10 years.

But this has been the case for more than ISO years. The researchers did find a change in the type of person who has been moving, however. At one time, the movers were more likely to be poor people who were forced out by economic failure, social unrest and other difficulties. Now, those who move are more likely to be persons with good Incomes who are seeking a higher salary, a more pleasant Job', better housing or more pleasant surroundings. This is not the type of mobility that causes social ills.

Americana still are nomadic, but for the most part their moving does not have ill effects. lr fluost columns am askod obMryw the laws of llbtl and fcounca of Bopd teste. Tho GsiaHt rwMrvta tho right to odtt all contributions nO retpect to brevity and tasttfulnoss. Letters and columns mutt bo tlgnod for verification of authorship. feySamHanna Jamar W.

Adcock, a powerhouse in the McKeithen administration, is back in the mainstream of Louisiana government His appointment Friday by Gov. Edwin Edwards to the Louisiana Tax Commission places him in a key spot in a vital role--that of over-seeing the reassessment of property values with emphasis on public utilities. Adcock succeeds Blanche Long, widow of the late Earl Long, on the three member commission. His duties began Friday shortly after the commission was signed by the governor. The Tax Commission hasn't been in the public spotlight to a great extent in years past because there haven't been drastic changes in the system of assessing property.

But the commission has always served in a supervisory capacity with the parish tax assessors of the state. But the new constitution calls for a new approach to assessing property with a deadline of January 1, 1978-a. short year away. By then assessors must have their new assessments prepared under guidelines approved by the Legislature. Public utilities must be re-evaluated also and that's primarily where the Tax Commission will function, in addition to continued work with the assessors.

From all indications the Tax Commission will play a principal role in state government especially in the months ahead. Adcock and Edwards were close when they served together in the Senate during Gov. John McKeithen's first term. But Edwards went on to Congress with-like Adcock-plana to run for governor. When Edwards ran for governor and Adcock ran for lieutenant governor, privately they pulled for each other.

At the time Edwards envisioned the possibility of someday running for the U.S. Senate and if that happened he felt the state would be in good hands with Adcock. But Adcock didn't win and dropped off the state scene for the past five years. Adcock rose to the height of his 12-year career in the Senate when he was elected president of that body Prior to appointing Adcock to the Tax Commission, Edwards offered him other roles in his administration, but Adcock declined. The appointment, however, couldn't have come at a better time for Adcock, since he is peaking out of a long struggle with his personal affairs and needed a boost to get his wheels turning again.

He's as knowledgeable in state government as any man in Louisiana and has the background and experience to bring about a fair approach to the tough problems ahead for the Tax Commission. Edwards also knows that Adcock is tough enough to take the pressure of the job. Whether Adcock's return will project him back Into state politics in the future remains to be determined. At- 58 he's still an energetic man with fortitude and a will to succees. His career has been a broad one-from the bottom to the top and back a step or two, from selling newspapers as a youth on the streets of Baton Rouge the day Huey Long was shot to the zenith of power in state politics.

Jamar Adcock has walked both sides of the street and will carry a broad view to the Louisiana Tax Commission as he swims again In Ihp mninnlrcnm whore hp bpnnjs The Upward Look ttv. Ury f. fffloff Mean bar ef Louisiana Press Association KaKooal Award Winner in Newspaper Contests Published ovary Thursday at Villa Platte, 145 Court ttrtst, Vllle Platte, La. 705 by the Evangeline Planishing Inc. ROSEMARY D.

LUDEAU, Editor KIITH ORTECO, Assoc News Editor CC3SY DARDEAU, taorts Etittor, Advertising Manager Cntortd at Sacond Class Mall Matter, November if, Post Office at Villa Platte, Louisiana, under Ad of tZmjngXtsst (ana yaar wKSJai fcsrJai (sat year, avtsa Every cctJ or apolritaa government official or fcsard ractlvlng or otharwlta handling public funds, Cate publish at regular Intervals an accounting showing end) how each dollar of taxpayer money Is spent. TC3 CAZ2TTE holds this practice the greatest safeguard Cst corruption In office, and believes It to be a fun-sncnt9l principal of democratic government. Bible Verse: "Usually it is best to be married, each man having his own wife, and each woman having her own husband, because otherwise you might fall back into sin." 1 Corinthians 7:2 God saw early in the story of creation that it was not good for a person to be alone in this life, and so He planned and designed marriage and the family. The home and marriage must follow the laws of God and of the state if they are to be happy, fulfilling relationships. Free love, sex without commitment, open marriage, are not a part of God's design for our happiness..