Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1855-10-13
ADVERTISEMENTS
To the Independent Voters
OF the Parish of IberVille.

OF the Parish of Iberyille.
Fellov Citizens: Having come before you
as a candidate for Representative in the next
Legislature, a respect for time-honored custom
would make it my duty to visit all the citizens
of the parish and make their acquaintance and
solicit their suffrage. But, being a Mechanic,
my engagements with the planters at this busy
season would almost entirely have prevented
my doing so, and furthermore, 1 have been
confined to my room for nearly a month past
and unable to say as yet when l shall be able
to walk-probably not before the close of tn
month. Therefore, ! take this method Of ad-
dressing you, and soliciting your support.
To those who have long known me / need
say nothing, as they have always known me to
be an unwavering Democrat, and always ex-
pect to remain so. But I never have been, and
never can be, a milk and acater Democrat. And
call me what you please, l shall always be
found battling against any and all parties or
cliques who may, or shall in any manner at
tempt to, carry out any plan or system Of mo-
nopolies, for the benefit of the rich and conse-
quent oppression of the poor. This was once
the Democratic doctrine. But how is it now !
Gen. Jackson and the Democrats of his day
broke down the United States Bank, which
with a capital Of thirty-ssven million dollars
was about to control the nation-and we glory
in their names for this act Of patriotism. Old
Hickory vetoed the Lexington Road Bill, which
asked for large appropriations Of public lands
and the Democracy sustained him in that too.
The U. s. Bank was owned by perhaps ten
thousand stockholders! But our late Democ.
racy has given three millions Of acres of public
lands which belong to the people, TO less than
a score Of rich capitalists, to build the Illinois
Central Railroad, and these capitalists borrow
ed the entire amount Of money necessary to
build that road on the faith of this grant, and
thus built the road without laying out a single
dollar of their own money! and in his last re-
port the President of that road estimates the
value of the lands at no less than thirty mil
lions Of dollars.
During the last four years this same party
has tpice defeated the Homestead Bill in Con-
gress, which proposed to give the public lands
in small quantities to the poor people Of the
nation, who would 60 and settle and cultivate !
them.
Look again at the State frauds that have
been carried on even here in our own State, in
pledging tie faith Of the State to assist rich
capitalists in building Railroads for their own
exclusive benefit; and allowing them to carry
on swindling under the name Of banking, free
banks-aye |! free, indeed, to swindle us poor
people out Of our hard earnings, and then |
screen themselves behind the democratic M,r
passed by a democratic Legislature, under a
democratic constitution, which allows slaves TO
have as much representation in the State Lee
gislature as the same number of free white
citizens have! This again is modern democ-
rasy or equal rights with a vengeance! And
who are paying the high taxes to support all
these rich companies ! The poor people, who
are and have been the slaves Of these same
parties that have passed all their oppressive
laws, even after all their professed love for the
people.
In what light shalt we look at politicians
who esponse or hold on to a party because
that party is powerful in numerical strength,
yet las not a redeemiug feature in its platform
Of principles, only a threadbare cry Of democ-
racy, while its every AFT is anti-repubIican and
oppressive Of the very poor who are its sup
But only look at thess men when
they are candidates for Office. Then they visit
from house to house, and from howell to howell,
and shake hands with the mothers and kiss the
and treat the 4little dears'' to candy
and exclaim, sOh. how the little loves do favor
their papar But no sooner arc these nice
elected than they will kick the sdirty
out Of their path. This. too, is Dos
uocracyt
Are not the laws becoming more and more
oppressive every yearl Certainly. No man
IF common observation can shut his eyes
against the fearful truth. What then Il To be
The people should elect their lay ma
kers from the classes who feel the effect Of
oppression. This is their only remedy.
Time was when the Press YVES entirely uu.
ller the control Of the rich-rich political DEM
Then the erievances of the poor
we're never heard Of through thejr columns.-