The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1868-02-26
Thu Coming Election.

The Coming Election.
In all probability, within the next month or six
weeks tie registered Of this State will be called
upon to vote upon the constitution framed by the
charcoal convention now in session New Orleans,
and it is high time that the conservative element
thoroughly organised and ready 70 defeat it, Like
Alabama We can do it, if we only put shoulders
to the wheel and work with viii. In the first place.
there boards Of registrars and commissioners
to be appointed. Much depends On the honesty and
integrity Of these appointees Let US at once select
our best men, who take the required oath, and
forward their names to Gen. Hancock through Gov.
Baker Let these recommendations be signed By solid
conservative men, who have character and influence
THIS should be done once as will have little time
work in this matter after the order for the election
reaches This doEe and the order for election
eeiEed, let every man, who cam go forward and regis
ter, so as to swell the humber OF registered voters.
AS the time for registering is short five days pre-
ceding the electiou it behooves to lose time i'll
organising and n,arslaling forces to drive back
the radical avalanche sweeping over the South.
The Radicals, to carry this constitution, will have to
poll majority of the registered voters. Then let US
TIE ct as posSiUle,
the day of election refrain from voting, by which
may be able to defeat our enemies. This
all LOOKS very well on paper, but it will take work to
carry it out The Picayune is right when it says that
the popular conservative General apathy will not
do to lead Us at this crisis.
The Plcayune, in a well considered article, says
We heseech our conservative friends in the interior
Of the State not place themselves under the COM
mand of General Apathy during the present crisis
General Inactivity may, in some respects, be good
brigade commander, to hold the reserve in such
when to vote is vote in the negative, but in
all other respects General Energy and General Promp-
titude should govern our conduct In the first place.
in every parish, who take the test OATH and
who will act honestly and justly, should be recon-
mended to Gov. Baker and to Gen. Hancock, bs good
citizens to take the places of REGISTRAR, but none
should be so recommended unless they shall have pre-
Eiously clearly consented to serve. To recommend
men who will refuse neglect to is peril any
success which may otherwise lie attained The elec-
ton must be fully held, in every parish and in every
precinct that there shall be no successful charge of
an attempt to prevent an election. So also, all con-
serratives should be ready to fluid commissioners of
election in every precinct, WHO honest and intel
gent men, who will fulfill the law as it stands Here
let US say besides, to whoever may be appointed reg
istrars and commissioners: Do not undertake to ell
large the law or correct its Eiztstcs wrongs With
this you have nothing to do Fulfill its requirements
Admit every man who has living registration certi-
cate and the present residence equircd By law where
identity is not clearly in doubt disproren if YOU
commissioners ana if registrars closely scaI the
lists of registration and strike off the names and re-
yoke the certificates of all who clearly shown to be
fraudulent or improFidently incorrectly admitted
voters, and admit voters only such as the law as
stands, shows Should be admitted Do not tamper
with cases which very doubtful and which only
show the Law be unfair. You have no business with
correcting it. =.-
The registrars have only five days to do this under
the seventh section of the act Of July, 1867. The
time is SO bret that it ought ali to be fixed before
hand, by careful scanning of the naHes now regis
tered and previous of the parish or ward to
find who is who,' and where he is to be found
Therefore, General apathy must not be allowed to
keep you back fren, doing all this until just as the reg
istrars about to sit, but now aaoc ,lo every con
sentative should go to work to find out where people
live, who they are and whether their names are OIL
the lists. These lists will, we trust, be soon given US
for examination the radical press Of this city long
since asked of Gen Sheridan, and then let all go TO
work, LED by General Activity and General Prompt-
tude, and General Apathy be removed from com
maid"