New Orleans Republican., 1868-08-27

all species of legislation; we have been
threatened with measures which compel us
to give our patronage to one class Of news
papers; we have been compelled to give our
patronage to papers which in their columns
daily advocate principles which are antago-
nistic to the whole sentiments OF the epeople.
And, sir, this ia to be q second series of the
same species of legislation. Not satisfied
with compelling us to give our judicial and
Official patronage to these papers, we are
now called upon to give support to the
laborers of the class alone who wish to
destroy us. And we are net even left the
privilege of saying who shall surround our
household-who shall be walters and SER
wants in our families.
We are called upon and compelled by a
penal statute to have around our hearth
stones set of beings in whose presence we
feel that We can not utter one word without
its being blazoned forth to our enemies.
We feel, sir, that we are surrounded )y
set of spies, and that we are compelled t.
nurture and support set Of people whoh-
we know would not hesitate at the first op-
portunity that presents itself to direct the
dagger against our breasts and apply the
torch to our households.
Sir, ask Senators il they car conceive
more infamous scheme than this, and if they
expect to enforce legislation Of this kind? I
ask sir, where is the law, where is the aU-
thority. where is the power in this land that
will compel me to take into my support, and
to eXtort from my pockets the money which
will support the men that | know are de-
voted to my destruction? Sir, have heard
the Senator from Ouachita say that he
did not wish to give his time or attention to
the enactment of laws which are not calcu
lated for the general good. l have heard
him say that it was useless to talk about
laws that were not calculated fo- useful pur-
poses.
He says that he believes that this bill is
calculated to accomplish good. l ask him,
sir in what respect? Where is the Jury in
this land that will fine me the penalty pro.
vided ia this bill for dischRrgiEg a man,
when am satisfied that the time he devoted
10 his political principles, is time devoted
20 principles which are autagonistic to my
interests | ask, sir, where is the law and
the power in this land to enforce any such
enactment as that Is it the obi ect, is it
the intention of this Senate or Of this Legis-
lature to pass bills of this character, which
are calculated to bring about conflict of
arms Are we, the people Of Louisiana. to
be deprived Of our original and primary
rights as free men Are we to be governed
and controlled in our domestic affairs Ia
the sanctity of homes to he infringed upon
Sir, II Senators will persist in the passage OF
bill of this kind, and others Of kindred
nature which I have heard proposed, |, sir,
as q Senator, as citizen of Louisiana, will
take the stump, and will advise the people
70 resist all such laws, even at the point OF
the bayonet.
Mr.. Lewis; Mr.. President. I should like
to hear the bill read.
The bill was read.
Mr.. Lewis; Mr.. President, upon the
reading of that bill do not see that any
person is bound to employ q man that he
does not like. If he does not want to EN-.
| ploy man he is not compelled to do So
But after he has employed him it makes il
a felony to attempt, by the force Of that
| contract, to control man IN his right o
franchise-that is to prevent him from
| voting for whom he pleases. It does alsC
| forbid, sir, that he shall make coptrac
especially binding the man with whom h
may contract to act with him politically
whether he may wish to do so or not.
Now, Mr. President ard gentlemen 0
this Senate, If there is anything that i
sacred to a man it is his right to go to tht
polls and 0te for his own individual inter
ests unopposed and uncontrolled by the in
| huence of his employer, and no man has
right to make contract with me that viii
bind me to vote to fetter my own hands.
assert that the man that would do such
thing is worse than a fend Of hell, AM
ought to be subject to the severes
penalty.
Sir, this is not tyrannical law. 1t pre-
vents no man from enjoying his individua
sentiments or employing whoever b
chooses; but it prevents & man from CON
pelling another, by contract, to vote as h
may desire. 1t prevents the capitalist fror
controlling man who is suffering from til
want of something to cat, by virtue Of tina
| necessity. If he does not want to employ
man, knowing that his political sentiment
are different from his own, he need NO
But he has no right to enforce contraC
upon me by means of his money and infu
ence, which will fetter me to vote again:
my own best interests, or not to vote at al
The man who would do that would erus
liberty out, and whether it be done by on
party or the other, it should be pens
ofense.
Mr.. 0'Hara: Nj. President, this bill ha
been stated to be oppressive to the peopl
of the State of Louisiana. Now, / onl
wish to call the attention Of the Senate to
few facts.
In my parish there are eighty planter
owning plantations. Now, we will say ths
each man employs fifty laborers. Accor
leans, If any or all Of them should refuse I
vote as he directed, he would have rigI
to discharge them at any time, and withoI
}, warning.
Now, we wish to pass law by whic
every laborer shall be allowed to vote as
pleases. And that is called oppression b
cause we will not allow a few rich men
J control every man in their employ.
Again, it was remarked that if this la
/ passed, the gentleman was going to take Il
stump and go through the State telling Il
people to resist. That is about the sum ar
substance of the remarks of the Senat'
J from Orleans.
Mr.. Foute: Mr.. President, I desire to 81
} a few words upon the first section of Il
| L. H.
: TO indulge in any acrimony, but by arg
, ment without passion to speak to the meri
r Of the bill. s
J Sir, this section of the bill proposes, as
understand it, to make high misdemean(
or, as it is called by one OF the Senators,
J felony on the part Of an employer who q
tempts to control the political action of b
J employees which will greatly interfere wi
the civil law in its application to contract
l A contract between two personsis hindu
upon them both according to the terms
/, their respective obligations, In other word
. as man binds himself so he is bouu
! Now, sir, there are two sides to tn
} question. There are two contracting pal
i ties. There are, if you will, capital and |
8 Dor, the combination of which governs Il
D agricultural and the commercial world, al
q nowhere better illustrated than ia the Ne
= England States, where manufactures are III
r by capital and supported by labor.
{ Now assert that the attempt to make
penal offeDse out of the violation of ci'
4 contract is unheard of In law. If one par
n or the other is damaged by the violation
9 q civil contract, the courts of the countl
f are open for his relief. II A B and G d e
g ter Into civil contract, the enc to turni
:, the capital aud the other to furnish Il
/ labor, aud one of them refuses to perfol
o his part, the courts OF the country are opt
i TO the other party to redress him for all t
h injury he has sustained. This is a pls
e proposition. In this way propose to 81