The Opelousas courier. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1852-1910, 1870-11-05


is d good dAS 1t is improper that the Executive
who is poAmsed Of enormous patronage, and
who has b., vested by recent legislation with
almost did usoral power, should be eligible
to Use I'd abuse this patronage and
power in i,,,rr to secure his own denomination
the interes.t,. the present Governor.
The last O'.nsment which reads as follows
ARTICLE. That prior to the first day OF
January, ol, thousand eight hundred and nine
ty, the tebu@f the State shall not he 80 ncrcas
cd as to cxoed twenty five millions Of dollars.
should II } receive the sanction Of the Demo
selves t to blame if the legislative power is again
vested in the Radical party, but if they intend.
by supiueness want OF energy and lack OF ratri-
otism to permit such "a dcpl"rable result let
them at least secure constitutional cheek
against further ycnal legislation and public rob-
berry, ssch as have run riot in this state since
the days of Radical domination. The Demo-
cratic party cheerfully ac4uiescc in the proposed
amendment; they desire to rctl,r" the public
debit aud to put All end to the extra '-ancc and
corrup ion wl,rh prevail in every branch OF our
State Governments, and which is rapidly des
troyins property and labor through excessive
taxation.
We congratulate the party on thu excellent
nominations made by our State Convention
Our Candidates are men. new in politics. but nt
tried fidelity to their party and people, possess
ing. in he largest degree, capacity, honesty ard
popularity. BY earnest and united effort we can
easily place them in the positions Tor which they
have been nominated.
Our llatform is broad, liberal and c"nserva
tive; ol it every man can plant himself who Is
opposed to that combination Of oppression. cor
ruption aud ignorance which rules i'll Tins State
under the maine of Radical Republicanisn.
We urge the people u select true AMI popular
candidates tor the General Assembly, and to
make their election matter of first Importance.
In order to insure success we need only to re-
gister aud poll our full vote. We can only be
defeated by our own lethargy.
The systematic attempt t" deprive Democratic
voters Of their rights Of registration and suffrage
must be met with a systematic recourse to all
the remedies afforded by both State and Federal
legislation.
The provisions Of both lcyislations furnish an
| adequate remedy. and no voter, who fails to eS-
ercise the right Of suffrage on account OF the
obstacles thrown in his way by partisan regis
trars, will have done his duty to his country,
and yin.icatrd his own le"al right, unless he
has resor:ed to tie cthcacl"us and easy remedy
which he has 1T hand.
If registered. the voter can exercise the ri .ht
Of suffrage without difficulty.
If not registered, and he las not apPllcd for
| registration then has he wilfully given up his
right Of suffrage. 49,
| Ii not registered, Oh account OF the Illegal
ruling of the registrars denying him resiStra-
ton then his remedies are
First-xTS4 4have said registrars arrested under
section }3 Of act of 1870, Up. l4D deiloulcing
such official misconduct rs felony, punishable
| by Ave years Imprisonment in the Penltentlary,
! and a fine not exceeding five thousand dollars
| Secon.lly-To proceed against registrars. ull-
der section :, of act of Congress, approved May
| 81, 1870. declaring such offence to be u nisde-
| n1eanur, punishable BY fine of not less than
five haadreti dollars, and impri isonauht not tess
than one month and Aot more than ohc Year
and, furthermore providing, that the guilty Of
| fcer shall forfeit and pay the sum Of flve hun
dred dollars to the person aggr1eved thereby, to
he recovered by al action Oa the cas-, with fuii
costs and snch allowance for counsel fees an the
court shall deenl just
| Third-Besides having recourse to the above
punitive redress in the State and Federal courts
the citizen who has been unjustly deprived od
registration can nevertheless, exercise the right
of suffrage.
When denied registration. be can vote With
out producing a certificate Of registration aifd
without his name being OH the list of the Com
nlissioners of Election; and, for this most etAoa'
cious remedy, thanks to the act of Congress o1
| MAY 81, 1870, which tlenounces, under the sane
ton of severe penalties. the refusal or omission
OF registrars to register legal voters; and, also
the refusal or olnission OF Commissioners OF
Election to receive the ballots of such legal Eo
ters who have been unlawfully denied regis
| tration. -:
1t is earnestly recommended to the Demo
| cratic Parish Central Committees of the v,triou'
parishes of the State, to take the matter IL haIt
at once, and to adopt systematic plan of oper
atioD by which Democratic voters, who may b
illegally denied registration, may he Furnished
with proper vouchers, enabling them to vote q
the election, OR to have the refusal Of the Com
missioners Of Election made a matter of record
both for the purpose of subsequently, cempeiiin:
the counting Of such: volss, and OF testing tn
question against the Commissioners themselves
RTf(sE Chairman