New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-11-06
we are willing to pay for it out of our own
DEMOCRATIC RAILROAD BI,ILDrEG

Our Democratic friends undertook, when
in power, to build a railroad. In 1926 they
undertook to bnild railroad from New Or
leans to Nashville. They gave to that COM
pany five hundred thousand dollars Will
some respectable old citizen in the audience
tell me where that railroad is? Laughter
and cheers.] have been told that such
railroad was projected somewhere out here,
but that it had been picked. up and carried
away so long ago that only the Lord knew
where it was Continued laughter and ap-
plause.] Yet the State of Louisiana has
five hundred thousand dollars in that rail
road from New Orleans to Nashville, and
we are every year paying seven thousand
dollars interestoE those bonds. [Applause.l
But they didn't stop there. Our Demo
cratic friends went in to aid the jackson
road. They gave them eight hundred thou
sand dollars, and got eighty miles of rail
road. [Dersive cheers.] They gave the
Opelousas Railroad sixty thousand dollars,
and the Nicksburg Railroad two hundred
and ninety-eieht thousand dollars, and the
the Baton Rouge Railroad two hundred and
forty-fOur Thousand thousand dollars and
the Mexican Gulf Railroad (anOther Nash
vile scheme) hundred thousand dollars,
making in all two millions six hundred and
seventy-six thousand dollars put in rail
roads by the State Of Louisiana under Demo-
cratic administration, and the State does
not own a penny in any one of them.
Cheers
The city of New Orleans also went into
the same business, giving the OpelOusas
railroad one. million five hundred thousand
dollars, the jackson railroad two millions,
the Pontchartrain railroad a hundred and
twenty-five thousand dollars, making three
millions six hundred and wenty-three
New Orleans put in railroads, and
the city of New Orleans don't own one
cent in them. [Applause.] Thus We get all
aggregate of six million three hundred
and nine thousand dollars put into railroad
corporations by our Democratic friends,
and We have nothing in the world to show
for it. CONTINUED applause 1t is true we
have parts of some OF these railroads, ag
gregating. believe, some two hundred and
fifty three miles. Every mile OF railroad in
the State of Louisiana has cost the people
Of the city of New Orleans and the people
of the State OF Louisiana, i'll bonds, on
which they are paying interest every year,
twenty-tour thousand nine hundred and
thirty-six dollars and seventy-fve cents.
Twenty five thousand dollars have been
paid out by the city of New Orleans and
every mile of railroad in the State, and
every mile of railroad belongs to somebody
else besides the State of Louisiana and the
city of New Orleans. Loud cheers
Under the policy pursued by the Republican
Legislature you can build three thousand
miles of railroad instead of two hundred and
tifty-three miles, and we will have railroads
from Shreveport to New Orleans, by Baton
Rouge. from New Orleans to the city Of
Houston. Texas; branch from We rmillion-
vile to Shreveport. and another railroad.
all for less money than was put up by the
Democratic party for no results. Cheers.
When We contrast the policy of Louisiana
under Democratic and under Republican
rule, l ask which party has used the most
foresight: which party is most entitled to
the confidence of the people, for the wisdom
and sagacity it has displayed in developing
the resources of the country.
THROWING DOWN THE GAUNTLET.
Whenever the Republican party fails to
be the party of progress, whenever it fails
to do more than the Democratic party has
done for the material interests of the State,
| say to the people of this State, vote the
Democratic ticket But while the Repub
Gcan party continues to advance the pros
perity of the State, while it continues to
harmonic capital and labor and to bring
order out of chaos. say it is the duty of
the people to stand up for that party, and
not to let the power of the government go
back to those who will bring bloodshed and
confusion upon the people.
THE INDICTMENT.
charge all the responsibility of the war
to the Democracy. l charge all the heavy
taxation throu ghout the length and breadth
of the land, to the teachings of the Demo
cratic party. l say that all the misfortunes
and heavy privations this country has en-
dured for years past, are entirely attribut-
able to them. | say they have had no
principle they considered clear-no hope
they believed in-nO conviction of right and
justice in which they placed their trust
that they are just hunting about for power.
form that will give it them. In 1859 they
were the apologists of slavery. They
said was right. They said it was a divine
institution. The most eminent and
eloquent divines Throughout the
South preached that slavery was a
divine institution, having the sanction of
God Almighty. Democratic writers said
the negroes were happy and contented as
slaves; that slavery was right: that slavery
was just, and that every thing would be
happy if they could only keep control of
the government. But, though SO secure in
their stronghold. they would not let lis
discuss the question. If we wanted simply
to discuss the question from an economical
standpoint and to show that free labor was
cheaper nan slave labor, they would not
tolerate it Yet you cannot find Democrat
who to-day would restore slavery II he
could.
Later tn an this, they were determined for
secession. The Northern and Southern
people We re entirely different. The mud
sills of the Nerth. and the chivalry of the
South could never live together in harmony.
They went to war to break up the govern
ment. After five years OF war they did not
break up the government, and now you can
not lind "a Democrat that will say he wanted
to break it up at all.
Later still, the civil rights bill came be-
fore Congress. and every Democrat voted
against it. What was the civil rights bill :
Simply that these poor miserable negroes
should have the right to live: should |
have the right to marry; should have !
the right to own such property as they |
could accumulate; should have the right to
appear in the courts of justice and defend |
their liberties, when they were infringed |
upon. The Democrats said this was all |
wrong. They voted against it; but you |
cannot find a Democrat in this country to- !
day who will not support the civil rights |
bill
Still little later Congress passed the
fifteenth amendment. What was the issue /
then! The issue made by the Democrats
was that this was Il white mans govern
ment; that negroes never should vote.
They fought that issue out in lS6S-yOu
know how they fought it out in this State
nobody was allowed to vote unless he voted |
the Democratic ticket. Yet in 1868 they did |
this, and two years after they come out and
accept the fifteenth amendment, and say it
was right, and admit negroes to their con-
vention and run them for offic.
Now, if they were right in 1859, when
they were the advocates of slavery, they
are wrong to-day, when they reject it. If |
they were right in 1860, when they were in
favor Of secession and of breaking up this
country, they are wrong to-day, when they |
nrooJa;-, fbon,aoI,,o, Jrn:o, ,,,n tbary /