The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1870-02-16

Kept alOOI. lHOugH nave no anDltlOn as
politician, l believe, for myself it was
our duty to give you support. l am sorry,
Governor, you did not present yourself at
this meeting the other evening. There is
party forming in this city, who design to
act against dishonest men of every poli,i-
cal shade and color We intend to hold
a meeting, and to that meeting honest men,
without respect of party or color, are well
come. | have been raised among those
whom you call the stately enfranchised,' y
and | know they are people who can be
managed and governed in the right way if
they only have confidence in those who try
who are suffering as much in proportion
from the burden of this taxation as we
ourselves, for this money must come from
out of the earnings of the laboring man.
We intend to have meeting of honest
men, and to put our foot upon this corrup-
ton. Let me tell you, Governor Warmoth.
that the people are firm in this movement.
You find around you here citizens, whose
faces scarcely one of them will be recogn:z-
ed by you as the face of politician. We
have come from our offices, and from our
stores, and |, for one, state that, so far as
my support goes, in all measures that are
right and proper. you shall have it in fu
ture. The time has come, Governor, when
you can make name tor yourself which
will live for all time. We do call upon
you to go forward with this work, and can
relieve us from the burden of this debt,
which will otherwise swamp us and our
children, and our grand children.
Judge j. B. Cotton--I wish to say a
word or two in explanation. We have
waited upon you at the request of the citi-
zens of New Orleans, to ask your cordial
cooperation in the measures we propose.
1t makes no difference in what channels we
fad corruption running, whether in the
legislative hall, or in the City Hall, or in
any other department of the government
we ask the assistance of the Governor OF
the State in suppressing this evil.
But there is another important question
to which We direct your consideration
We ask your aid in preventing the Legis-
latnre from passing those bills which we
think oppressive. l mean the election
bill mean the militia bill mean the
registration bill, and Others of that class.
These bills, we think are wrong and op-
pressive. We think they deny to the ciii-
zens of this State equal protection. We
think they place too much power in the
executive department of the government.
Without enumeratng all the Objectionable
features of these bills, l may say that
they seek to encroach upon the Judiciary
and to abrdge rights which, | feel sure.
you will not allow to be curtailed. We
call upon you, as the executive, to aid the
people in preventing the Legislature from
placing such extraordinary and unlimited
powers, as these bills confer, in the hands
of the executive. These are the rights we
come to demand We ask you, as humble
citizens, to protect US in those rights which
we have received under the constitution
aud under the law. There is no party
question involved in this case. We do not
come to pray for this man, or to screen
that man but we come in the name oil
the.honest men of the State
Governor Warmoth- Relative to these
matters, gentlemen, | would say | have
not read the militia bill, nor the registra-
ton bill, nor the election bill, and do
not know what provisions those acts con-
tain. If they abridge the liberties of the
citizen ; if they put the government of the
State in the hands Of one political party
or the other, | shall certainly not sign
them. But if, on the other hand these
bills are simply designed to protect all cit,
liens in the exercise of their rights il
they apply equally to all classes of the PEG.
pie, if they do not confer improper powers
on the officers holding the election, then
as an honest officer, 1 shall deem it RICH;
and just to sign them. This will be a
matter FOR consideration hereafter. I do
not think, gentlemen, that you have had
any ground, hitherto. to complain of my
administration of the election laws in this
State. The present law provides for the
Governor to appoint supervisors of regis,
tration, who appoint commissioners of
election to receive the votes and make the
returns. 1t is provided that the Governor
and Secretary of State, ETC., shall canvass
these returns and declare the result II
elections have been improperly held it is
their duty to refer these questions to the
Judiciary for their settlement. There car
be law passed which will take the rights Of
individuals out of the pale of the judiciary
You have nothing to fear in the militia
bill. | do not know what it is, but
would remind you that we have militia
bill now, and that the Governor has the
power to organize every man of the State
into the militia. l could to-day organize
a militia of q hundred thousand men Just
as well without another militia bill as with
it. But have not done it. Even in time
of intense political excitement, when Re
| publicans-whether without cause, l viii
not discuss in your presence, gentlemen
believed their lives to be ir danger, l die
not call out the militia. 1t is true grea
many people urged me to do so. | did moi
do it because did not think it was right
and because thought that whatever griev
ances Republicans might have to complain
of, they might with confidence appel tc
the bar of public opinion in the future tc
be righted.
Mr.. Marshall J. Smith-You are the
Governor now, but we don't know who
may be the next Governor.
Governor Warmoth-But this law ha:
oeen on the statute book for twenty fvt
years.
Mr.. Marshall j. Smitb-So it has, bu
not with the powers at present conferred
Gov. Warmoth-I do not want ss,ny
laws that are going t" establish a des-
bctism in this State. / shall be Gov
ernor only short time, l am not eli
gible for election Il second time by ex-
press provision of the Constitution, SO
I can have no object in passing these
laws to re-elect myself. What I say
to you is this: Whatever may be the
pressure brought to bear upon me to
induce me to sign these bills, they