The Opelousas courier., 1872-10-05
Let the Past be Buried.

From every Hustings Ais solemn eijunetion
has gone forth. Its sad memories are to be
entonbed alsa. Wunia lat hae rus nstSs of
wrong, oppression, fraud and plumber which
klackens the pages of our last four years of
Legislation had never been eaacted-wauld
that every public servant Of the people, who
! participated in the infiiction of those enermi-
ties, conid have returned to their suffering
constituency, free and epotiess, with
no shade of suspicion attached to them Of any
completely whatever, direct or Indirect, i'll
bringing down upon eur State its present de-
moraIized and ruined condition.
From time to time before inv estigations of
Congressional committees and otherwise, we
have had glimpses of the degraded extent to
which swindling, bribery and corruption had
been carried in the monopolies and fat Jobs,
which have at every session of orr Legislature,
for the four last years, by the ranae:oas horde
of adventurers who came down np0n lis from
che North and West, and fastened themselves
npon the vitals of the country.
All Of that stern and incorporating in
tegrity and responsible sense of duty, which
had once characterized the rank and file of
the great Democratic party which had only
with occasional intervals, governed and de-
veloped this mighty republic with all its vast
resources, paled, sank and fell before the
temptations that beset it.
As Democratic journal, humble as may be
les pretensions, neither fed, fastered or sup
ported by State paps of the peoples money,
nor by an exclusive monopoly as an Official
journal created by law. we viii never shield
the guilty or faithiess representatives from
public scrutiny, or the indignant judgment
Cor violated trusts.
Governor Warmoth, on the stand before the
late Congressional committee tenacrlv guard
ing all completely on the part Of his own ring,
In the notorious frauds and bribery charged
against the Legislature, while at tile same
time exempting the incorruptible Senate, who
held the yeto uIen his nominating Power
from any eriminality whatever, testified under
Oath that but one solitary Democrat in the
House, Mr.. Moncure Of Caddo was free from
eae faint or suspicion of bribery or other cor
fnption. The scenes of that investigation and
sne testimony there elected. have exhibited
70 the world the low infamy and degradation to
which the Representatives of the people have
sunken. There was slways OH hand or in
process of preparation abundant supplies of
fat JOBS, from the Mammoth Mississippi Levee
scheme idown to some low petty Parish in
corporation for the benefit Of voracious rings
Y Otnclals or what not, organized and main
sained nefs at the public expense for the ser,
WOO Of some prominent Hcad-ceater uf power
snd patronage. The credit Of the State gone
Inc Legislative and Executive Department.
a y ile government charged with almost every
sfade of peculation and NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
ssnne Of its most distinguished citizens impair
q inatanding and reputation and no inconsii
erable portion Of orr population demoralized
1ha huml,le privilege Of popular suffrage
made subsersient to tho maintenance Of thi
4 fale.- The public Press subsidized and corrupt
%. The local Government of our great metro
p0lis, and of the Parishes Of the State. wreste.
Hotn the rigltfni control of its people, AM
aht1ectea through irresponsible agencies MP
pointed by the Governor. to such anexeess o
saxation, az must, II continued, soon desfro.
y. Eyen Che very atmosphere of the Aleehan
aes lnstitute and its itssurronnslings, tainted an.
AsstentElg as IL Was BY corruption, was of issei
saoagl. and BY contart, to weaken If moi
hniferye the sfernest morality.
IBIS mere epitonae Of outrages done to ,ls, a
mght have been expected, resulted Iii 4 publ
aaot ~ from forty 10 si1ty millions of dollars
e state Of aur affairs must have asolutiol
and y Fsmedyt only to obe achieved by tl.e feas
ssss election Of cool, sensible and determine,
zaens sfsah from your midst. who have born