The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1872-11-16
SENATOR ANDERSON.

80 - -
rious anomaly in politics, andshows the
great personal popularity aud wonder
full strength of the man. The Liberals
supportedhim, but he wasstrietly speak
ing an independent candidate, running
on no platform but that of T. c. Ander-
SON. All the machinery of both the De-
mocratic and Republican organizations,
in this parish and in all the other par
ishes of the district, was against him.
Each of these parties had their candi-
dates in the field. Mr.. 4. F. Riard, col
ored, of the parish Of Lafayette, was the
regular Repnblicannominee, and Joseph
NJ. Moore, Esq considered II of the
ablest lawyers of the O~pelousas Bar, was
the regular Democratic nominee. Know
ing that Senator Anderson had great
strength with the colOred voters Of this
parish, it was thepOlicy of the Bourbons
that Riard should be a candidate todraw
off the colored vote and we have heard it
said thatthey prevailed on him to run and
remain in the field, by the Bourbons of
this parish assuring him that they pre-
ferred his election to that of Anderson,
and that the chances were in his favor,
as the white vote would be divided be-
tween Anderson and the Democratic
nominee, whom they would run to help
elect Riard. And the Bourbons Of Ri
ards own parish, promised him, we un-
derstand, direct support.
With the colored vote thus satisfac-
tOrily disposedof, the Bourbons went to
work continuing plans for depriving An
derson of the bulk of the white vote in
favor of their ownnominee. To accom-
plish this, his political record was falsi-
fed, perverted and distorted, publicly
and privately, by the tongue andinprint,
in newspapers and in, circulars which
were sent in a flood over all the parishes
fthe district. Greatreliance misplaced,
also, on the Democratic sentimental the
district. Lafayette was under control
of the BOurbOns, Calcasieu had always
been intensely Democratic, and this par
ish was considered ditto. The Bour-
bons expected five OF six hundred ma
jority in Lafayette, fOuror five hundred
in Calcasieu, and a majority, at least, in
this parish. Between a colOred Repub-
lican nominee, on one side, anda Demo
cratic nominee, on the other, Anderson
was to fall through and get nothing. A
Bourbon catalogue of his rascalities had
been concocted and industriously taught
to the people, who were called upon to
rally under the Democratic banner, or
the country would be lost. Ut is lost
and won at every election.l The cry
was: Anything to beat Anderson" Il
All the anti-Anderson tickets were
headed "Low Taxes" People who pay
no taxes, can well afford to vote for
Glow taxes or any other kindof taxes;
butsome one, who did paytaxes, scratch
ed out the Glow" and put "no" in its
place. The people understood perfectly
well that it was simply a trick-an ap-
peal to prejudice-for the purpose OF
beating, Anderson. To the Bourbonk
everything seemedlovely andthe goose
hung highH when election day arrived
But. mountain waves of political trouble
have since rolled over their souls. The
parish of ST. Landry, his own home, has
reelected Senator Anderson. He beat
both of his regular nominee opponents
combined, in thisparish, about 290 votes
and he beat the Democratic nominee
here over 900 votes. Even if hehad beer
defeated by the vote in other places, tht
993 votes which he received at Opelou,
sas and Washington, thetwochieftown
of the parish, in which places he has re
sided for twenty-five years, where he il
best known and understood, and where
the motives of those attacking his pc
litica1 record are also well known ant
understood-such a vote as this out o
about 1900 ballots polledat these places
with both parties and their nominee
against him, is q compliment that an,
man might be proud of, andis full en-
dorsement of his Senatorial career du
ring the past four years.
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