New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-02-25


lican voters had gone to the polls IN 1903,
under proper organization, there is not a
man who could not have deposited his vote
with perfect peace, and perfect lmpunlty;
| believe, then, notwithstanding there had
been reign of terror, reign OF violence
and state of terrorism in New orleans,
that when the day Of election came these
men could have gone to the polis anu
deposited their votes; and it on that day
there had been any effort made to prevent
their voting, true manhood required they
should 90 there and forcibly MAINTAIN the
rights to which they were entitled as
citizens.
Mr.. Campbell ask the Senator from
Carroll (Mr. McAlillen) if he remembers
that almost one-thrd of the Republican
voters at this election had not been regis
tered.
Mr.. McMillen-Fortunately we have now
a registration law, or are to have one,
which secures to every electOr III the state
the right to register under its provisions. l
believe that in future no man VIII De re-
fused the right to register who Is entitiea 10
it. Therefore, if there was anything delec
tive in 1868 in the registration, we nave
cured the defect and have now a complete
system of registration. The proposition
presented today is shall the people be al
lowed to conduct their elections! Shall the
vote cast at the various polling places be
counted as cast, or shall the returns be sent 10
a board of revision and control, with power
to throw out this poll. or that parish, anu
so to manipulate the returns as TO return
elected whoever they think proper! say
that | would rather live in this State IN the
minority thOn to belong to party whieI
must bolster itself up by such PROVISIONS OF
law as this. would rather live under the
rule of the Democratic party, bad as 1t IS
everywhere, and fearful as l beheNe IL
would be in the State of Louisiana, than to
belong to Il party which does not dare 10
come before the people on the principles OF
their party-who instead OF f@htlnS thelr
battles openly and freely, bring about
their success by appeals to such la" as
this now proposed.
Mr.. Blackman-Let me ask the gentleman
a question suggested by his remarks. Sup
pose that. under this proposed section, the
board of returning officers return DIS elected
parties who are not elected, would the peo-
ple be justified in revolutionizing the State
government
Mr.. McMillen-I do not know what the
gentleman means by revOlutionlzlnS.
Mr.. Blackman - Suppose this section
passes. and the board returns number OF
persons not elected by the people. and ex-
cludes those elected by the people. would
the people of the State OF Louisiana be iustl-
| fled in refusing to submit to that govern
ment, as it would be government in viola
ton of the constitution and not republican
Mr. McMillen-If the Senator means to
ask whether the people would be justified IN
resortlng to violence and rebellion III order
| to right political evil, l answer no. u say
any political evil in this world Is far prefer
! able to mob law and rebellion. All these
political revolutions of our day have for
| their object political supremacy. This was
| the object of the slave-owners' rebellion IN
| 1861 this was the object of the bloodshed
| and violence in Louisiana IN 1868 this was
| the object which the Senators had in view
when thew left on the Wilderness; this is
| the object which Mr.. Carter had in view
| the object which the Committee of Fltty-one
| has in view and it is for that object that
| the Democratic party have been called to
meet together in Lafayette square on Satur-
| dav night The object of these movements
| is political supremacy. But l say would
| rather the Democrats should succeed in
| their efforts than that the party TO which 1
| belong. and to which | have devoted the
| best years of my life. and which has his
| tory unspotted by dishonesty ana Chi
| canerv-I would rather see this party 20
| down in 1872 than see it succeed by any
doubtful and improper means
Mr.. SMITH would ask whether 1t was
to gain political supremacy also that Sena-
| tors went to Long Branch!
Mr.. McNillen-I have not heard of any
! Senators going to Long Branch The few
| remarks that / have made embrace all
| have to say on the subject. ain opposed
| to the proposition of the Senator from the
second district (Mr. Campbell). because 1t
will make the party to which l belong
amenable to the charge that they have
used the provisions OF tins law 10 insure
| party success. | would rather be defeated
in this State in 1872 than to attain success
through the provisions of u law hedging us
| round with peculiar powers and adNan
tages | would rather be defeated than t.
be amenable to the charge even that We
have been successful through the opera
tons of law giving to us the advantage OF
revising all the votes cast by the people OF
this State. If the party to which | belong
| is to continue to be the dominant party,
| want its success to be so open and so plain
and so palpable that it will be not only d
| credit to me in the State of Louisiana, but d
| letter patent throughout the Union, when
| saw am Republican of Louisiana and be
long to the governing element in the Re
publican party. l do not want to hear ii
said that my friends on this floor or my
party friends in the House of Representa-
tives are there by virtue of clause i'll the
election law, which they have taken advan.
tage of to secure their own return; but
want it said, and l want to be able
to say it truthfully, that they are
there because they have received the
votes of the majority of the constituencies
they represent. If we can not succeed as a
party in this way, for one do not want to
succeed. will 90 as far as any Republican
in this State to achieve the success of my
| party. | would even 60 so far as to beard
my revolutionary friend from Claiborne in
his own den. l would be perfectly willing
to 90 before the people of this State, in any
part of the State, to advocate the principles
of the party to which | belong. and to labor
for the success of that party; but l want
the success to be open, and SO plain that
| every one must recognize the fact that We
are successful because we have a majority
Of the people entitled to vote il our favor
l know that in the parish in which live
this state of things exists. | believe in The
district | represent on this floor there is &
fair and honest Republican majority, and
believe can go before the people OF tina
district and eau have the Notes.-The Repub
lican votes belonging in that district
polled in my favor at the next election.
believe express the sentiments OF the Re
publicans OF my district when say they dc
not desire any revision of the votes which
they cast at the poll. / believe | represent
them properly when l say they are strong
enough and well enough organized to pro
tect themselves at the polls, and ask no IN
tervention on the part of. a revising
board sitting in New Orleans to sc
cure them their rights at the polls
Violence and intimidation, to some
extent, accompany elections everywhere
We had plenty of threats in Carroll, bu
we met together, and by organizing on
ward clubs, and going in bodies strons
enough to enforce our rights, we secured ;
peacable election This is what | call pc
iitical manhood, and venture to say. I'm
less we can succeed by virtue of our mum
bers, and through this kind OF political
| ,,,,bo,d ,,-o aS a Marty deserve tictent