New Orleans Republican., 1872-06-02

y
peace; for relief from oppression il
the shape of the military, Ku-Klux laws
enforcement acts and suspension of the
writ Of habeas corpus, for the return to
local community governments, have shown
from one end of this country to the other
the disposition to march side by side with
their Republican allies for the one purpose
and object, the redemption of the country
from the dangerous man who has shown
that there is no step he will not take if
necessary to accomplish his selfish ambi-
ton. Tremendous applause and cheers
And now, gentlemen, the time has
come when the people must show their
hands. This has been procrastinated long
enough. We must take sides.
/ shall not turn to the right OF left: I
shall not ask how many white votes will go
with us, or how many cOlOred men will poll
| their votes for this ticket; / shall not ask
whether the Democratic party or the Re
| form party of this State viii unite with us
in the election of local ticket or not;
shall not consider whether my individual
| aspirations or hopes will be better subserved
| by this movement or not, or whether the
| result Of the triumph will be shared more by
| Republicans or by Democrats; but, shall,
| thrusting aside all these issues and minor
| considerations, take my stand with the
! allies of this great reform movement, and
under its banner and with its leaders march
| to battle, neither looking to the right nor
to the left for the support of the one party
or the other Great applause.
The time has arrived for the members of
this audience to declare whether they will
vote for Grant with all the array of outrages,
oppression, indignities, and insults which
he has heaped upon the people of this State
and the whole nation of the violence he
has done the constitutional liberty, the
rights of the States, the rights of individuals,
or whether casting aside all party ties you
will not go for this grand popular reform
movement inaugurated at Cincinnati and
work zealOusly in the support, and give
your help and encouragement to the cleo
ton Of its ticket, with old "White Hat" at
its head. [Applause.]
This is a grand movement for national
reform. Abuses have likewise grown up in
our State which it is essentially, Absolutely
necessary shall also be reformed. What
have we witnessed in our own State gov
ernment for the last four years We have
two great classes of people, each with its
interests to be subserved. We have seen
the government in the hands of one of
these interests. We have seen those people
who number in the greatest degree, the in
telligence and the wealth Of this State al
most entirely stripped of representation in
the government. Out of the one hundred
and five members in the House of Repre-
sentatives not thirty of them were taxpay-
ers. Out OF thirtysix Senators but twenty
were taxpayers, and it is a fact which we
must admit, however much it is regretted,
that for intelligence and ability as a body
it was by far below the average character
of such bodies in this country Now this an
evil that must be corrected, because it is one
which brings in its train upon the people of
this commonwealth a million of evils that
corrupt the very fountains of our society
and of our civilization. Take the private
history of either Legislature for the past
four years, and it is enough to make every
citizens face blush with shame and mOrtif-
cation. [Applause.l
Measures introduced into the Leg
islature imposing great burdens upon the
people were passed, in many instances.
without having been read, by means of the
rule of the previous question, the enormous
weight Of which burdens are now being
felt by the people, for which you hear their
groans.
Schemes by which great taxes have been
imposed upon the people, great mOnopOlies
conferred upon private corporations. The
levees of our State we're given to heartless
adventures, under the tiimsy preteuse
that it was to be for the public good. These
measures had but little consideration for
that good outside of the secret rings, by
which agreements were made that for GER
tain mOneyed C considerations they could be |
passed T"Thats So" Great applause I |
In 1870, observing bills introduced |
in the Legislature of the character / have !
described before, involving immense ex-
penditures of public money, and the con- |
structiOn OF immense mOnOpOlies, | sought |
for any means by which | could secure the |
defeat Of them in the Legislature. Seeing |
that any hope from the Republican party |
was useless, | determined to form a cOali- |
ton, if possible, with the Democratic mem |
bers of the House of Representatives.
With this view / sought an inter- |
view with the Democratic members, |
and there stated to them what l de- |
sired, and that if they would sustain me, l |
would veto every measure passed by |
the Legislature looking to the crea- |
ton Of mOnOpOlies, to the disbursements |
of the moneys, or the imposition of taxes |
upon the people. In addition TO this, / |
agreed, if they would sustain me in my !
vetOes, that l would appoint to Office those !
persons in their parishes recommended to |
me by the Democratic representatives Of |
the districts. This was agreed upon. The |
articles Of the agreement were drawn up. |
They were submitted to the Democratic |
caucus and myself, and agreed upon: but |
when they were to be signed bnt sixteen
out of the twenty-eight Democrats could
be induced to sign them. This failing, l
had no hope whatever that my position on
history of the Legislature will show that
nineteen. twentieth of the Democrats to
whom proposed this coalition voted for
bill to take the waterwOrks from the city
Of New Orleans; voted 81 100000 subsidy
to a steamship company, 81 100000 to Mr..
Casey's warehouse company; for the levee
shed bill, for the levee bill, and for the
81 100000 appropriation to clear out the
mouth Of the Mississippi river l state |
ing n eh hn |
and corruption that pervades our whole
society, and to plead it as an argument in
favor of the organization of such a party
as Will unite the honest and intelligent peO-
Of this State without regard to past
political differences in one grand reform
movement which shall redeem the State.
-Applause.]
In relieving the national Capitol of the
present official and the country of his ad-
it will reflect its influence for
good throughout the length and breadth of
his land. lApplause. In every State the
Iame corrupt agencies for the perpetuatiOn
If his power are employed as they are in
his State. In the great Empire State Of
New York conventions like those we have
lad in this State have been packed by Gus
employees, and marshals' deputies, |
eyenue collectors and assessors. There, |
90, have been forced from unwilling lips |
of the administration of q |
PRESIDENT whose character they deapise, and
whose administration they only sustain be- | ,
ause of their fear to disapprove of it. Leg
slatures in other States have suffered from
be influences and menacing threats oftheir
ederal combinations. IApplause.1 We j
ave been told in this State that General !
Irant would overthrow the present State
A United States Senator
yhO vaulted from the Customhouse here
ntO the United States Senate by means of
he most criminal use of federal natronage. I