The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1872-02-10
Second Message from Gov. War
moth to the Assembly.
The Speedy Enactment of Measures Of Re
trsnohment and Reform Urged.
STATE OF LOUISIANA,
Executive Department,
EH11,,..,o,,x- 1870

New orleans. iotS.I
To the Honorable Members of the Senate and
House of Representatives OF the General
Assembly of the State of Louisiana.
Thirty-four days of your session
have been dissipated in contests, the
nature of which / will not dlscusss
now. but which are familiar to the
members of your honorable bodies,
and which, permit me to add, have
tended much to weaken the confidence
of the people in free government.
| regret the necessity that lmpels
me to once more address yon frankly,
sincerely and earnestly, on questions
deeply affecting the interests and feel
ings of the people of this State. This
T shall do without unnecessary YER
biage or circumlocution.
There are laws on the statute book
which must be modified and which
you are pledged in the most solemn
manner to modify in a way that will
make them acceptable to the great
body of the people.
The public voice has spoken IN thus
behalf with no uncertain sound, and
it is your duty as representatives OF
the people to give the force of law to
the popular will without any further
delay.
will be candid with you, and state
that your plighted faith is suspected
on this subject, when so much time is
wasted in delay. Every consideration
of Justice to the people, to yourselves,
and to myself, whose friends large
number of you are, requires that the
modification of these laws should re-
ceive your prompt and undivided at"
tentiOn.
The condition of affairs in 1868,
which induced and made necessary
the enactment of most stringent laws
on the subject of registration and
election has ceased, in great meas
ure, to exist.
The relations between the white
and colored citizens of this State-then
unsettled and hostile-haye now been
established on basis of quiet and
growing respect for the rights OF each
other. / barely allude to the scenes
of 1868. | have no wish to refer to
them, except to show that what may
have been then necessary is uneces-
sary now. In no State of the Union does
there exist more determined spirit
among all classes to maintain the
rights of our colored citizens than IN
Louisiana at this time. And as a nat
ural result, mutual confidence is rap
idly springing mp between the two
races, in place of the hostility, jeal-
ousy and apprehension formerly ex-
isting between them.
The stringent provisions of the
election and registration laws, enact
ed to meet this disturbed condition OF
society, should no longer be permit
Tied to remain on the statute book, but
should be made to conform to the
more enlightened condition of public
sentiment.
Care should be taken while modify
ing those laws to retain every provi-
sion that may be necessary to protect
and secure the weaker members Of
our population full, free and equal adj
vantages to vote for the men of theil
choice for office. Without this the
equality of all men before the law be-
comes delusion and barren boon
, The other provisions, that make the
machinery one-sided, partisan and
dangerous to the liberties of the PEG.
pie when welded by an ambitious ex-
eeutive, should be so modified that
the breath of suspicion of unfairness
should not attach to victory achiev-
ed by either party at the election.
: 1t would be much better for the in
terests of society and the perpetuits
of free institutions that the Repubi
can party should be defeated rather
than the opinion should prevail thai
its success has been obtained by {
fraudulent use of official powers an6
extraordinary advantages in the man
ipulation OF the votes and suffrages o
: the people. If such law is required
! to bolster up and sustain the Republi
6 can party in this State, | am free t.
say I had rather it would perish.
r These are no new views of mine
: but simply restatement ofmy annua
message of 1870, more fully made il
my annual message of this year, ant
which | now desire to reiterate witt
g more distinctness and emphasis.
= | recommend and urge you to pas
an act amending the law ON registra
ton, giving the parochial government
of each parish the appointment of tn,
S registrar of voters; that it shall b.
necessary for the registrar to hav
been a resident of the parish 70
twelve months before his appointment
D that he shall be ineligible for an,
e elective office during the term of hi
employment; and that the expense
of registration should be paid b,
7 each parish.
Second-That the election law be S
amended as to give the parochial au
thorities the selection of the commits
sioners of election in such a measur
: as to secure representative of eacl
6 political party at each of the polls es
tablished to receive votes; that tn
ballots should be counted and public
b ly proclaimed Immediately after tn
r close of the election, and ON the spot