The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1874-08-21
MONROE, LOUISIANA, FRIDAY, AUGUST 2l 1874.
4 STiNGlNG RESPONSE.

A STiNGlNG RESPONSE.
HEADQUARTERS DEMOCRATIC STATE !
CENTRAL COMMITTEE,
New Orleans, August Ii, 1874.
GOV. w. p. Kellogg, Kew Orleans:
iN'-1our favor of the 18th inst, is
an elaborate refusal of a simple request,
submitted to you by the Conference
Committee ofthe Democratic State and
Parish Central Committee and of the
Committee Of Seventy.
We had purposely avoided in our
communication the mention of any.
thing tending in the least to excite any
unpleasant or acrimonious feeling, and
you might have refused or granted the
request for equal representation in the
registration boards without ungracious-
ly bringing forth charges against the
Democracy of intimidation of the
nations wards at the polls, or attempt
ing to render it responsible for alleged
frauds of your Republican predecessor.
AS you now occupy the executive chair
through the action of a returning board
that had no returns whatever to can
vass, but which was bolstered up by
midnight interlocutory decrees and
Federal bayonets, we respectfully sug-
gest the issue of fraud should have been
carefully ignored in your answer to our
communications. For your editication,
however, we refer you to the eNhaus-
tive report of your political friends in
the judiciary Committee of the United
States Senate-and to the nastely mac
tivity ofan overwhelmingly Republican
Congress, while investigating the Lou
isiana election.
The official patronage to which you
attach so much Importance sinks into
insiSniticance in view Of the portentous
issue involved in this electoral cam
paign.
You concedc lis, however, a mere clerk
Of registration, but with the significant
proviso that if you are not satisfied
with the names we would recommend,
then you will appoint a competent out
slider of your own section. In
other words, you promise an appoint
ment with the express reservation that
you are at liberty at any time to break
that promise!
The reason why, in our opinion, there
should be an equal representation of
parties in the registration boards.
springs from the obnoxious character of
the registration act lately promulgated.
You say it is better in some respects
than the previous acts, which have
been devised by your party to oppress
the people of Louisiana; but we fail to
see the difference. The new law is
calculated to give to Republicans,
through partisan officers registration,
the utmost facilities of registration; and
when they are unwilling to go and
rcgister, then officers under section II,
sso1'e hereby authorized and rcq,tia'ed to
go from 1'tttce to place besides heepi,,g the
necessary offices, d,sd to rettiey ere'W .taci-
iHy to tie quoiiFcf electors, ana to huke
care that oW acho are quofifei to rate
shttW be registered"
On the other hand, the act purposely
throws obstacles i'll the registration of
the white people, more especially of the
numerous class of naturalized citizens,
who are subjected to harassing, eNpen-
sivc, and in numerous cases ,insurmount-
able requirements. This most obnoxi-
Gus act, if tempered by the mutual coop
Grafton of both parties, acting on COM
mon footing, might be made compare
lively acceptable to the whole people
of Louisiana; but not otherwise.
You commit a grave error when you
ascribe, to what you are pleased to call
the turbulence OF our people, the pas
sage of the nefarious statutes by which
during the past five years of Republican
misrulc in Louisiana, the election re-
sults, instead Of being an indication Of
the popular will, We're the mere caprice
Of corrupt returning officers. You
simply confound the effect with the
cause. 1t is the intolerable misrule
which has produced the widespread
and too well founded discount. The
formation of the White Leagues is the
counterpart to Black Leagues and ex-
clusivly black militia; they sprung
from a keen sense of selfpreservation
We are a law-abiding people. We
respect the rights of all citizens, includ-
ing those whom you call the ssdefcnse-
less voters of the Republican party"
But, as sure as we respect the rights of
others, we mean to enforce''the respect of
our own rights. We remain respectfully,
Your obedient serVent,
ALBERT EOORIIlES,
Chairman Conference Committees.
COTTON REPORT.
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