The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1874-10-07
WATCHFULNEsS.

necessity of active and vigorous ef-
forts to carry the election in Novem-
Der. The consciousness that Kellogg
and his confederates intend to use
every fraudulent appliance to count
their own party nominees in, instead
of justifying US in not voting, more
calls on us for action
and for watchfulness.
The Returning Board consists of
five members and majority ofthem
decides. Marshal Packard has for
hidden Kellogg to consent to the
change of more than two members.
If this change is made, and two hon
est men put in, they will be power
less, because the remaining three
Radicals are potentially the Return
ing Board, and will repeat the frauds
and villainies of 1872. This is the
argument of those who despair of re-
lief at the ballot box.
These good friends lose sight ofan
important factor in all legitimate cal
culatious of our future. The vigi-
liant eyes of the Northern people are
turned upon this very Returning
Board with penetrating scrutiny. If
they dare to attempt the frauds Of
1872, exposure will bring upon them
a swift condemnation, and the two
new men who are put on the Board
will be able to expose the manipula-
tons by which a false or fraudulent
return is made.
No one can have read the copious
extracts from the Northern Press we
have from time to time published,
without recognizing a disposition to
compel fair play at our elertion.-
The New York Journal of Commerce,
while expressing an adverse judg-
ment on our armed assault upon the
proconsular government of our State,
concadns the difficulties of orr enVi-
ronment thus:
owe also concede the CALLING nature
Of the oppression, and the evidence that
Kellogg was seeking to continue his dy-
nasty by preparing to control by all the
means at his service the next election,
and by disarming those who could not
he expected to submit tamely to such a
corrupt perpetuation of his power"
But it counsels the present and flu
ture practice of those virtues, the alb
sence of which is in it's judgment de-
monstrated by our outbreak, and un-
deniably it speaks6ords of soberness
and truth when it enlarges on the
thought we have just enunciated, viz
that these frauds and villainies can
not be so easily perpetrated now as
they were before, and ifthey are, ''no
wrong can stand against AL over
whelming majority of citizens deter
mined upon peaceful redress through
constitutional means" We give the
conclusion Of an elaborate article
from the Journal on our difficulties
and our duty to try and surmount
them: ..
1t would have required sleepless vigi-
lance, untiring devotion and unwearied
patience to have met the partisans of
the usurper on their own ground and
won victory at the polls in the face of
all the enginery which sought by a
union of fraud and force to defeat that
object. but it could, and can yet, be az
complished, if the people will give
| themselves to the work. Devices to
stuff ballot boxes, to intimidate or dis.
franchise voters, misconnt the ballots,
make Fraudulent returns, or otherwise
| defeat the free expression Of the popu-
lar will, are not as available as common
ly supposed, where the qualified cleo
tors are aroused and willing to give
their undivided attention to secure their
rights. 1t is only where there is a lax
ity Of purpose on the part of the cleo
tors, and much popular Indifference,
that such clumsy frauds are successfully
perpetrated. No wrong can stand
against an overwhelming majority Of
citizens determined upon peaceful re.
dress of their wrongs through constitu-
tional means, it they will dedicate tn iT
time and energy to the undertaking.
The Mptropolitans who fled from the
armed citizens in the streets will cover
before the voters at the polls if they
will bring. thu same discrimination, and
courage to the work. 1t may seem a
less heroic method of redress, but it is
1.-THE only hope left to those who have
been so grossly wronged, and sooner OF
later it must succeed.
And there is hope in those States
where the defenders of right and truth
and Justice and order are in seeming
,ainority. if they will show the same
indUmitable courage and untiring zeal
Selfihnpss in its cunning always over
reach. IS itself, and those who will sacri-
flee all pei :sonal ambitions to attain a
common goon, will win it at the last
The defeat comes in,rom the absence OF
this self-denial. lmpal.'ence must draw
the sword and cut the knot \, men pa
tient continuance in well-doing' ca II
a.one unite without involving all IN a
common ruin. l. an
.t.s -~~~~~~~~>-~0p~--~~~~~
~" What better chance can the
colored people of Rapides want or de-
sire, than the opportunity now offer.
ad n on, bu tho +yno ,,o,,,]o 80 .,