The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1874-09-12
A White Lacquer interviewed.


His Peculiar idea Of What Constitutes q
Fair Election-The Programme Of the
Leagues Graphically Illustrated.
Editor Leet, the blonde young man
who shapes the destipies Of that neat
and sprightly little paper, the Mande-
vile Wape, gives an interesting &C
count of an interview with one oil
General Alcibiades Deblanc's valiant
followers, which we reproduce in our
columns in order to acquaint those
who have faith in the purity of pur-
pose of 1--WE, the white peoples
party" of the outrageous programme
it was proposed to carry out this fall
to overcome the Republican majority.
OF course, the advent Of the "Blue
League has nipped the precious con-
spiracy in the bud: still it is meet that
honest men shonld know to what
foul means the ruling elements Of the
Combination party would have de-
seconded to accomplish their ends if
the strong arm of the general govern
ment had not been stretched forth to
stay them.
The following is the Wave's nara
| tive, and from our personal acquaint-
ance with the editor we feel safe in
youching for its correctnesss
Last week, in New Orleans, we
interviewed, (took a drink witty,
a White Lacquer from st. Martin.
He was o plain spoken, reckless old
sardine and didn't care a cuss for the
| consequences of what he said. He
was an old acquaintance. He said he
knew US to be a pretty fair, decent
sort of a g carpet bagger," and would
| be so friendly as to warn us to get
out of the Radical crowd for he was
certain that an earthquake will strike
it this fall. About this conversation
took place:
Wave Man-What are your folks
driving att Do you really want a fair
election9 Don't you know the COL
ored people are in the majority in
your parish7
White Leaguer-A fair election is
all we want. But our idea of q fair
election differs from yours. You
think it is fair for an ignorant negro
majority to vote down q white minor
ity of intelligent property owners. A
fair election is one in which every
white man can vote as he chooses,
and where every negro can only vote
as he ought to vote, for good men.
We do not think it is wrong to de-
prive negro OF his ballot when he
persists in voting for bad men, be-
cause it is nothing more than taking
from him what he never legitimately
and c0nstitutionally acquired. We
are profoundly convinced that our
late slaves hare no right to vote, and
we can not realize that it is a crime
to prevent them from doing what
they have no right to do. If we pre-
tended to acquiesce in negro suf-
frage it was not because we thought it
legal, but because we could not help
it, and the longer we openly denied
it the longer we postponed the coming
of an opportunity to burst it all up.
Wave Man-But come down to
business. 1 am curious to know how
you are going to get over your col
ored majority in St. Martin with
fair election.
White Leaguer-I was coming to
that. TO be frank, our cry for a fair
election is all humbug, except in the
white parishes and New Orleans. We
intend to carry St. Martin and the
other colored parishes by overawing
the negroes. Of the votes actually
cast on election day we intend that
our candidates shall everywhere have
a majority"
Waps Mnn-But don't you know
that wherever you resort to intimi-
dation the vote of your parish will be
thrown out by the Returning Board,
and the appointment of your officers
will be left to the Governor as was
done two years ago.
White Leaguer-We know all about
that game and we know how to draw
a rope around the necks of the Re-
turning Officers who try it.
Waue Man-But they will be guard
ed by troops.
White Leaguer-Very we'll. If that |
is the case and they do throw out
every parish where there is a dis
turbance they will only throw out the |
colored parishes, for there will be no
disturbance where the whites are in |
a majority. If they do this we will |
have a majority on the State ticket,
for they either must throw a Earish |
entirely out or count it as it is re-
turned. But what can we lose in
even the worst eventq Suppose the
Returning Board does dare to throw
out St. Martin, and suppose that
Kellogg then appoints the worst
Radicals he can find in the parish. 1t
is certain he can not appoint worse
ones than the negroes will nominate
and elect if we let them alone. BY
raising a rumpus we can not by any