The weekly echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1868-1876, 1874-06-06

Tothe Voters Of the Tanfh SEN
afBrfaI District of Louisiana.
Comprising the Parfshes Of
Caicasfcm, Cameron, Lafag-
cite and st. Landry.
As a candidate for The Office of
State Senator, I deem it my duty
to You, no less than to myself, to
announce pabHcly my political
principles. In these days of poli-
tical intrigue and corruption, when
the general rule among candidates
is to eonciEate voters Of all pars
ties, 4 know that such an announce
ment will cost me hundreds Of
votes, which i might secure by
silence; but, in my humble iudg
meRt, a man who asks the people
to trust him with the responsible
Office for which / am candidate,
ought to be willing to trust the
people with q public declaration
Of bis political sentiments.
There are, besides. special rea-
sons, why you have right to ex-
pect me to speak, and to speak
plainly. They are because this is
the fist time in nv life 4 ever
sought political office; because
this is the first time 4 ever sought
any office whatever in this district;
and because i am personally nm
acquainted with many Of Y5u, es-
pociallY in the parish OF Lafayette.
DISTINGUISHED by the Constitu-
tion of the United States for seven
years after The late war; enfran-
chised only by the last general
amnesty act Of Congress, 4 have
taken but little part in politics
since the war. That little, like
nv political action ever since I
came, a boy Of nineteen, TO
Louisiana, has been in the interest
of the Democratic party. I have
never voted any other national
ticket, nor any other State ticket,
except ut the last general election,
when I voted the Fusion ticket,
except for the office Of Secretary
of State, for which [ did not vote
at all, Ny Democratic record III
clear, even from q 3ust suspicion.
I challenge proof to the contrary.
When, in the tall Of 1872, the
Democratic party went down, f0r
the fourth consecutive time iii
twelve consecutive years, before
the disciplined ranks Of the
Republican party, /, like thou
sands Of its kfe-long support
ers in all parts of the Union, be-
lieved its reorganization as na-
tional party impossible. I con-
sidered IL, as d aational party,
dead beyond the hope of resurrec-
tion. In the succeeding State
elections, particularly in the West
ern States, I saw there vas not
even the semblance of a State
Democratic party, Ia some States
the Grange, on, more properly,
Patrons Of HusbandgY, party,
stepped id and took its place; in
others, there were no nominations
opposed to the Republican nomi-
nations; The Democracy voting, ii
at AN, with the Conservative,
against the Radical, Republicans.
Still / refused to mako new party
affiliations, and my political prin-
ciplas remained unchanged.
AT the same time I have always
conten9ed, and still insist, that
radiealism ia politics is fatal to
the life Of any party. There are
radical Democrats, as we'll us
radical Republicans, and / never
have allowed, and 1 never Will
allow, any one to dictate to me
what I shall believe Or say.
I believe that every American
citiaen has an inalienabls RIGHT to
the free exercise and expression Of
bis political views, being account
able to the people therefor
/ believe that most OF tile glory
of the American Republic Is due
to The administration Of the Dem
0cratic party, aud Ia an saherence
t0 that cafdinal principle ol that
marty. s,hldehtv sn. and Il ssg4et