The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1874-10-09

ing the State elections to the day fXeC
by Congress for the election of Presi,
dental electors, SO as TO avoid the ex,
pense of a two days election. The rea.
son assigned for this course was thai
they did not desire to recognize the lie.
gality. of the Legislature which had
passed these measures but when a ques,
ton of office became subsequently in,
VOlved, no such conscientious scruples
prevailed. The same convention which
advised the people toreject the constitu-
tional amendments 80 as not to recog,
nlZe the Legislature which passed them
nominated a candidate for a Congress
sional district which only exists by virtue
OF an act passed by this same Legisla,
ture, at the same time as the cOnstitu-
tiOnal amendments.
The records of the State show that
every job put through the Legislature
during the administration of my prede-
cessOr was voted for by the educated
Democrats as we'll as by the ignorant
colOrcd men. Some of the most Oppres-
slve mOnOpOlies now on the statue books
were lobbied through in the interests of
prominent members of the opposition.
Nearly one-fifth Of the existing bonded
debt OF the State was created in two
years by the Democratic Legislature of
1866 nearly all the present oppressive
city debt has been created under Demo-
cratic administration.
The question as to whether Mr.. Nc
Emery or myself was elected Governor
of this State is one that | have several
times proposed to submit to arbitration.
When the snit brought in the United
States Circuit Court was still pending, |
offered through my counsel, Mr.. VIM. H.
Hunt, a Southern man and one of the
foremost lawyers at the bar of this State,
that the returns should be submitted to
five prominent and disinterested citi-
zens, two to he chosen by each side and
the fifth by the four, and [ proposed to
abide by the result of their decision but
this proposition was declined. I am
prepared to show before n competent
tribunal that a portion of the returns
upon which Mr.. McEnery bases his
claims are fOrgeries manufactured in
this city. | am able now to produce the
judicial officer before whom a portion
Of the blank tally lists and returns were
sworn, to be subsequently filled up here
Ill this city, and palmed off upon the
ton held in strong Republican parishes,
far distant from this city. Even Sena-
tor Carpenter, in his speech in the Sen
ate on the fourth of March, said, 81 do
not think McEnery was in fact elected,
though the returns show that he was"
L hold myself now ready to impeach the
returns relied upon by the Fusion boards
as altered, defaced, and in some instan-
ces forged outright. I charge, more
over, that the returns from Iberville,
St. James, Terrebonne, St. Martin and
other Republican parishes were thrown
out by the Fusion returning boards for
no just reason, but because they gave
myself and the Republican ticket a heavy
majority and | assert that by the gen.
uine returns, counting the votes actually
cast | was elected by several thousand
majority, and upon this issue am ready
to stand or fall.
There is no just and proper safeguard
that can be suggested to me which will
not be willing to throw around the cOn-
duct of the coming election. The Re-
publican party is willing to he Judged
by the verdict of that election, provided
it can be held without intimidation or
violence. IT our opponents can show at
a %peaceahle election that they have a
majority of the qualified voters of the
State, we shall uncomplainingly abide
the result.
If | consulted only my personal feel
ings | would rather be relieved of the
position [ now hold than continue to re-
tain it in the face of the difficulties and
calumnies which beset me at every step.
But there are higher questions involved
than mere personal feelings. My resig-
nation would simply transfer the execu-
tive duties to the next in rank, and would
make no change in the status of the
State. Either the Republican party in
Louisiana is in the right or is in the
wrong. If we are right 7 owe it to the
national Republican party and to the
General Government to maintain my pO-
sition. IF WI are in the wrong, and the
people at the coming election should so
declare, the constitution and the laws of
the State provide a sufficient remedy.
We confidently await that verdict, and
meantime ask from the people generally, |
on this plain showing Of the good vel
have done and the evil we have refrained
from doing, a more just Judgment and q
more generous sympathy than have yeti
been given to the Republican State gov
eminent of Louisiana.