The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1874-08-21
Common Sense.
WHAT AN OLD MERCHANT THINKS OF
THE WHITE LEAGUE-IT WILL BUT
CREATE MORE TROUBLES AND CAUSE
DEEPER DIsSENsIONs.
From the New Orleans Times.l

From the New Orleans Times.
Politics have ceased to be a game in
Louisiana, and are becoming a very Sc
riOus matter. Overwhelmed with taxa
ton our industries are paralyzed, and it
is time that our citizens were pursuing
a proper course to work out their re-
demption. Efforts have been made that
were rendered futile by egregiOus blum
ders, and it is with regret that we see
the conservative element Of our commu-
nifty preparing to re-enact them. The
following conversation, with one of our
old and respectable citizens, is so full of
practical suggestions and bears SO di-
rectly upon the issues before us that it
should be read with care and attention ::
Merchant-DO l belong to the White
Leagueq No, sir; | am happy to say |
do not. | regard the formation, at this
time, of the League al one Of the great
est political plumbers eve made. We
should endeavOr to organize a crusade
against dishonesty by drawing together
into n party the honest people of all
classes. But instead of this we have
planned a campaign on a race basis and
produced an anomalous organization,
composed on one side of good and bad
white men indiscriminately mixed, and
OH the otheIside arrayed, against us, are
the good and bad of the coIored voters.
Reporter-The White League indig-
nantly repels the charge that they are
antagonistic to the negro.
Merchant know they do But why
have they selected this distinctive title?
League if they are not organized in OPP
position to something black? If it is
merely an organization
TO UPROOT DISHONESTY
and put good men in office, why unfurl
such a "raw head and bloody bones" of
a banner? Now, within the last few
months there has been a reaction in our
favor in Northern sentiment. They be-
gin to think that the negro is a failure
as a legislator, and that we ought to be
relieved of him. But they don't intend
that we shall wrong him, and the very
instant we display the slightest evidence
of a malignant antagOnism to him, the
old cry will be raised, and we will forfeit
the vantage ground we now occupy.
That the White League has alarmed the
good people of the North everyone who
reads their papers knows, and thatit has
weakened our cause at home everyone
of perception is aware. There are many
Republicans in our State who, tired of
negro domination, would gladly assist
in bringing about better state of affairs
here, but we cannot ask these men
TO ABANDON EVERY PRINCIPLE
of their lives, and come into an anti
black party. The great difficulty with
our people is they will persistently ig-
more the fact that the negro, having been
clothed with the right of suffrage, is en-
titled to representation. They hope to
overcome his ability to outvote them in
many parts of the State by intimidation
and bloodshed. Now, to me, this is a
short-sighted policy. There are many
parishes where the numerical preponder-
ance of the negro is a notorious fact.
Would itnot be more in accordance with
the dictates of reason and common sense
to:.yield these parishes to the negro, and
instead of using powers to keep him
away from the polls, endeavor to induce
him.
no ELECT GOOD MEN,.
There are many negroes who, if they
found themselves in al honest Legisla-
ture, would labor to establish a reputa-
ton for integrity and probity, and il
would be a matter of pride to their con-
stituents to be represented by a man who
was respected on this account by his
white colleagues.
Reporter-Have not the Committee of
Seventy endeayored to form such q party
as you desireq ~ a@
Merchant do not think they have
The white element was divided between
the White League and the Democratic
party, and the Committee of Seventy
aiming to heal discussions, prevailed
upon the Democratic party to abandon
it's Wanted supremacy and yield to the
demands of the White Leaguers of the
country. And when this concession was
made we found ourselves in a very awk.
ward position. We musteither take oul
places in the ranks OF the League anG
support a policy that we cannot consci.
entiously endorse OF not vote, and aban'
don all hopes of redeeming our State.