The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1874-07-24
POLITICAL.

m%Ucratic party Of the state were gong
TO crowd the white league party out of
the race. The address of the Democratic
State committee, Of July 18th, calling a
State convention in New Orleans, on
August oath, appeals with confidence
to all conservative voters, without ref
erence to past political affiliations, to
unite in the election Of delegates to this
convention The COMMITTEE is not
unmindful that some may be reluctant
to join the ranks. OF a party, which III
past contests, they have opposed" and
acknowledges the "recent dissenslons
among our people" The committee
SAWS " this (tlle DemOcIatic) party is the
only national OrganizatiOnnOW CONFRONT
ing radicalism and battling for cOnstl-
tutional principles and 4" National poll
tics are subordinate in this canvass -
and " we (the committee or Democratlc
party) do not contemplate interfering
with the constitutional and legal rights
of the colored people, but, 0n'the other
hand, the Democracy are determined to
uphold and maintain the rights of the
white man.
This platform is broad enough for all
colors and classes. If the white leaguers
should break down and go into the De-
mocratic ranks and find negroes there,
how would they like tile association? A
negro was on the Democratic or Fusion
State ticket in 1872, and negroes were
ON some of the parish tickets the same
YEAR AS between Democrats and white
lcaguers, the white people will be much
divided unless they unite, OF one sWal-
lows the other. If zone is to be the whale,
we are rather inclined to think it will
be the Democracy. How white leaguers
and negroes win c~oalesce in this whales
belly, we leave for the whale to decide
when his stomach becomes charged. But
without arconsiderable number of color
cd voters, the Democracy cannot fairly
calay the election in this State. 1t IN
timidafionor violence should be resOrted
to, Federal authority will certainly in
terfere. In 1868 when Andrew johnson
was President, and opposed to the Re-
publican party, and before the enforce
merf law of Congress, and the present
registration and election laws Of this
State we're passed, the election in this
State was set aside or reversed. All
Democratic candidates for Congress
claimed to be elected, and they were az
rejected. In 1870 the Republicans a r
rjcd the State. LII 1872, the white leag-
ulcrs say the Fusion movement was n
cheat and asfailure. Wacmoth was then
Governor, and he and Grant were OPP
posed to each other. Kellogg is now
Governor, and he is Grants friend, and
Grant is his friend. Grant can not and
will not, under the law of Congress, all
low his administration in this State to
be overthrow by intimidation or vio-
lence. According TO an act OF Congress,
every person illegally prevented from
registering to vote, has the right to vote
on an affidavit; and if illegally prevent
ed from voting, has the right to vote on
affidavit afterwards for the candidates
Of his choice; or if illegally influenced
80 vote for candidates mott his choice, the
vote can be changed afterwards. The
Democratic committee knows these
things, and that an election carried in
violation of Federal and State laws, viii
not stand. The white people could have
beei. bitter united, with the issue of race
left. out and there would have been
room for coiored support. The dissen-
sions in the Republican party would
have caused many coiofed men to vote
for conservative opposing candidates.
We MAJ mention the fact. that at the
election here in 1872, all the candidates
Tor the State Senate, two whites and
one eobored, received colored votes; the
Democratieeandidate for District Judge
cot d majority of them-was endorsed
by the party, we believe~-the Democratic
candidates for District Attorney and
Parish Judge received the entire colored
vote the Democratic candidate for
Sheriff got a good part OF it, and the
presentincumbent the other part-about
half and half; the two ernoeratic chri-
didates for the Legislature, that were
elected, owe theirelection most probably
t6tIe colored votes leyreceived. There
seemed To- be a coalition between the
organised Republican party herr, and the
Democratic party. OF the two United
States commissioners of election iii this
parish, one wasa Democrat and the other
4. Republican, though the Liberals car
fied the parish. The Democrats we're
considered more favorable to the Re-
publicans, Grant and Kellogg, than the
Liberals were, hence a DemOcIaticcom :
missioner was appointed. And to show
this is not simply our view, q contempt
rary paner in 1872, spoke thus of the
then Democratic paper here
"The Opelousas Courier has never
been hanpY since it failed to receive the
public printing for st. Landry parish
from the Republican party. : :
Being resurrected, it sat glOOmily on the
fence, almost drifted into the kellogg
fold, and then burst out in its old time
enthusiasm for all that is cussed and un-
righteous.
This burst out " took place about the
time the movement to get the printing
from the present State government
failed.
The Democracy, asa party, will scarce
~ give way to the white league party ;