The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1874-05-01

OD4uoSa0Cd W 6adp-AAatp ahA spOSlhA
pleading" he acknowledges that he
went into the Liberal party, that
!" miserable cheat" Tor the purpose of
cheating the niggers. And the dirty
whites" ~instinctively say: All, you
honest politician, what were you trying
to cheat the niggers out of ian Office,
eh n And the niggers exclaim: "We
thought you just told us you would not
cheat the Niger, only dirty whites
did that
A fair victory over the combined col
ored vote of this State is not now pos
sible, an unfair one will not be allowed
by 1.-THE powers that be- and the organ
ization of q white mans party will tend
to combine that vote and make a black
mans party. Such a result as this is to
be deprecated by all good citizens white
and black. But, for arguments sake,
take it for granted that the white mans
party is in power in this State, will not
its political principles compel legislation
against the legal rights OF the blacks I
If such would not be the case the party
is /" a miserable cheat and a humbug
which the whites, in order not to be in
ferior to the negroes, should detect at
its birth. But the constitution and laws
Of the United States will not permit the
legal rights of the negroes to be inter
fered with, and a white mans party or
ganized against the blacks, would he
without legislative fruit. The negroes
would hold ON to their equal rights with
the white men, and there would be no
termination to "the coming issue"-it
would always be coming. Now wetake
it for grated that good, peaceable, law
abiding citizens do not want to have
their whole life embittered by any such
issue.
But there is another phase TO this So
called white concern which one OF its
members has dubbed "tri-colored."
Win politicians who do not scraple at
cheating negroes hesitate ut cheating
whites9 Where is thepublie good to be
derived from such IN organization? If
Il few men are elected to office by it,
wherein will the public veal be adj
yanced When the candidate has got
his office, he will have to quit his party,
if he be an honest politician. The gem
tleman's explanation that a white mans
party candidate cantake the civil equal
ity oath, was o very lame one to say the
the least of it, if his party has any prin-
ciple except TO get into Office by any
means. That oath was madeby Repub-
licans, and was intended to knock the
idea of q white mans party or q black
mans party out of every officc-holder's
head, or make him commit moral per-
jury in taking it. If the white mans
party has any honest principles none of
its members can take it without commit
ting moral perjury, unless he has no
moral sense at all, or thas been entirely
perverted by long indulgence in polit-
ical cheating. AS to the private "walk
and conversation Of some of the So
called whites, the hobnobbing with me-
grUes, visiting negro balls and flirting
with Dinah while the white wife and
children are not very happy at home,
and other things of this nature, we leave
III be- discussed bythes treet-eorner poli-
ticfars. If these things sanctify and
make d man holy in order to be admitted
into the sacred bale Of the white mans
uarty. We fear that party is another
miserable cheat this time organized
to eheat. the white man. We cen no
o,,e. but III tlIe DAYS Of the years gone
bV sn,1e nf the most blatant, loud
tnbfthea Negro social equality men
tnlrned round III the course 81 fine and
were inst al obstreperous in the other
way. and others Who were always avhite
me,ngin nnblie. were often seer1 doing
tlaiYrs out. ne siplrtof the public eve and
freanentin1g 1nlaces daring the shades Of
nioI,t. that were not consistent with
their white -nrofessioua. Some Of the
fnTfylooded. thoroughly bred white men
If the a;lIvss s not long zone Are ON fall
fedged, rsaf1ot Radieals. They have q
perfect right TODD these things buttlley
gre not our exemplars and we decline to
follow their instructions IN regard TO our
duty rs q arhite man. Az the same time
the narrow-miIded bigots, t~aOaghtlesa
~zealots, and very respectable gentlemen