The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1875-02-10
GRANTS INTIMIDATION POLICY,
ITS LATEST PHASE.

ming hit which Mr.. Schurz gave tn
Administration politicians when. il
his able speech on Louisiana in tn
United States Senate. he said: "
cannot forget that, as to. the dis
charge of laborers from employment
for political cause, most seductiv,
and demoralizing example is set b,
the very highest authority in tn,
land"
Mr.. Schurz was speaking of color
ed men being discharged by Demo
cratic employers for voting the Re
publican ticket. He said frankly
that this practice undoubtedly exist
ed in the Southern States to some
extent But he reminded the Senate
that the Democrats were not the onlv
persons who 'intimidated' voters in
this way. He mentioned case
which occurred under his own eyes
in North Carolina, in 1872, where a
colored man was cruelty dubbed be-
cause he had taken sides with the
Democrats. The inference was OBJ
yious that so far rs this particular
kind of intimidation is concerned
and so far as opportunity offers, nei-
Their the Southern Democrats nor the
Southern Republicans are free from
offence. The politician of each class
uses all the power he possesses to
control votes. And why not, when
"a most seductive and demoralizine
example is set by the highest author
ity in the land?" Pursuing the
same thought, II have always con-
demned," says Mr.. Schurz, 'every
kind of intimidation interfering with
the freedom of political action, and
therefore | am for genuine civil SER
vice reform. But while your nation
al government { he was speaking es-
pecially to the Administration Sena-
tors is the champion intimidation in
the land, you must not be surprised
if partisans on all sides profit from
its teachings; nor do think that the
intimidation which deters colored
man from voting with the opposition
is less detestable or less harmful to
him than that which threatens him
as a Republican" Mr.. Schurz's
singing words will undoubtedly make
a smart in the White House. The
President will discern in them new
evidence that generally the support
which the civil service reform re-
ceives is from those who give it their
support only to find fault when the
rules are apparently departed from"
Amid the cloud Of Encouragement
which surrounds this reform it is
gratifying to perceive the undaunted I
face of Mr.. Dorman II. Eaton, who
still expresses his confidence in its
genuineness and efficiency.
About the time the great Missouri
Senator was speaking orders were is
sued in Washington that the adver-
tisements of the Federal Government
should be given to those journals
alone which sustain the administra-
ton through "thick and thin" This,
it will be seen, is an even more strik-
ing piece of intimidation" than that
which was referred to by Mr.. Schurz.
1t is the same thing in effect, for it is
an attempt to control the opinions of
the press through its advertising de-
partment. The Democrat in Louisi- {
ana discharges his colored body ser 5
want, his porter, or his field hand, I
because the latter votes the Kellogg t
ticket. The Federal Adj J
withdraws it's advertise
ments from certain journals because
the latter discuss public questions
without reference to the favor of the q
men who for the time being consti- S
tute the general government. The
Louisiana Democrat goes upon the b
theory that he not only has the right t
to direct the acts but to control the i
opinions of his servant. The Fede- t
raj administration adopts the theory p
that the public journals which con- d
ain the Government advertisements S
shall, courtierlike, say only what is a
pleasing to the ears ofth dispensers a
II these advertisement. The Louis s.
ana Democrat makes no pretension c.
o be in favor of civil service reform, W
'ut the administration does. Both il
gree in using business employment p
IS an aid in politics, with this differ rs
nee, that the citizen of Louisiana st
Toes it in respect to his own private ia
'tfairs over which he has absolute h,