The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1875-02-19


subordinate considerations that We may
safely lay aside, while We look beyond
them all TO the question that lies az the
heart OF the whole matter. That question
l. one which we can treat dispassionately
and coldly reason over. IL Is simply
whether the State Of Louisiana Is compe-
tent for self-government. To that CON-
plexion the whole business comes at last.
Stripped of all the husks of cxtraneous L.
sues, that Is the kernel of the debate. the
essential thing la controversy. lt does
not matter for the purpose of this inquiry
whether the Infamous election laws which
put unlimited power in the hands of the
Executive by giving him the appointment
OF the officers i'm charge and the control OF
the machinery OF the elections were the
invention of Warmoth or Kellogg or any
body else. All sides agree now that they
are as bad as they can be. We do not
need investigate the election of lsl2, the
action of Durell. the affair OF September.
the conduct of the Kellogg Returning
Board, the organization Of the Legislature,
the interference OF the military, the mean
ing of the . bandtti" dispatch.
Lay these all aside. Admit whatever Is
claimed by the supporters of the Admins
tration. Take the case as they state it,.
Let every body else go out of court. and
give to Mr.. Kellogg and his friends clear
field without contradiction or hinderance.
And now what is the situation in Louisia-
ma upon their own showing? Why sim
ply this That after the party in power
has had ten years for experimenting i'm
reconstruction; after as many years of alb
solute control in the state after two years
i'm which State Government of the Adj
ministration's own choosing has been up
held by Federal arms, and after an cleo
tion carried on under the auspices of the
Kellogg Government with its own ap-
pointees directing the registration -nd
experimenting the voting, with United
States supervisors TO assist and United
troops TO enforce orders-with all these
advantages in their favor. they are unable
10 secure a fair and honest election. With
all these. they admit that the votes return
ed as polled under the supervision OF their
own officers, aided by United States
Supervisors and United States troops. gave
the State Legislature to the Conservatives
and consequently did not express the real
preferences of the voters. With every
thing in their favor, they were unable 10
prevent intimidation on so large a scale as
To turn the State against them.
so that upon their own showing, with
all the machinery of the elections in their
hands. and the whole power OF the Fed
eral Government at easy summons To AS
sist them, the majority Of the roters q
Louisiana icere uaabte 10 express their icii.
at the bdliot-bOr. The majority. with the
State Government and the Federal troops
10 back them, were .intimid lted." IL
took the wisdom and courage of a Return
ing Board to save this majority from be-
ing defeated by a minority, and the Fed
eral troops We're called In even then 10
prevent the minority from taking advan-
tage of the majority. And the state OF
affairs is so desperate that none of the in
Inundated majority dare come forward and
testify To the fact of intimidation tor fear
of being murdered: so that one or two
COURAGEOUS men who hold office have TO
volunteer To testify to the intimidation OF
whole districts. There are men ready to
swear TO the intimidation of voters by the
hundred. by parishes and districts. but in
dividual cases cannot be found. And SO
the Returning Board reversed the results
OF The election. and the United States army
was called upon Ia enforce the decree. and
did il. That is the whole case as presented
by the friends of Kellogg and the Admin
istration. A majority of the voters are
under intimidation. The only way to Sc
cure the republican form of government
guaranteed by the Constitution Is for the
Federal Government to reverse the results
of the election and install in Office the can
didates who would have been elected had
there been no intimidation.
Nothing could be more obvious in this
state of things-which we believe is pre-
cisely what the friends of the Admins
tration claim-than that Louisiana Is in
90 al no
ton then recurs, How shall the State be
governed? Gen. sheridan met il with
what his friends call soldierly frankness.
He would not be bothered with constitu-
tional limitations or legal formalities. He
would simply proclaim the political or
CARNATIONS opposed 20 Kellogg "bandit-
III" and dispose OF them by military com
mission. THE President and all of u.s.
approved the plan. Congress celebrates
upon it. The Republican State Conven-
ton Of Connecticut indorses the
President. Stripped to the buff,
the naked issue is. Shall Louis
lana govern herself or be governed from
Washington? We do not deny that there
may be honest differences of opinion re-
garding il. We only say that the new
position of the Administration involves a
radical change in our Constitution and
form of government. Whether II Is desir-
able or not 10 hold the Southern States as
conquered provinces is a fair question.
We believe that ii has once been settled,
and that the people will not reverse their
former judgment. Still the Administra-
ton has an undoubted right TO make the
appeal. IL is matter of congratulation
that the Connecticut Republicans have not
evaded the issue, but presented it distinct
" and squarely. Louisiana must govern
herself or be treated AS conquered pro-
vince. Which shall IL be? III the latter,
not that State alone but our whole form OF
government Is affected, and that is the
question under discussion. York
Tribune.
1t is considered good engineering il
there Is no greater error than AN inch or
t,xn In hrinn ~ fnaef her long driffa or Inn