The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1875-12-17

was governed honestly and the interests
OF industry protected and encouraged. The
march of progress has been arrested and a
whole State has been wofuliy outraged.
What the honest people could do to prevent
this great public affliction, they have done,
and but for unwarrantable Federal inter
vention, Louisiana might to-day boast Of a
government in sympathy with her real in
terests, and her tens of thousands of acres
OF fertile lands lying in waste would DO the
scene Of busy harvest.
We have reached another epoch in the
States political history, when, in view OF
the suffsrings passed through ana of those
possibly to come, there Is demanded of
good people the straining OF every nerve
and faculty to redeem our troubled State.
Dependent, perhaps, upon the action OF
Louisiana. is her political prosperity for the
next four years, and who of us that has
struggled through the past ten years, can
afford a much longer delay of honest intel
ligent Home rule?
The coming State convention mus,
necessarily consider, ifit proceeds wisely,
the extent of the ruin wrought in THU,
State, and weigh carefully and without
prejudice the means required to restore to
Louisiana wise and honest government,
The question,it seems to us, is not difficult
to settle. In no sense we narrow
minded, and what we have to ask of the
convention to assemble on the LIST Wednes-
day In January Is broad and liberal
policy. There is no need, and will be no
excuse, for division of sentiment upon
all the main issues. It must be conceded
that the voters opposed to Radicalism will
put themselves in line with the National
Democrats, and vote the Democratic tickle,
1or President. There is no escape from sc,
plain proposition and from such u mani
a. SN1fx f1ar 81
remains In the way of selecting party
name, except to adopt the name Democrat.
The word, conservative" and other SINH
lar party names, mean and amount to
nothing, and are injurious.
But what ought to be done with local
issues? We have no hesitancy in replying
that any attempt to recognize ii 0 govern
ment of Kellogg, even by so much As
approving the Wheeler adjustment, ough,
TO meet with storm rebuke from the Con-
vention. BY as much as the Kellogg gov
eminent was usurpation, by that much
the organizing of a Legislature under Fede-
raj auspices and by committee OF unau-
thorized individuals. was an out rage upon
the freedom OF elections and tho principles,
underlyingth the establishment offree govern
mont. Whatever benefits may follow in
State affairs from the enforcement of the
Compromise, tho fact will still remain that
1t was bargain in politics and an abandon
lnent of principle which no party pretend
ing to uphold republican institutions can
sustain. We hope, therefore, that the
Compromise question will DO allowed to
slutnber, because 1t can have no endorse
ment in convention claiming to denounce
Radicalism, usurpation, fraud and col rup-
ton.
The prominent feature of tho coming
struggle In this State will be, In our opin- !
ion, the question Of the races. It is evident
that negro rule IL failure. Prominen,
Radical leaders do not hesitate to admit |
that intelligence and honesty should be the
lost for the privilege to rnle. In another
place Of this paper we publish the pronun-
ciamento of tho colored leaders Of this |
state, in which these leaders, mot withstand |
ing tho disasters Of the past eight years, |
claim special recognition and take high |
ground IA part Of tho rulers of the State. |
They make very decided issue based upon
color, even i'll their own party.
.Wo have boon opposed, in measure, t"
distinctions in politics founded upon color,
because the National government had
driven the whites to accept the political
equality OF tho races, and there was no
defense. 1t is apparent that the negroes
arc not content with this arrangements and
are now claiming, without the capacity to
govern, prominence not justified by the
history of republican goyernmenta.
The Convention to assemble in January
must meet the Race Issues with perfec,
fairness to the negro, but with due regard
tor the superior intelligence and manhood
of the white man. Louisiana must no,
become u negro province. Such contin-
gency means war, and war of the most
deplorable character. We do not believe
that the mass of colored voters contem-
plate such a conflict, but they are led by
ambitious men who are indifferent alike to
the rights Of individuals and to the rights
of property. To prevent the threatened
troubles, and to bring about such reforma-
ton in the State as will enhance property
values and induce immigration. the Janu-
ary Convention should take the very
highest available position with reference
p the inequality of the races. AS we view
.sst is question of life and death for all
'ne>olid desirable interests in this State,
anu TS3elieve that a bold stand and vigor-
Gus ns s., seainst African supremacy will
e srs LouisEsi ous triumph for the Demo
r.,c,ifanocrat for President,