The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1875-04-10
c.. ]. c.. Puckette.

This gentleman has assayed an adj
dress to tue "People of Natchitoches
parish" ia the Repnblico" of the Sd
inst, which we consider as worthy OF
passipespoticc, not 50 much that We
fear effect from his effasion upon
"the people," to whom he SO poetical
ly and confidently commends the con-
sitleration Of his past actions, but fel
the reason that We desire to give,
not a "succinct,!" but truthful bis
tory Of the gentleman's position in
our parish since his political bow to
the public in 1872. He was elected
upon the McEnery ticket a Senator
in that year, and from that moment
We date our illusions. His conduct
from, the beginning speaks for itself,
and the act Of his contesting the seat
Of his defeated, but returned compe'
titor, the negro Blunt, in the Lynch
Longstreet Senate, and accepting, af-
ter lame and pitiful statement OF
his claims to his seat, the per Mes'
and mileage; was sufficient to con.
vince all of Mr.. Puckette's political
patriotism, and that his ideas ofstates.
manship we're narrowed down to per.
sonal benefits, as he has declared he
was no "sentimental politician" and
what is meant BY that is obvious to
the most obtuse every action of his
life since that time, has convinced
the public that Pnckette had a policy
and was confirmed in it.
Tho "succinct history of tho mat
ter referred to-" We propose to give
quite differently from Mr.. Puckette,
and We proclaim that We will state
facts and actions that are susceptible
Of proof, not vagne conjectures and
surmises mixed with falsehocds and
ISLANDERS, as he has done in the ad-
dress now before us.
Let US go back few months ear]i-
er than the gentleman, and say that
about the middle of June, a move
ment of tax payers was inaugurated
in this parish to relieve onr people
from the burdens under which they
then labored, and Mr.. Puckette was
ono of the pioneers and leaders there
in. He drafted Resolutions, attended
meetings and cancuses looking to the
removal of tho venial and corrupt
Police Jury, then operating in the in
terest of Benllt, the tax collector ;
but when the people in their demands
for justice marched on to the cause
of the bad government, and demanded
the designations of Boullt, Myers,
Bossier and young Boullt, Puckette
Immediately abandoned the people ;
withdrew from all utilization With
them, and finally, so far 'cent over to
the Radical party as to do an act
which was sufficient for all time to
politically damn any respectable man
in this or any other community; he
roted for four Of the men nominated
upon that ticket; ticket gotten up
by Boullt, Pierson and others of that
ilk; he did this in opposition to those
persons nominated by the people, to
whom he now appeals for a favora-
ble verdict, and that too, when the o.
s. troops ,cere roiding through this
parish ut the instance Of these gerry
Radicals, a1resting lis friends and
fellow citizens, whom he knows to be
innocent of any crime; then Mr..
Puckette, to crown all, has the af-
frontry to stand upon the public
streets and attempt to palliate the
conduct of the U. S. troops and their
use on the days preceding the elec-
ton; to place it, not upon the ground
Of an outrage upon liberty, but, "that
it was a political move" These facts
Mr. Puckette cannot deny, as they
are known to every citizen Of honest
intelligence in the parish.
In December last, Puckette went to
New Orleans to assist in the over.
throw Of the Kellogg usurpation, and
10 his capacity Of McEnery Senator,
to take part in the contemplated
coup dstat of the Conservatives,
but instead Of this, We find him ia
consultation srith Kellogg, and not ten
days after the outrage of Gen. Sheri.
dan with his troops in dispensing the
legal House under Speaker Wilt;
at the moment when the whole State
was up in arms against so plain and
palpable violation Of Constitutional
liberty; when the whole North were
crying ont against it, We find Pack
cite. a McEnery Senator, quietly ZEN
deavoring to get Kellogg to make q
liberal compromise in the affairs Of
Notnhitnchoa norish ~ au6 vhot rvnro