The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1875-01-07
Gte Bully .Argns,
Louisana's Degradation.

| Some time last fall Senator Sehurz ad.
! verted, in the course of political speech,
to the fact that the troops In Louisiana
were being used for political purposes.
General Emory, in command of that de-
! partment, retorted. declaring that troops
had not been used for political purposes
up to that time. and could not be so en-
ployed for, he said, every soldier in the
army would resent such an attempt
The absurdity of General Emory's screed
was pointed out at the time in these col
umns and yesterday it was shown with
! what unblushing efrontery federal bay
onets can be employed by the powers that
be to upheld political organization and a
set of political harlots that have no equals
in point of dcbasement in the history OF
either ancient or modern nations.
Yesterday was the day set for the or
ganzation Of the new legislature of Louis
lana The public is already familiar
with the events that have TRANSFERRED since
the election. The people of the state, by
very respectable mojority, repudiated
tina claims of the radical partisans of Grant
and Kellogg, and chose as their represen-
tatiyes majority of Conservatives. But
the radical returning board, by processes
of reasoning and addition that are neither
recognized by logic nor mathematics,
counted out dozen or more of the conser-
vatives VINO had been elected, and coun-
ted in an equal number of radicals who
had not been elected. The people who
were so grossly outraged by this proceed
ing entered their solemn protest, but it
was of no avail.
The legislature met yesterday morning.
and for time it looked as if the schemes
OF the usurpers were to be defeated. By
an accident the conservatives happened to
have majority of the members present.
They thereupon chose one of their own
| number speaker pro tenn, seated five of
the conservatives VINO had been defrauded
out of their seats by the returning board.
| and proceeded to business. But here an.
other force that had heretofore been in
the background was brought into nlav NV
the radicals. A squad of federal soldiers
marched into the state house, arrested
the members who had been seated by the
legislature, deposed the speaker, and or
dered the radicals clerk to proceed with
the organization, which he did.
OF the merits of this controversy every
reader is his own judge. But few things
are patent to all. Since the republic was
formed, the people of no state have been
forced to submit to more iniquitous DOM
ination than that instituted by Durell and
maintained by Kellogg and Grant in
Louisiana. The people have been robbed
10 the most barefa"ed manner by those
whom a corrupt Judge and partisan pres.
ident have placed in positions of honor and
trust. They have appealed to congress
| for redress, nut their appeals have gone
unheeded. They have petitioned the
courts for restrictions upon the robbers, but
their prayers have been contemptuously
set aside. They tried by force of arms to
obtain the rights that congress and the
Judiciary had denied them, but were
frnnted by federal bayonets and laid down
their arms. Finally they sought, by
means of the ballot box. to hurl the usurp-
ers from power, but this, too, has failed
them, and Kellogg and his fellow highway
men are still in possession of the state
treasury, supported by the troops of the
| United States The soldiers, as politi-
cal agency. are an undoubted success, for
the people will not resist them. knowing
that resistance would be annihilatlon.
What the next movement will be, no
one can foretell. Nothing can be expec-
ted from congress. which is the only power
capable of affording relief A congress
ional committee is at present investigating
the condition of affairs, but it composed OF
partisans of KELLOGG and Grant who viii
not dare to run counter to their party
| Congress, too, is interested in maintaining
| the present usurpation. The Republican
party is on its last legs. and Louisiana
casts few votes in its favor. Sooner
| than lose these votes, the Republican
party willabet any iniquity,no matter how
great. But the people of the state viii
not submit to being thus oppressed. Like
the worm troddenl upon. they will turf
upon their oppressors and wreak such +;
vengeance as may seem to them fit
What form that retrihution will take, the
future alone can develop Chicago Times