The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1876-08-30
ALEXANDRIA, La, WEDNESDAY,, AUGUST 80, 1876.

in this county as it was three months
ago, when men retired to their homes
at 6 or s o'clock in the evening, and
no one vcntured beyond the precincts
of his own door; when every inan en-.
gagged in any enterprise of magnitude
or connected with industrial pursuits
left his home in the morning with
his hand upon his pistol, unknowing
whether he would again return alive
when the very foundations of society
were being overturned; when the ad
ministration Of justice, which should
always be regarded with reverence
had almost sunk into contempt: wher
men doubted whether it was In the
power Of organized society to pro
tect their lives and to secure thei,
property, and then reflect upon the
change which a few weeks has
brought forth. To-day give you
notice that there is no part of this
county that is not as safe as the aisle
in which I stand here now. When
we discovered the criminal nature OF
this organization, and when the evil
dence Of this conspiracy was brought
forward to us by McParian, we is
sued our warrants for the arrest OF
the conspirators, and we turn to
these men, with the Commissioners
the county at their head, and we said
to then: cha! you have lost the
stake" They played deep game
and they played for great stake.
They played to secure the property
of this county, by. endangering the
lives of their fellow citizens. They
had agents as chiefs Of police, and
as constables and Commissioners,
and they had one of their number al
most on the bench itself. God alone
knows what would have happened to
us if they had gotten him there, and
then elected a jury commissioner be-
sides. With Molly Maguires as
judges, and Molly Maguires as con-
stables, and Molly Maguires as Com
missioners, and Molly Maguires as
witnesses, what would have been the
history Of this good old county2
Think of this for moment. Can
you think where then we would have
drifted, and to what it would have
lead us? Can you imagine the condi-
ton of the people Of this country,
with murderers upon the bench, and
in the jury-box, and in control of all
the principal Offices of the county9 I
lived in the apprehension of all this
two years and a half alone, and God
knows that when the time comes that
all I know may be told to the world;
it will reveal a history such as will
make every American citizen hang
his head with shame. / have seen
a society of murderers and assassins
having it's members in the highest
place of this county. I have seen
them elected to fill the positions of
constables and police officers. 1have
seen a trusted member Of this band
of murderers a Commissioner of the
county. l have seen this organiza-
ton WELD a political power in the
State which has controlled the cleo.
tions of a great commonwealth.
have received the information Of
meetings between some Of the high.
est officers of the State and the Chief
of the murderers, at which large
sums of money were paid to secure
the votes Of this internal association
to turn the tide of a State election.
God knows If ever in the world there
was revelation as deep and as dam.
ming as that now laid open to the
people of this commonwealth for the
first time.
| The DEGRADED SENATE.-The Re
publican Senate has stood in the
way Of all substantial reforms