The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1876-11-01

We, the representatives Of the Dem
ocratic- Conservative party of the State
of Louisiana, in yenti1n assem-
bled, DO hereby declare administrative
and political reform TO be the para
mount issue in the coming general
election, ana VIC earnestly appeal to
our fellow citizens of every former pO
litical association of white and colored,
to zealously cooperate with us in our
pronounced effort to effect such reform.
We arraign the Radical party of Lou
siana for marked and frequent viola
tions of the letter and spirit Of the
Constitution for the assumption OF IL
licit powers for the benefit of party,
and to the great injury and almost TO-
tai ruin of the State; for fomenting
dissensions between the races and de
liberately exciting strife aud turmoil,
thereby cruelty sacrificing the lives of
colored and white citizens, with the
intent of procuring unwarranted and
unconstitutional interference in our
State affairs.
We denoupce She usurpative and
bad government which Louisiana has
suffered for the last fOnr years, usur-
patton under which officers elected by
the people nave been displaced, the
government arbitrarily overthrow by
Federal power, the Legislature inva
ded and dispersed by bayonets in time
of profound peace, and such violent
and unlawful interference adds but an
other to the long list of crimes for
which the Republican party should be
held to account in November next.
We hereby proclaim that it is our
desire and fxe& purpose under any
aud every provocation to have fair
aud peaceable election; but we demand
and will insist that there shall be no
violence or intimidation exercised to-
wards such of our col0red fellow citi-
zens rs may wish TO cooperate with
US for the redemption of the State from
misrule.
We fully recognize the binding eff
feet of the three recent articles of
amendment to the constitution of the
United States, aud accept the same as
tiual settlement of the controversies
that engendered civil war, and we
pledge ourselves to protect every citl-
zen in the exercise of the rights ac-
CURED and guaranteed by said amend
ments, whatever be his race, color or
previous condition.
We hereby pledge our party to the
satisfaction of all the legal obligations
Issued by the State of Louisiana; to
the most strenuous efforts in the d.
rection of reform and an economical
administration of the government, and
especially to the abolition of all unnec-
essary public officers; to the reduction
OF the fees and salaries of officers; to
the standard of fair remuneration
and the consequent reduction of taxa
ton to the lowest possible limit COM
mensurate with the necessary eXpen-
ses of the government and the preser-
walton of the public faith, and to the
curtailment of the dangerously large
patronage of the chief executive of the
State.
We declare ourselves in favor of the
passage of the Texas Pacific Railroad
bill, now pending before Congress,
aud recommend our members of Con-
gress to advocate it's passage at an
early date.
We advocate the fostering of the
public schools for the benefit of all the
edueatable children of the State
anu that equal advantages be glyer
TO all children, colored as we'll az
white.
We cordially approve of and endorse
the platform of the national Democrat,
ic party recently assembled in eonven.
elo9 at st. Louis, and feel inspired
win the hope OF better Government
~ the future; but the great question O.
.eiofm IS brought before the people o
ene whole country by great nationa
party, and we pledge ourselves to us,
our utmost efforts to secure the success
VI those great opponents of nationa
Ieiorm' Samuel j. Tilden and Thoma
s, Hendricks.