The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1876-10-14
THE PLATFORM.

fn.1llmcnt Of which we pledge our people
if called to power. 49,. !.
1,t The election TO, and qualification
IN office of capable, competent amt non
ext citizens, Thoroughly identified with
th. NJ ,lrral interests of oar parish.
2h \ reduction Of the EXPENSES of III"
parish to less than "nr-hai' OF IT'S pr'Seh,
parish taxes and t"that end We demand
the reduction of fees and salaries OF o.
tcers to the standard Of a fair rcInunera-
ton.
RI m,intainancr and fostering Of
rigorous PUBLIC SCHOOL system TOR
the benefit and education of all the chll-
dren Of the parish, both white amt black.
4th. The full recognition of tn" rights
Of all men, without regard I" race c"lor
or previous condition, before the law.
3th The enactment and enforcement
of 4 wise code Of laws, to protect all ia
boring men in their rights, and at the
same time to protect and encourage the
eapit.L invested in our parish.
9Th. We pledge ourselves that not one
dollar of taxes shall b. levied to pay
past obligations Of our parish tor the
reason that the la" requires that Pr"7lN-
sion to paw. and appropriation for eN-
pcn.S, Shall 90 hand in hand.
Such c.al and .in>. claims a. are one
hy the psrish, shall be paid from the col
]rction Of taxes that are already levied
in accordance with law, and 'i'l' AMI
tollectible.
All monies issnr1 In excess OF appro
priations, and for fraudulent purposes,
~, condemn az null and void, and We
demand Of our elected officials their re-
Dudjation in toto; and we further pledge
ourselves, that legal step. shall be taken
to recover to the parish Treasury all
fraudnln. claims Of whatsoever rharar-
ter which have beer paid by Radio al or
other officials 10 any person or porT"hN
whatsoever.
We arraign the Radical Republican
leaders of this parish, anil indct them
at the bar Of public opinion on thr fol-
lowing counts:
LIST. For the election and elevation to
official position in our parish. IN almost
every instance. Of men totally dlIQnall-
fed nv reason of their ignorance, or
known corruption.
I'd. We charge them with having dis
graced the bench of our Jndlri"l p''srct'
bv the elevation thrrrt" OF man VINO
was, and is Spectator in the FUNDS OF
the State and parish-the mover and IN
sticator of jobbrry ard rings, for the
plun,l,r Of the Treasury, and the lInpov
erishment Of the people, ~ witness the
"map coutract;| the "brihyr contract; :
the ''pauprr list ring aud the "inln'sFa-
ton burrau schemr.'
We charge them with degrading orr
parish Judicial bench by tol9tlng upon
the people Parish Judges ignorant OF
law. devoid Of personal character, venal
and corrupt one Of whom puhllc "P'n-
ion and an outraged community forced
from the bench for incomprt"nry ami
his known utilization and connection
with Rugs and jobbers, and another
stands indicted before the Courts ny a
competent Grand Jury, for embrzzle
mrnt.
We charge them with appointing and
confirming to position, Tax Collector
who, with vcnal, incompetent and VII
hjnous Police Jury, also of their party
Numbered the people and the Treasury
of untold acknowledgement hlms'i
in the settlement of his acrounts-hrap
ed upon us taxation at the rate of tigh
ncr cent. and left us a debt to pay rqua
in amount to one-ninth OF the total val
ne of property in the parish.
We charge them with the plunderln:
of the School Treasury, through thrl
Judge. Senator, and representatives., o
thousands of doll 'rs, thereby drprlvln:
our children and those of our rolorc'
frllow-cirizens of the benefit Of ednca
ton. a crime that on outraged cO,nmnni
tv cannot too scvt.~.y condemn or pun
ish.
We denounce them for having given II
Magistrates whose duty it was to pre-
tect the citizen, suppress crime and Hln
dicatr the law, bnt who have been il
dicted or convinctod for murder, theft, {
purury. 8,
The Republican party of the parish {
Natchitochcs, composed of the most !!
nOrant, dehaSeh and corrupt h"dy OF me
Known TO our State or the South, hav
bva systematic plundrrng rule, rrdnr,
the valuation of real and personal pr
pcrty in nine years-four million al
thirteen thousand dollars levied III
collected from ncople Impoverished
war and overflow, three hundred al
twenty-thrce Thousand two hundred AT
ninety-threc dollars and six cents, or OF
third of the entire present valuation
property, both real and personal, in tax
since lS67-have htapcd upon us ~ tn
time debt of over one hundred tho
sand dollars have arraycd the coor'
- race against the whtrS-havo plunge
troops into our midst, arrested and 60
tin,,i innocent ctiz"ns without warra
of law.
We charge the Republican party
being responsible for all the crime con
mitttd in our parish, by reason of t
insulliciency, incomprtrncy and vrna'l
of their officials and we denouncr thu
government of the parish and State
corrupt and Infamous, and not dtsrI
i ing the support and confidence of 81
gle virtuous man in our community.
We djscountcnancr all disturbances
q the peace of tho parish, and drnoun
all instigators thereof.
We demand, and will enforce Registl
ton, fair election and fair count-a
. TO that end will hold personally rrspt
sible to the people of our parish, the
who control the election and rcgist
ton machinery.
Our object is reform, rctrcnchmcnt a
relief; that by honesty and economy,
may reduce taNatlon-and tighten t
burdens of the people, and to that e
we call upon all patriotic SONS of n 'tc
toches, without regard to race, color,
previous condition, to join us.
We ask but n trial If committing
State and parish to our keeping, an'
good Government, security, profecti
and prosperity do not dawn on an ov
taxed, despoilcd and dish'artcnra p
pie, then drive us from power with see
and Indignation
Upon the paramount issues here
enunciatcd, we cordially invite the
operation of every Democrat and R'pl
lican who is earnest ana willing N
crisis of our State, to unite with lis
the great work Of reform.