The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1876-11-24
THE VOTE OF QUA
CHlTA.

rHROWING.OUT THE VOTE OF QUA.
CHlTA.
At five successive elections in this
state the Radicals have been defeated
by the popular vote. The Democrats
we're victorious in 1868, in 20, in '72,
in ia and last on the 7th instant. But
through the instrumentality of Federal
oayonets and miserable travestie
upon republican government known :as
the Election law, the Radicals have
been enabled to reach victory through
defeat. At two Of these elections, the
first and the last, the parish of Ouach ita
voted Democratic, and at the remain
ing three, Radical. In the last, as AZ
he first, the Radicals claim that the
Democrats inundated cUlOred voters,
and it is now proposed to exclude thi,
parish from the count in the general
result; or, rather to exclude all the
polls except the four in this city,
where, it is needless tosay the Radicals
were in the majority. The purpose is,
of course, to change the result from
IDCllOCIdIlC uldJOIlVy vi lVSf W IL
cal majority Of 800.
We have not that respect or conf
dence in the Returning Board which
! would induce US to argue for single
moment the injustice of this infamous
proposition. That Board is composed
Of individuals whom IL is impossible to
reach otherwise than by base means VI
The certain administration Of swift pun
lfhlncnt. We are incompetent to either
line of argument, and, therefore, leave
Wells q Go. to their work of infanls
and robbery, simply content, for pres
ent purposes, to show the rascality OF
tho plan to exclude the vote of this
parish.
The canvass i'll Ouachita, rs we have
frequently been ut the trouble to show,
was conducted with all fairness by thu
Democrats-nay, with the creates: pru.
lonce and foroearance. 1t is hardly
probable, certainly not possible, for any
Republican to deny that the Democra-
tic canvass was IL failure up to the time
the tactics of the Radicals, in Septem-
Der, were about to result in 4 conflict OF
races, as was demonstrated mt the meet
ing ut st. James church and by tn.
shooting into tho houses Of leading
white citizens of the parish Il few
nights later. These occurrences aroused
the approximations of the Democrats,
and they at once organized thoroughly.
The demonstrations that followed were
convincing to both parties, that the
Democrats could not and would not be
outraged and overwhelmed with inn
punity, A reaction setin. The white
Radicals, no less than the black Radi-
Gals, saw and felt the blunder made;
while the Democrats recognized the
advantage gaided by the deInoraliza-
ton Of the enemy, and they went to
work, for the first time, in earnest, to
redeem this parish. There was no wild
enthusiasm, no bantering, or 'bulldoz-
ing" about the undertaking, but II sim
pic determined concert of action by the
Democrats to do all they could to carry
the parish.
On the other side, the leaders white
and black, lost their. confidence. They
had no plan inl common, except mac
tivity. They did nothing, and attemp-
ted nothing, until more than one-halt
the colored voters had joined Democra
tic clubs, although there was II company
Of troops mt Monroe to afford every pro-
lection, and although tho Democrats
were pledged to Il fair and full canvass
Of the parish. Every facility needed
aud every guarantee necessary were
available, but the field lay idle.
Finally, Brewster, for some time In