The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1876-08-23
PLATE OR NJ
OF THE
DEMOCRATIC CONSERVATIVE PARTY
THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
June %, 1876,

We, the representatives of the Dem
ocratic- Conservative party of the State
of Louisiana, in Convention assem-
bled, co hereby declare administrative
and political reform to be the para
mount issue in the coming general
election, and we earnestly appeal to
our fellow citizens of every former po-
litical association of white and colored,
to- zealously cooperate with us in our
prnnounced effort to effect such reform.
We urraigu the Radical party Of Lon
isiana 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
tlissensions between the races and dc
lihcratcly exciting strife aud turmoil,
thereby cruelty sacrificing the lives of
cnlored anil white citizens, with the
iutent of procuring unwarranted aud
unconstitutional interference III our
State affairs.
We dennnpce tho usnrpativc and
bad government whicl, Louisiana has
suffered for the last four years, usur~
patton under which officers elected by
the people have been displaced, the
government arbitrarily overthrowu by
Federal power, the Legislature inva
ded and dispersed by bayonets in time
of profound peace, and such violent
and unlawful interference adds but au
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 fixed purpose under any
and every provocatiou to have fair
and peaceable election; but we demand
and will insist that there shall be no
violence or intimidation exercised to-
wards such of our colored fellow-citi-
Gems az 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 80 the constitution of the
United States, and accept the same rs
final settlement of The controversies
that engepdered civil war, and we
pledge ourselves to protect every citi-
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 di-
rection of reform and an economical
Administrations f 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
eurtailment 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,
and recommend our members of Con-
gress to advocate its passage at an
early date.
We advocate tho fostering of the
public schools for the benefit of all the
educatable children of tho State,
and that equal advantages be given
to all children, colored as well as
white.
We cordially approve ofand endorse
the platform of the national Democrat
lc party recently assembled in conven-
ton at st. Louis, aud feel inspired
Win the hope OF better Government
Ia the future; but the great question of
reform is brought before the people of
the whole country by a great national
party, and we pledge ourselves to use
our utmost efforts to secure the success
OF those great opponents of national
reform, Samuel J. Tildep and Thomas
A, Hendricks.