New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-01-23
CoLORED SUFFRAGE DEPENDENT ON
LEGISLATIVE REFORM.

i
friend Of the colored people, because 1t
has never fatte1ed them or sought to Sc
| cure for them mere than the law has
/! given them. It has always striven 70
| reconcile to them the mass CT these whose
social and industrial welfare IS tased
upon tie liberties and rights Of all.
We value the vote, tie education and
employmert Of the colored people, be-
cause. without these they viii be degraded
and oppressed. Without these just attn
butes Of citizenship, the dispersion Of tee
colored people may be deplorable to those
who have done mos: and hoped most
from their emancipation. I. VII be also
| dangerous to the neral ard material wei
fare Of this State. Those nations which
have denied equal and political rights 70
any portion OF their people, have created
thereby az amount c: ignorance AID des-
| .i:u-iou which has threatened such
nations more from within than from with
out. These examples run through al.
history. The people q England tear %
trust their lower orders with suffrage.
The pauper is the fee OF tie prince. Tee
Communists CT France have committed
| the nos. a.rocious crimes against the
! wealthy ard :n:e,lgen. classes. The
braves and begsars Of Italy are burden
| upon the hand Of Providence that pro
longs their turbulent existence. n All
| these cases tie paupers are Of tie same
race, faith and speech with those wLo are
above item. Equal ard intimate social
relations between these classes are as
impossible as # they were separated
by The broadcast coctras: 6. COM
plexior. There can he nc peInaner.
government in which :he1e IS Tower
order" based On tie legal ard political IL
teriori:y OF any class. There IS loves:
order designated By ignorance and orsan-
ized by vice. It's coLcr:s are commanded
BY kraves ard its ranks filed with tie
destitute and the unscr.!u!oEs. We are
the friends Of tie colored. as We would be
CT the white people Denied equal legal
and political rights: J. Because humanity
demands this equality: 2. Because this
State can rot be permanently prosperous
while tie grea: motives OF industry, order
and morality ere wanting 20 ary part CT
its people.
With these reasons fer sincere devotion
to tie rights Of any member OF society,
however humble, We impress cPon t1e
Republican party tie high do:y Of giving
effect to the PRINCIPLES c: economical re-
form which they lave p1otessed. We as
sure them tia: the patronage Ct official
salaries and perqa;si:ies as they ezis. viii
be fatal to the exercise ard enjoyner. g.
colored suffrage, ard thus 10 the existence
Ct the Republican party. # me splendid
rewards given TO he Democracy il tie
fees and connissio-s Ct sierifs ard clerks
continue, there WI fe always Inc ield
warfare, which NUS. keep from ne polls
the co,o-ed voter who nas noting e1cer:
lis ballo. to defend himself.
i: may &c thought .tat TIE State pa
.ronage Of the Republican party IS lie
ofse: ard eouivalen. 20 :iose lucrative
appointments. This IS far from being
tie case. The COS. &. city government Is
"a. greater than TIA: Il tie STATE. Tie
latter consists chiefly in lie unpopular
department Of assessing aid collecting
taxes. We defy any c1e 20 poin: out
how officers even :nEocen.ly connected
with this hated agency, can add vote 70
their party. !: their campaign con:rib--
tons could ne-:ra.:.e :he prejudice
agains: :he:- ca-:rg i would De much
and far mere than Il Ias ever effected.
With respect 20 :he patronage Ct ap-
pointing municipal cEcers Ct tie par
;shes and towns, We pray tie Republicans
to Icok at the Luu..lia::ng example Of
those parishes IN which the people have
driven out one Sc. @: executive appo;ntees
and prescribed re following coca!::ons:o
lis exce.lency:
TIA. the people Of Eas. Baton Rouge
pledge themselves 20 support he oftce1s
Of the law IN tie CiEcna-re 9: tier duties.
provided tie Governor WI see tta- ob-
noxious and incompetent officials axe re-
moved and men appoL-eo L tLeir PAGES
who VII merit the confidence arc sEypor
Of TIE people, ue1ley-nr .ca- peace ant
one, ard e pcope- administration q lie
law car De restored.
If tie Governor makes s7:ch a conpro-
mise, tina. the people vii obey the laws,
provided men acceptable 20 them shall be
appointed, we would Ike 20 know where
the advantage to TIE Republican party
comes il? TIE people nominate their local
officers, and the Governor confirms their
nomination, OF leaves e vacancy.
II these local Offices were filed by elec-
ton, there would be always local antsg-
on:sm which would canvass .o- ard p-o-
tect the co,ored voter. Wher this right
os choice is denied tie whole local con-
stituency II every parish throughout the
State is united against tie exercise q col
cred suffrage, and concentrated against
tie Republican State ticket. II colored
votes were needed :or IN opposition sher-
if, clerk or constable in q parish, they
would be allowed 20 vote the State ticket
in consideration Of their votes fer the par
ISL candidates. We defy any one 70 show
an instance il which local appointment