New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-10-05
The Way General Nichols Thinks
Uneducated and Educated
Votes Should Count.
Irrespective of Race, Glass or
Condition.
Pungent Points from Governor Kellogg's
Plaquemine Speech.
MR.. WILTz' TW0-SIDED RECORD

0OvoTuOr AolOgkS UoIAnS sPoocn ~
Pisauemine, Iberville parish, on the first
instant. Some Of the best points remain to
be told. He referred TO financial questions
national and State, and to the advantages
which the State would derive from placing
itself in harmony with the national govern.
ment and tho Republican party on all
questions of finance, tariff and internal i'm
provements, believing, as he did that the
Republican party would control the na-
tional government for the next four years,
and that the sentiments and principles of
the Democratic party las far as they had
any principlee) we're hostile to the materiak
interests of the State on all these points,
A., however, he will probably discuss these
issues at greater length hereafter. opportu-
nifty will probably be afforded of setting
forth his views at length on these issues SO
vital to the prosperity of the State.
He spoke in terms of eulogy of NJ.
Packard, Of his untarnished official record,
on which the closest scrutiny on the part OF
his political enemies had been unable to
find Q blot; OF bis personal honesty and
fidelity to principles, and expressed his con-
fdent opinion that he would be elected the
whelming majority.
Referring to the Democratic candidate foz
Lieutenant Governor. he said there were
worse men than Mr. L. A. Wiltz.. Like all
ambitious politicians who sought office Mr..
Wiltz had used all legitimate means tc at.
- uf nd
honors and emOluments of the office he
aimed at Many people found fault with
Mr.. Wiltz for the haste with which, ic De-
oember, 1879, in the most critical period of
the struggle for the possession of the State
government, he hai applied to and obtained
from Acting Governor PiDchback an eatire-
" unnecessary commission az Mayor elect
Of New Orleans, thus recognizing the gov
ernmenu which his friends and supporters
denounced as Q usurpatlOu. Other people
who did not like Mr.. Wiltz, asserted, no
doubt wrOngfully, that all through his Of
fetal career a. Mayor. except on one mem
orable occasion, he had by his acts and
words given cOuntenance and aid to the 60
called Kellogg government, which he was
now opposing. He tGOvernor Kellogg, did
not think this censure was just. On the
contrary it seemed to him that in sll these
matters Mr. Wiltz had acted like sensible
man and offceholder.f
He could not, however, justify Mr..
Wiltz's action few months later in lead
ing the Bourbon wing of the Democratic
party in opposition to the Wheeler adjust
action had retarded or altogether pre-
vented the passage of much needed reform
legislation, and had injured the best inter-
ests of the State. But then in justice to
Mr.. Wiltz it must be remembered that he
was an ambitious man seeking high office,
and he doubtless thought it was most to his
interest to pursue this course, IN view OF the
shape political affairs seemed then 90 be
taking. All men were more or less selfish,
and politicians were not ae rule the most
disinterested of citizens.
{ One of the best points made by Governor
KellOgg's speech was q discussion OF the
injustice which would result from the adop-
ton and incorporation into the consultation
of anN plan Of restricted or qualified suf-
fraee. kHe spoke OF the peculiar condition
of thi1ks existing in Louisiana. On the
one hand, there were thOusands of cOlOred
men who, during the existence of slavery,
had been debarred by law from acquiring
the inestimable advantages Of education.
Any one attempting to teach them even the
rudiments of reading and writing would
have been liable to fine and imprisonment,
and perhaps to q worse fate. On the other
hand, there was very large class of young
white men who, though now of mans es
tate, were minors duri0g the war, and by
force of events had been prevented from
obtaining the schooling they would other
wise have received.
Here were two great classes who Dy no
fault of their own had been deprived OF
education. Many of them could not read
or write, and many more were not educated
men in the common acceptatlOn OF the
term. Yet they had practical knOwledgr;
they could plant and raise cotton, sugar
and rice, and in all the ordinary avOcatiOns
of life could conduct themselves like intel
ligent citizens fully capable of managing
their own interests and competent to Judge
in what direction those interests pointed.
He. for one, believed that these men had
the right to vote and should be permitted
to exercise that right untrammeled. Cen
eral Nichols apparently did not think so
l hold in my hand continued the speakers
the testimony taken little more than year
and half ago by congressional commit
tee of which Judge George +. HOar was
chairman. That committee was specially
delegated to inquire into the issues OF race
antagonism whlch had been raised in Lou
isians, and which had resulted in the White
League riots of 1874 Among the witnesses
called by the Democrats in justification OF
the course which had been pursued was
General Francis T. Nichols, of Assumption
parish, the present candidate on the Demo-
cratic ticket for Governor of this State. He
was cr0es-examined ss to the color line
established during the election of 1874, and
was asked whether he thought that the
establishment of the white mans party had
q tendency to bring cOlored men to the side
of the white men. He replied no; but he
believed that where they lost one colored
man BY this cause they gained five white
men.
%ha Rannhlioan members of the committee,
"vou mean this, that to carry the election
IL was NECESSARY to arouse the passions and
preiudices of the white people against the
.No. SIR" General Nichols replied. mot
to arouse their passions or their PreJodices,
but simply to make thsm recoiiect tnat
their duty a. white men required tnem 10
do certain things"
Question by Mr.. Frye-"That their DUTY
a. white men required them To array tnom-
selves against The blacks :"
Answer by General Nich0ls-"N0. cir,
that IL required them to get control OF sno
State government" -
: Onestion-"Do you believe that If the
blacks of this State have majority OF
Ia (l(0 the control of the State government
belongs to the whitesF,
Answer-"Y Yes, sir, do, because 4 think
tlnf one educated man has more right TO con-
troI the destinies Of State Mae ten "neo"'
c0ted men," liza .e .e+a.
4h,roh,. .Recause those ten men can be
infnenced and controlled by one rascal"
General Nichols forgot, apparently. IN
apryine this sweeping rule, that the zone