The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1876-07-19
re THE PEOPLE or THE PARISH
OF RiPEDEs.


Mass Meeting of the Democratic Con
seryative party of this Parish, deem
it proper and appropriate at this time
the beginning Of certainly a most i'm
portsnt, and in all probability, an ex-
citing campaign, to address you few
words of cheer and counsel. o.
cheer, because under our irreproach-
able and distinguished standard bear
ers. Tilden and Hendricks, success to
our cause is assumed in the political
struggle for control Of the National
Government: and of counsel, that no
party rivalries aud jealousies shall
cause any division or dissension in
our ranks at home, and that no acts
of imprudence or thoughtlessness
shall furnish an excuse to the Radi
cal managers and manipulators of
elections to deprive US of the result
of the certain victory that awaits US
at the polls in November, both as to
our State and Parochial elections.
The competent general on the eve
of great battle looks first to the
thorough equipment and organiza-
ton of his own forces, and then seeks
the weak places in the battle array
of his enemies, that by a bold, vigo-
rous and united assault with his own
troops he may carry confusion, ter
ror and dismay not only to those of
his own enemies, Immediately OPP
posed to him, but to the whole ranks
of his foes. So must we first direct
our efforts to the uniting of all the
elements in our Parish opposed to
the corrupt rule Of the Radical party
in this State, into one homogeneous
and serried host, that by the force of
it's unanimity and enthusiasm shall
march over all opposition to its tri
umph at the polls.
No people had ever more than ours,
dependent upon their success, no
people ever fought political battle
in a more holy and righteous cause
than ours, and there never was time
in our political history that called
for a more united, persistent, untiring
and aggressive campaign than the
one upon which we are now entering.
We have opposed to US party whose
uniform policy has been to engender
strife and discord between the two
races, that they might perpetuate
their control over the masses of the
colored people and by melting them
to deeds of violence, that resisted by
US, furnish them pretext to falsify
the honest returns of the election and
deprive US of repeated victories fairly
won at the ballot box. A party
which has squandered the public
funds; has created an army of Office
holders to fatten up the substance of
the people; has reared gigantic mo-
nopolies to crush out business enter
prises; has fostered a Savings Bank
that stole the hard earnings of the
colored people; has used the school
monies as a campaign fund; has
ruined the credit of our State by the
fraudulent issue of bonds and by the
diversion of the money collected to
pay the interest on the honest obi
cations of the State; have made the
halls of our Legislature a den Of
thieves and the position of the Ex-
ecutive mockery, for honest men
to scof at and other communities to
scorn; has repeatedly promised re-
form, and gloried in its own infamy
when openly repudiating its solemn
pledges; has prevented immigration
to build up our decaying material in
terests; has established q printing
law which shut out all competition
for the public printing and gave it
to its own corrupt, incapable and in
efficient favorites; has oyerrun our
State and Parish with the soldiers of
the United States Army to intimi-
date our people, while other gallant
and noble soldiers were being massa
cred on the plains by the Indians;
has increased taxation and penalties
until they amount to confscation and
as the Growing infamy of its official
existence has created and upheld,
against our solemn protests, an Elec-
ton Law which practically does and
was intended to make elections by
ballot farce, and a Returning Board
purposely so constituted that fraud,
and not the will of the people, should
put men in Office to make and exc
cute the laws.
1t is from such a party that we