New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-04-06

The inability Of the State government to
send protection to the incumbents, the
unwillingness of the federal government
to occupy the country with troops, has
compelled the colored voters at Baton
Rouge to capitulate, and numbers effected
an insurance on life and labor by march
ing to the polls and giving vote ''openly"
and in the presence of witnesses, thereby
verifying their '.policy" in the sight Of
all. This was pardonable in considera-
ton of the duress under which the vote
may have been given. Even the district
attorney seems affected by the atmospheric
influence which would not allow Con-
servative citizen to accept Republican
votes. This officer testifes that the peo-
pie of Baton Rouge have assembled in
public meeting, as they had the unques-
tionable right to do:
As 3 result of the first of these meetings,
in accordance with resolutions adopted, the
sheriff, tax collector and the parish judge
resigned.
A subsequent meeting reiterated the
resolutions Of the previous one as to the
RESERVATIONS Of the tax collector and parish
The parish Judge then determined to
give up 80 unequal a contest, so stated to
the committee, rs l an told by one of them,
and left for New Orleans the same day.
The tax collector could not be found and
the meeting determined to take charge of
the States property left in his office. This
they did peaceably and quietly. These are
the facts.
Now, we ask in what has the exercise
Of executive patronage either by the Pres
ident or the Governor strengthened the
Republican party We affirm that the
party was stronger before the exercise of
this favor than it has been since. It is
fair to say that the attorney testifes to
the difficulties which beset executive ap-
pointment of municipal officers when he
says to the Governor:
l think, too, sir, that you err when you
say that the snimus of The disaffection with
regard to the two named officers is to be
found in the fact that they are Republicans.
/ am sure that there are Republicans IN this
parish who would fiji those offices with
credit to themselves and to the satisfaction
to the community. As to color, the clerk
of our court is q cOlored man, against whom
l have heard NO complaint, and our admin
istratOr Of finance, another cOlored man, is
highly respected.
These proceedings stand thus: Public
were held, at which the parish
officers appointed by Governor Kellogg
were informed by committee that they
must resign or quit the parish. They
may have read about the surrender under
safe conduct by certain officers Of Grant
parish. They followed the example of
and as they do not appear to
have been safely guarded to the point of
capture "by superior force" escaped.
Yet the Republican party can not of
Itself throw off this patronage, nor can it
abandon system which its opponents will
without limit or scrupie. It is to
oe observed that neither in the federal nor
State government have the Democracy
even intimated an intention to abandon
one iota Of patronage if they should come
INTO power. In Louisiana, especially,
hey would have captured Governor Kel-
ogg full handed, whether he came into
heir power By capitulation OF By accusa-
ion.
It would be well, then, that the leading
ournals of the Democratic and Repub-
lean party should propose to the conven-
ions about to assemble that each shall
'enounce the Democratic doctrine ''to
he victors belong the spoils," with the
modern improvement that before the VIC
DRY the spoils belong to the purchaser
Who will pay the highest price in advance.
Neither in our own State nor in the ma
ion at large can any party be expected
o disable itself by renouncing an element
essential to an active canvass. Let all,
however,, who love the republic unite in
epudiating the only principle left to De-
nocracy-the use Of executive patronage.