New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-04-25

t~AbeQA Conservative >, ana ~. Aeea
i ard, ~ . p -
] n the 1smls Of yesterday "Liberal Cor
servative" krepousds the following qusrie
| First What reasons have you. for think
he that The Returning Board would ooun
out t. ofReess elected at the, polls by Il
4 DenooE1sio and Conservative party. aat
would not count sut tho elect Of the pro
, Sscond~Hss tic nst.raise Board svs,
failed to find . pRetext, in tlit psst, for de
feating the will Of thS majority axpressel
! ct the ballot tbxi And is there eny 800
reason to believe that they will b. less pro
/ lific Of pretexts In the future.
Third-Will the Returning Board beloni
to tho third or Peoples party, and if NOT
what chance of success has the Peoplet
party
Fourth-If the nsturning Board is meste1
Of the votes, rights and liberties Of thu
people Of Louisiaaa, what is the use of en-
terlng iuts . political contest or nominating
''g00d men" for ofice9
Fifth-What reasons have you for think
ing the Returning Board would. give the
Peoples party q majority of "gooa men" in
both houses of the Legislature in exchange
for the electoral vote of the State and the
Governor and other State Officials2
mornings issue of the Times as follows. We
have space only for tie first two answers:
L. do not believe that THE Democratic
party can carry the parish of Caddo, fol
instance land there are many parishes. in q
similar situation ct tho next election. With.
out resorting to violence and Intimidation
and If such means are iesorted to, the Re
turning Beard will count out those 90 elect
cd st the polls. Tho Returning Roaed
would not, in my opinion, count out those
elected ct the polls by the proposed third
party, because that party will not attempt
10 elect it's candidates by visleAce and in
2. Yes. The Returning Board has failed
[, to find . pretoxt in the past for defeating
the will of tho majority as expressed at the
ballot bot, and did 90 fail when some sixty
Conservativee were retur1ed 40 elected =
the General Assembly in November, 1874.
And it 10 reasonable to believe that the Re-
turning Board will be less prolific Of pre-
train from furnishing them with pretexts,
- he's been the caseiR the past.
1t = said thai ian honest confession is
good for the soul"~ We commend Mr..
Leonard for the franknesS with which he
states what every honest man of respect
able intelligence in Louisiana knows to be
true. What ID good for the soul we have
no reasonable doubt will be- good also for
our State politics.
Mr.. Leonard has now placed himself on
strong basis-the truth-and on that
basis be need not fear for success. He has
the sagacity to see the errors of the past,
and to renounce them. Mr.. Leonard, in
his recent letter to the public, tells the peo-
pie that lit is much more probable our
failures have resulted from an imnerfeot
comprehension Of the situation, aud from
the inherent defects In the methods We
have heretofore adopted"
In vindicatiOn Of the Returning Board,
or, at least, in extenuatiOn q the acts of
THAT moch abused institution, Mr.. Leonard
saye: "Th1 Returning Board would not
CounA out those elected ct the polls BY the
proposed third party, because that .party
will not attempt to elect its candidates BY
violence or intimidation" The Logic of
Mr.. Leonardo language is. substantially
this: The Returning Board interferes only
for the purpose OF correcting the irregu-
larities and frauds resulting from the prac-
tice OF the Democracy Of carrying elections
by violence and intimidation, and to pse-
vent the overthrow Of the government BY
such means. Give rs q straight, fair cleo
tion, in which every man may vote freely
as he Wills, aad the Returning Board will
not interfere to th@art the will of the peo-
Every Republican in the State will sus.
tain Mr.. Leonard il this opinion. When
ever the Republicans are OutvOted in Lou.
isiana, our word for it the Returning Board
will not interfere to.change the result. On
the other hand, it is not unreasonable to !
expect them to use. all the means IN their
power to prevent q minority from making
itself Q majority by force and to defeat the
success of gigantic frauds and crimes as
we're our s0-cslled elections in 1872 and
1874.
Mr.. Leonard tells us that his embryoni
party will not attempt to make a minority
! msjority by force"
1t is perfectly well known to every sensi.
de man in Louisiana that such has been
he attempt Of the Democrats of Louisiana
heretofore, and it is not little refreshing
@ find, after this long delay, one man that |
las the independence and honesty to con-
ess the fact before the world. Mr.. Leon 4
lrd was the most prominent leader of. the |
Democratic. party in the White League !
of 1874. He is perfectly familiar
With all the counsels, plans and designs of I
hat party. and. knows perfectly well the
Orce OF what he says. There are many |
ther men in this community that are quite
9 familiar with the unhoy Schemes of the
White League movement as Mr.. Lsonard is,
nd if they will have the courage to ac-
the errOrs-Of the past as frankly
. he hes done, and Join hands with him in
ny plan for fair election in which the
quail rights of all will be duly respected,
70 may confidently expect that political re-
ose which the people 80 much desire, and
rom the want Of which we have suffered
D omuch.-Shrcueport Telegram.
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