The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1878-04-19
ARE DEmocRArs PLEDoEDs

ARE DEMOCRATs PLEDGEDs
The question has arisen, strange to
tell, whether or not the Democrats of
this State are pledged to n change of
Constitutions. We have heard defiant
challenges given publicly by Demo-
Gratis to the effect that no such issue
was ever raised and that the framing
of a new constitution is no part of the
Democratic creed. We thank and
bless our, stars that we live and died
not a few short months ago, for were
we an angel now, instead of being alive
and kicking, we should be In glory
with a pledge resting upon US to re-
deem Louisiana from Radical misrule
and to change the organic law of the
State. Living, we see aud recognize
our folly, and confess that our ignor-
ance has been supreme. We trust that
this point will not be disputed. To
that, at any rate, we stand pledged,
and we know of no law, or creed,
which forbids any one from acknow-
Lodging his ignorance and being sorry
for 1t. In the light Of recent revela-
tions, we discover that we have sinned
and sinned most egregiously. Hence,
we apologize. In this confession, how
ever, we are bothered by the files of
the TELEGRAPH. The situation Is
perplexfng. How are we to stake
back'' column after column of editorial
for a period of some ten or twelve
years, favoring a change of Constitu-
lions We cannot eat it all-there is
too much of it. And besides the guam
tity, we must say that as an article of
food we never took to dirt. Among
our earliest acquaintance was little
scrawny, tallow-faced boy-we see him
now-who had relish for dirt. This
boy induced US once to sample his fav-
orite food. He had eaten whole mud
chimnfes in his little life, but try as
much as we could, dirt as a diet, some-
how tailed to please our boyish palate.
1t was valuable lesson, and convinc-
ed us that, in spite OF all our honest
and well-meaning efforts, we could
not succeed as a dirt-eater, and we
have never tried dirt since. II We can
not eat dirt, how are we to swallow !
fourteen volumes of the TELEGRAPH i?
To be more serious, we invite atten-
ton, on the question OF constitutional
reform, to what was said by distin-
guished Democrat in the last campaign.
We refer to Gov. McEnery, who, in Il
speech made In Monroe, June 8, 1876,
said -
"The Democratic party did not in
tend to deprive the negro of any of his
rights; on the contrary, they would he
protected. Their schools would re-
ceive proper attention, and they would
receive their joint benefits out of the
school fund and it was the intention of
the Democratic party to educate them"
What did he mean? Simply that
Notwithstanding it was our purpose to
supersedc the Constitution of 1865 and
abrogate article 1876, wherein mixed
schools are established, yet the colored
people would be protected and provid-
ed for in the new constitution.
At the Baton Rouge Convention in
July, 1876, the Governor developed his
meaning more comprehcnsively as fol-
lows:
81 predict tonight that under the I'D
ADMINISTRATION of General Frank Mich
oils we will have genuine, substantial
reform in the State of Louisiana. i
predict that under his administration
for he is bound to be elected, that fact
was settled the moment the fiat went
forth from this convention that he was
to be the standard bearer of the Demo-
cfacy-I say that under his admins
tration we will have reform, and we
will ecti,pate at the dboninu6ie s'es,tlts
Of RadicaliSm inthe State Of louisiana"
Tremendous applause.
.Erti,pate is Il powerful and eX
pressive word and Gov. McEnery
knew full well its meaning. There is
no possible way of evading the conclu-
sion that to root out existing evils was
the pledge, and to substitute there for
a new and just constitution, and good
laws there under was the obligation
of that Convention.
II Gov. McEnery meant to lop off
this and that of the statutes and strike |
out this and that of the articles of the |