The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-07-09
COL. w. w. FARMER.
HIS REPLY TO TIE CRITICISMS OF
THE RTCHLANO BEACON.
TO the pemoorat!c e Conservative Voters Of Rich

Riehland Beacon OF March DO, 1878, headed
Warning" 81
The Democratic mass meeting at Rayvilley
which was the first movement Of the cam
paign, and was attended by not less IMAM luu
voters, did not remember. that the hichlehSa
Beacon had ever published such an edltoIial,
and that meeting did not have In view That
editorial when it Endorsed that paper as tine
true exponent OF the public sentiment OF Rich
land parish" But on the surface, ana WITH
out further explanation, 1t seene1 tnab bhe
mass meeting had committed the Democracy
of Riehland to the views contained In the
warming"
/ said my only object is to show the De-
fnocracy OF Richland the attitude In winch
the resolution Of the mass meeting has placed
them, and to call their attention to the pro-
priety Of a reconsideration
did not "assai those who favor" constl-
tutional convention. did not attempt TO give
The people Of Richlaud any advice on tnaU
subject nor did | make any suggestion con
corning aeonvention. ! made no personal az
tack on the Richland Beacon as newspaper,
OF on It's editor as q man or politician. 49,
But the editor Of that journal, III MS ISSUE
of june 20, 1873, published an editorial, more
than column in length, IN the sublect OF my
communication In the, Vlckbusg Hef9Sd.
and on myself, personally as q politician. Inc
editor of the Richlaud Beacon owns news
paper. i do not. He has the same advantage
over me which one combatant armed with
rifle, has over his adversary, unarmed. Com
mon fairness required that, when he pub
tion, he should have reproduced my commu-
niCation in his own columns, so that his read
ers would have had the whole matter before
them. He failed to do so, This was not
mere oversight on ms paTTf5 he eohG 5ernI
published Capt. Farmers letter, Will i, Il De 50
kind as to copy this reply therefor Ihat IS,
the editor of the Richland Beacon not only
wants the ben fit Of Its own circulation put
also wants the additional circulation OF the
Vicksburg Herald, so that his article would
appear in two papers, while mine appeared
In but one and was Intentionally excluded
from his own columns, in order that the
people of Richland to whom 1t was addressed,
should not see it. .
He did not even repubish the "Warning."
This omission was also Intentional, 50 that ne
could claim that he had said things III Jhe
''Warning" which that article did not CON
tain For instance, in his last editorial, ne
ave warned the majority to be on guard
and not allow their cherished desires and OBJ
jects to be defeated by trickery.
"And we further said that II they, by unfair
means, tried to force their policy upon the
party it would not be supported"
The warning" contained no such Ian
guape In words or in substapce.Had 1t done
SO, no one could complain Of it. No politician
or voter is under obligation to support a po-
litical policy which is forced upon the party
by unfair means" The "Warnng" speaks
for itself and will decide the question of its
own contents to any one who will read 1t. 1t
can be read if the Rlchland Beacon will re-
publish it.
The object of my address to the people of
RichIand has been accomplished The editor
Of the Richland Beacon plainly admits that
he did not "mean just nrecls ily what ne said
in the warning" He says: Give 1t the
meaning we intended, and we reiterate 1t. "
He really meant something else eChtch ne dtt
not san. ] cheerfully COnCrde that he intend
ed to say, that ''if they (the anti-convention-
ists) by unfair means, tiled to force their
policy upon the party 1t would not be sup
ported" He further says, addressing me per.
sonally: "But you need entertain no fears OF
their (the Democrats of Richland) kicking out
of the traces or refusing to abide by the de-
cision Of the State convention, II they are
allowed o fair deal therein" Barring the in
timation in the last line that the Democratic
Conservative State convention could be capa-
bic Of allowing an unfair IDEAL" under any
circumstances, the last quoted remark OF the
Richand Beacon covers fully the position TO
which called attention in my first commu.
nication No one can object TO the Rlchland
parish convention ndorsing that as the true
continent Of the Riehland Democracy.
AS to the pers NAL attacks made upon my
self as a politician by the editor OF the Rich
land Beacon, they were not provoked or
Justified by my communication. But any
man is weooEne to throw stones at my po-
Iitical "glass-house." "Plain truths" may DC
ttunpleaSant" for the editor to "tell, but 1t is
not "unpleasant" for me to hear any truth.
But it is not truth" that my Failure as q
Yolitician brought defeat upon the party III
the Fifth Congressional District In 1876, and
sssent o carpet dagger to represent us LII Con
gress."
I received more votes In the parishes com.
posing the Fifth Louisiana Congressional
District, than any candidate who ever ran on
the Democratic ticket. In my own parish VI
OuachitA ran ahead of the whole ticket, re-
eeiyinu thirty votes more than Gov. Nichols
In the parish of RichIAnd | received sixteen
votes more than Gov. Nichols. In the parish
of Lincoln, where 1t was supposed would fall
behind, ] received only one vote less than
Gov. Nichols. In the parish of jackson
where 1t was supposed | would run largely
behind / received twelve more votes than
Gov. Nichols. | ran. two votes behind IL
behind in Caldwell. l ran even with Coy
Nichols in Morehouse, Madison, Concordia
and Franklin. | lost a considerable number
of votes in CatahOula by Democrats voting
tickets with the name on them by mistake OF
Mr. Elan, candidate for Congress in the
Fourth District. ran somewhat behind the
ticket in the strong Radical parish Of Tensas
and in the parish Of Carroll, where Mr.. Leon
ard resided. | certainly lost no votes in those
two parishes on account of being too mild q
Democrat.
In the whole district received votes only
fifty-six less than Gov. Nichols, who was the
most popular candidate ever before the PEG
pie of Louisiana.
No congressional candidate could have re
ceived more votes than Gov. Nichols. Mr
Leonard's total vote was 14,427, mine 130O6
his majority over me was 1871. Had re
ceived as many votes as Gov. Nichols in this
district would have still been defeated by
1851 majority The foregoing figures were
promulgated In December, 1876, by the Demo
cratic Board Of State Carvassers.
In fact, was nominated as forlom hope
with almost a Ger tainty OF defeat. Nobody
expected me tp be eleCtpd. did not expect it
There was registered colored majority o
1000 in This district | accepted the nOmfna
ton with great reluctance, upon the urgency
of friends, who insisted that 1T was my duty
I made the canvass at large personal ex
nenge neglected my business, gave my time
impaired my health-stumped the greater
part of the district for the whole ticket-all II
a hopeless personal cause, but doing my full
duty to the party and exerting all my ener
giles to carry the State for the Democratic
ticket. ! have been ensured because woul'
not contest Mr.. Leonards seat In Congress
by votes ACTUALLY cast" The position takel
by our party before the Returning Board am