The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1878-02-23
4 New Political Party.
IN. O. Democrat I

we 90 not deny that this defense oi
the lottery against onr charge would
prove Il very formidable one. But we
arc not doing that. We are prosccu.
ting the infamous lottery monopoly
broader grounds; VIC are prosecuting
it upon the great fundamental plinci
piles which undcrlic evil government.
johnson was imprisoned, it is true,
for violating an injunction Of the court
and not directly for trcspasSing upon
the sacred franchises of the Louisiana
Lottery Company. But the INDUCTION
for tho violation of which he, Il fee
citizen of Louisiana, was imprisoned,
was issued to restrain him from do
ing that which was no otfrnse what
ever until corrupt Legislature,
bought up by the Lottery Company,
in the interest of that company, trans
formed it into 4 crime and deprived
the perpetrators Of it of the in"l ena.
bic right of trial by jury, and the ben
ctit of the most common and just rule
of evidence. Our charge, therefore,
stands good, literally and in every
sense of the word. a great crime was
committed in the imprisonment of this
man Johnson under the authority of
an enactment of u Legislature Of this
State which the present House of Re-
representatives. refused to rcncal.
Had the Legislature, elected By the
people of Louisiana in their great
struggle for emancipation from the
thraldom Of Radicali>m and for the
establishment of constitutional 60.
vernmcnt, repealed the rotten charter
of the Louisiana Lottery or primary
school for gamblers, or the damnahle
laws enacted to increase and protect
tie franchises of that immoral and
debasing institution, we hold that
this man wonld no, have been dcpri-
we'd of his liberty. We were, there
fore, substantially correct. Perhaps
the case is even worse than we first
represented it, and the country is in.
vitcd to contemplate the spectacle OF
a Federal court called upon to Issue q
high writ of injunction and to impris-
on an American citizen on the strength
of laws of Louisiana, enacted, not fol
the protection Of society and the re-
preston of crime, but for the benefit
of gambling monopoly and the up
holding of practices which. in every
civilized country, are outlawed ant
stigmatized as disgracetul and dcba-
sing. In justice to the Lottery Com
pany we have made this correction o.
our article of Wednesday, and thu
company is welcome to whatever ben
eft it may derive from it.
But it is not only because this no
nopoly has been able to have either
of the State cast into prison at its owl
sweet will that We have opened wal
upon it. The Lottery Company is ;
constant menace to the best interests
of the State. 1t exists in contraven
ton of the plainest principles of mo
rality; public sentiment naturally an
| tagonizes it, and it necessarily ant
| naturally, IN self defense, antasoni
yes the people. In the nature o
things it can have no politics and vii
| always cast its wealth aud rally it
| hencLmen on the side which will otte
it protection. When radicalism wa
in the flush of ;p"wer tho Louisian;
Lottery was a generous contributor Il
its support. When the power of tina
company was evidently on the wap'
the Lottery became wonderfully Dc
mocratic, and poured in its contribu
tons to that cause. How does it stan'
now i? II actually threatens to oyyani:
a Louisiana Lottery party ~ the State
1t has combined with other monopO
lies and with rings of spectators t
maintain their own corrupt existence
This combination constitutes the nu
cleus of the Lottery party. All til
corrupt, weak and purcIasable ele
ments in the leadership of the Demo
cratic party have been or are Oein
bought up, and a large following ha
been gathered in from the Radics
party. This combination is solidl
arrayed against = constitutional cor
vention. Far be it from US to sa
that all who oppose the conventio
are parties to this disreputable com
bination. We know that there al
many good and patriotic men VIII" or
pose the convention. But it is non
the less true that the force an
strength of the opposition IS in til
scandalous combination. Yesterda
the agents of this new party, compo
sed Of rings and monopolies, untru
Democrats and corrupt Radicals, wei
busy "Gxiug'' tho Republican men
beers of the Legislature. During sew
eral hours of the d., Radical member
we're seen in gangs OF two and thrt
going into certain room in the Sta
Honse, adjoining the hall of the Hous
of Representatives, to confer with
notorious agent and henchman of Il
Lottery Company. A short time a
ter these significant visitations we
ended a prominent Radical remarke
that the convention was now sure
dead, as every Republican member
the House would vote for the amen'
ments and against the convention.
The secret of this is that tho nc
: party has but one end in view-tl
preservation of the so called vest'
rights Of the monopolies and rings.
1t will acceptany and all amcnduleu
so long as there is no effort to repe
. their charters or disturb the power
g the moAopolies.
The theory Of the leaders of Il
new party, organized against the pc
pie, is that if these charters and fra
cbises are undisturbed they can so
t control the politics Of the State md
+ any sort Of a patched up CONSTITUTE
thnk ,,,oc In 1oC;soI3 'Cho,. orn ~