The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1879-01-29
Testimony Before the Blaine Cont
mittee.

Several gentlemen of this city-gen-
tlemen for whom We have the highest
respect, and whose Judgment Is, under
ordinary circumstances, entitled to re-
spect-have added the weight of their
opinions and hypothesis to the mass
of hypothetical facts which the Teller
Committee are collecting as the basis
of an indictment against the people of
Louisiana. 1t is curious to note that
character of the different witnesses
produced for this purpose, and the or
der in which they are brought forward.
First we have negro who fancied
terrible doiugs in Natchitoches; then
a white Republican who heard fright
full things in Tensas; then an ex-
Democrat whose recent zeal for the
defeat of the Democracy filled him
with opinions of atrocious frauds in
Orleans then negro Republican who
was confident that the white people in
,Concordia are set of bloody bull
dozers; then another city gentleman
and ex-Democrat who sw0re that the
other city gentleman and ex-Democrat
was perfectly correct in his judgment,
because he ought to know all about it.
1t is also curious to note how strange
ly a gentleman of intelligence and le-
gal attaiuments like Mr.. Walker de-
hides himself as to the nature of evil
dence, in giving what, by a peculiar
stroke of humor, is called his testi-
mony. On looking over it, in the
newspapers, we find that it is COM
posed almost entirely of charges and
accusations, and that it is almost des-
titate of specific facts having any rela-
tion to these charges and accusations.
Mr.. Walker, for instance, declares that
the election was '1one- sided"-what-
ever that may be; that he lie satisfied
that fictitious majorities were given to
Democratic candidates he was con
vinced that votes for the Citizens
ticket had been returned for the Dem
ocratie ticket; he knew that illegal
votes were cast for the Democratic
candidates; bat he seemed to think
that the mere oral enunciation of these
opinions, persuasiOns and convictions
would pass for evidence. Mr.. Walker
il a lawyer and, of course, he knows
that this is all nonsense; but the curl
ous fact remains that, being lawyer,
and man who perfectly we'll knows
the nature of evidence and the value
of testimony, he could bring himself
up to the point of substituting for evil
dence the stories which one picks up
at street corners, and the vague char
ges which every unsuccessful party is
ready to bring against its successful
opponents. We do not know what
Mr., Walker expects to accomplish By
making these opinions and charges a
part of the record of the Teller Com.
mittee. We do know, however, that
the only use intended to be made of
their record by committee is to preju-
dice the Democratic party, and espeei-
ally the Southern Democracy, in the
eyes of the country. For that purpose
the opinions ct men who, like Mr..
Walker, will he represented as Demo
Gratis, will be IA valuable, perhaps
oven more valuable, than tho tcstimo-
ny of Dave Young, of Concordia, or
Bretla, of Natchitoches. If it has any
effect at all, that effect viii be to forti-
fly the Republicans of the Blaine school
in their raid on the Southern States, in
their arbitrary ares is and lawlcss per-
secuti0ns of Southern citizens, and in
their scheme to coerce the South back
into the power Of the Republican par
ty.-INew Orleans Picayune.