The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1879-09-13

VVO tuuuA OlA n1CuuS uH6U
! favors and ask a continuance thereof,
and respectfully solicit the patronage
of all who have not heretofore aided
US with subscriptions or advertise
ments.
THE DEBT AND THE DEMOCRATIC
PLATFORM.
Some time ago the CHIEF remarked
that
In discussing the debt question, the
Madison journal makes the statement
that "the platform OF the Democratic
party declared that none of the fraudu-
lent bonds should ever be paid" II the
journal will publish and identify the
plank Of the platform referred to, it may
serve to correct the very general impress
sion that the Democrats who favor repu-
diation of the debt as constituted under
the act and constitutional amendment Of
1874, are violating the declarations and
pledges Of their party.
To this banter the journal has
never responded, but the Baton
Rouge Advocate comes to the rescue
with the suggestion that
The part Of the Democratic platform
alluded to by our contemporaries is as fol-
lows: We hereby pledge our party to
the satisfaction of all legal obligations
issued by the State of Louisiana This
pledge is plain enough that the repre-
sentatives Of the Democratic,sp party in
the State nominating conventions Of
1876 and 1878 desired that all legal debts
OF the State should be paid, but they did
not commit their party to the payment
OF II single cent of the illegal or fraudu-
lent debt. That q part of the carpet-bag
debt was fraudulent there is no doubt,
but the greatest trouble is to ascertain
what part of that debt is fraudulent and
what part Of it is honest.
The Legality Of the entire debt as at
present constituted is too we'll settled
to be successfully questioned at this
late day, even by such sovereign"
body ss Constitutional Convention,
aaa the aaeeisi -aEgpmeat- -of our1
Baton Rouge friend has no applica-
ton to the merits Of the point under
discussion.
The first General Assembly organ
lied under the Nichols government
passed an act entitled
An act to enforce effectually the con
stitutional amendments proposed Jan
~
election held Oh the second of November,
1874, relative to the State debt and the
funding thereof.
This is known as act No. So of 1877.
The measure was approved by Gov.
Nichols and duly promulgated as one
of our State laws, under the operation
of which three.fourths of the existing
debt has been declared valid by the
present Supreme Court and a smaller
proportion funded BY the Nichols
Funding Board. All legal doubts as
to the adoption of the constitutional
amendments of 1874 are dispelled by
act So of 1877 and by decisions of the
Supreme Court reported in q A.
583, 20 A. 5ll, % A. 865, 80 A. 98l,
which affirm that
This amendment has become II part of
the constitution by it's subsequent ratjti-
cation by the voters at the polls.
Fnrthermore,.the Supreme Court of
the United States rendered decision
to the same effect, III October, 1875,
reported in Otto, page 53l.
1t is idle to oppose this insurmount-
able array of facts with sentimental
scplistry or hackneyed assaults upon
the Warmotb and Kellogg admins
trations. The legal aspect Of the
question is too plain to admit Of
momentary doubt and in view of the
declarations of the Democratic plat
forms of 1875 and 1873, pledging the
party to " DISQUALIFICATION Of all legal
h'igations issped by the State Of
Louisiana "a. to "the preserva-
ton Of the bblic faith" it can not
be gainsaid Chat Democrats who
favored repn1 Rtion. Of the State debt
or any portfe thereof, assumed
position violative Of the declarations
and pledges Of their party.
True, this may be now looked upon
as dead issue, to all practical intents
and purposes, inasmoch as the Cor
dian knot has been cut by the Con-
stitntional Conventions ordinance
recognizing the face Of the debt and re-
lucing the inteTest--which ordinance
is favored by the Madison Journal,
Baton Rouge A1roc0te aud Donald
sonville CHIEF, in common with al
most the entire State press-but il is
just as we'll to keep the record clear
as we go along andat the same time
to show our readers aud journalistic
contemporaries that the CHIEF is al
ways able to vindicate any position
it may assume upon questions of pub
lie interest.