The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-11-20
THE STATE CAMPAIGN,
Speech or Hon. II. VI. Spotiord III
the 81. Charles Theatre.
An Able Review Of the Political Situ-
alton Why the New Constitu-
ton Should BE Adopted
and the Democratic
Ticket Elected.

Charles Theatre, we gave merely n avnopsis
OF the speech Of Senator Spoffori. Having
received numerous requests from the eoun-
try To have tht. speech published IN fult, we
take pleasure In complying On being intro
dueed TO the audience. Mr.. Spofford said.
congratulate you, fellow citizene or Loual-
ana that enough III freedom Ia i'll left ia IA al
low Of our meeting IN public assembly aud TAX
Ing council together concerning the abolition w
n new constitution of State government In
herent aud pdes'runtihla na thia right IN tx
every free commonwealth, but short time
since ita exercise by ua would have been auea-
toned by the imperial will of central dnmina-
tlon. II was proclaimed hy Republican urgana
everywhere that hhe Democracy wns reaction
mate results W the late deporabla war 10, to
pref liice the emanoipated ,e"lofel people of
the south and consolidate tho white people "
the North against the Democratic party II was
for long time naiaied that there ~ design
to ra-estahlish alavary-a design whien no
tain unless ha likewise fanoiei ho had power
to stop the rotation Of thr earth ana to turn
back the stars In their ooulses.
When this false charge became too Htala md
too manifnHty absurd for further uao, the aamo
pai!isans took up q new slogan. still, with old
South and iuHame the white paapta Of tho
North. That cry was: Give th, 90 Democrats
local aelf-Rovarnmaut and they vii, apeediy
diHfranchise tho oolored elemen =, nr nut auab
legal obstacles In their way as ta deprive laI ga
mass Or them of the right pf sufraua"
n, Behold The result of these alandernna predio
old constitution Of Massachusetts aa II now
stands, with the ratified amendments of lsl2
mud 1851 face to face with the new constitution
of Louisiana adoptal In convention last
July and now before peu for ratification nr rn-
lection. In Part Of Federai and state opnati-
tutipna, pages p12 aud nfn, you will rani tha.
o-haY-hy the fundamental law of Mas
aachHEetts no pnrapn ear vote whr has not pnih
any stnte or county tav assessed ngalnst him
within two yeara prior to the election. ana
further. that no person who WAS not n voter OF
over sixty years old III 1857 eau yoteor hold
ONCE unless he ia able 10 read the constitution
In the Engllsh language and II write lila namei
Now, whether aa is sometimes alleged nv Re-
nuhlieans. more OF the poor and iiliterata pep-
cratic party than with the dominant party
there, II ~ immatarial fcr III tx inquire But II
la material g consider ha' poverty md Utter,
acv are obstacles to the exercise of the right of
suffrage Ia that analnnt and hoeorahle COM
monwealth. aui that ther believe that II II one
Of their reserved state rights 60 intorpoae such
obstacles. III tho right In reserved 10 Masaarhu,
setts II IL reserved to Louisiana as well.
But, 10 the face of THE tluatrioua Republican
tionary, hudo5ine convention done2 Ar.
tiele 1875: Every male eti5an nf the United
states andhvery male rarsan q foreign birth
legally declared hta Intention to become ~ ntti.
zen of tho United Ela'aa hafcrg no offers to
vote who IL twenty ono Years oli or npwards
possessing tho following qualifications, shall ho
mn elector and shall be entitled TO vote at any
election by the peonie, except IA hereinaftei
L.
the State at least Que yyear next preceding the
election at which he orera to vote. . liz shall
be m actual resident or the parish IN which he
offers to vote ut least atx months next preceding
the election: ;. III shall he M actual reaidant
of the ward VI precinct In wH'.,'t i,5 cfrAra to
sHss a h,y "ys pg he
of certain crime ide aud insanity made
The only dAlual frationa.
Article Ina positively declares that mo uunli+
flcation OF any kind Tor suifrage or offlet. unf
any restraint upon the aa'na, on account of
race raes. e., color la or previous condition shall be
II Ia notorious that the eleat "A for momhars
to the convention that framed thla constitution
was % hloodleas y" 'aaAbla. orderly and free au
phhlioana o'H IA all their candidates that were
popr'Fr @i,suEh ta hn rhnaan AT n fair nnd nrnn
threat These memh sra conceded, la speepbes
on tho floor nj he close of the prntraotad ans-
sion, that they had haen treated with perfect
fairness aud courtesy by the cnnvnuttn and by
tts distinguished aud able preaidng nfNlrnr
now the standard bearer of the Democratic
party fer The ,oillta of Governor. Why, aft or re-
fuStnE tn their party platform I'd dnntafnn an. o.
position to the constitution, they shonli now Ia
running muck. aaanst title bard III conceive
thes nassfs aHSas haea & n' y"wr n 'snr
tn kicks, like u unrnnl of jumping lacks, through
strings that Hrn heIi hy thric masters III Wash
We 10 not claim hat thts constitution Is
perfect Mas no work nt man is over unrfnnt
Unceasing oh 4nsn IA tho law IF his being.
hla bats hr'v"E an ana on. ana anchored ue'er
shfi' ne'
But that II IL graat impr 1vnnnnt upon the
constitution pf 1863 hannot ha Iustly gatn4aiA.
What a world Of Woo II W uld nAva saved thia
State had II hann adopted thnni Tha ,lp 4patis
ahuaa Of III gotten power hs the ttular tlrn,l uf
tho Stat t1t-ihn swarma of aNerutiyn iHynritrs
sent 80 penpla among whom lhoy wern atrau-
gars. "a hara+s them nuana uptheir Substance
tho conversion Df mntrauNitan paliea into An Al
tssaries ~ roam avor ana tarrarisalhN Sta.ant
largo ~" creation d HiEautie mnn@u"ias to
the oppression III suall iAll"r4- opnn pur-
chase and Haln NJ aala At INHt+lriNn aud fha
excessive assessmrnta ana dnap taxation that
well nigh Er, uni thn vnty marrow cant nr our
bones all or much of the1e might htvh haan
spared us during that long anl dismal night of
carpet bag gasetament had VIZ nniayei such
u state constitution a. IL naw proposed.
IL hns been aRih II nuts the u lSnrnment in u
straight Jacket. Wall Wa haya hni l. sgislaturrs
and acting governors who ought to hava been
In straight ickat4. They ar" convenient things
70 have about whom nAuahs fanry thnnt-elvN Il
singa or usurp tho prornsatiyos of HIN who
a I = II