The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1884-03-29
I4et6er FROM u. .. SENATOR. N. r..
.HOmas.


Washington, d. G., March II, 1884.
Hon. Leon Jastremsld, Chairman Demo
cratic state Central Committee, Baton
Rouge, La;
Dear Sir; sec that the Executive
Committee Of our party have arranged
for thorough canvass of the State,
commencing at Franklin on the 18th
inst, and that they have done me the
honor 10 announce me as one Of the
speakers.
! greatly regret that duties in the
Senate will prevent me from taking
part in the canvass, as It wonld other
wise give me great pleasure to do.
For the next six weeks, questions
Of the greatest Importance to our peo-
pie will come up for action IN Con
gress, and ] cannot with safety be
absent from my seat Then. as men,
Der of the committee charged with the
investigation of (so-called) Copiah
county outrages, l am bound to watch
the interest of our Mississippi neigh
bors and to defend them, and the
Democratic party from this attempt
to revive the "bloody shirt" and to
rekindle the issues of sectionalism
and hate.
feel, however, that with the array
of talent which you have called to the
front that / shall not be missed, and
that the claims Of the Democratic
party, and of its chosen and hOnored
standard-bearer, will be fully set forth
and indicated.
The result of our State election will
be an overwhelming victory. The Re
publican ticket has been placed in the
field without hope or desire for sue
cess, but as it is the good fortune of
the gallant Democracy Of Louisiana
to he placed in front in the campaign
Of 1884, to have the privilege Of firing |
the first gun, and Of making the first
charge, they should see to it that their
vote shall be so large and their ma
jority so great rs to enable them to
maintain the post Of honor, which has
fallen to their lot, and at the same
time give encouragement to the grand
old Democratic army which is organ
izing for victory all over the land
The claim which is made by the
Republican party in Louisiana, that
their national organization, in and out
of Congress, are more favorable to
Louisiana interests than the Demo
cratic party, is wholly untrue. The
best friends of our sugar interest are
found in the Democratic party, and
its greatest danger lies in the fact that
the sugar tariff is a revenue tariff, and
as such obnoxious to the protection
lists, who desire to reduce revenue,
and at the same time to preserve the
prohibitory and oppressive duties upon
their manufactures, already fostered
in monopoliss.
So with the improvement of the
Mississippi river and rivers and har-
bors. While these are not party ques-
tiOns, and, happily, have conquered
opposition, yet the records will show
larger Democratic vote in their ia
vor, and a larger Republican vote
against them and the people will not
soon forget that the last river and har-
Dor bill Containing the appropriation
for the Mississippi river was vetoed
by the Republican President.
1t is a bad time for Democrats to
falter in their devotion and duty to
their party when Presidential cam
paign is about opening, which, if the
Republican leaders can So direct it, is
to be fought on no economic issues, [
on no questions of tariff, taxation or
civil reform, but on the bloody shirt,
investigation and Islander of the South
ern people, and proposed interference
with their elections and State govern
ments. /
This is the plan Of campaign which +
is being arranged by Sherman and Ma +
hone and Hoar and Chalmers and t
Others, at the inception Of which Dem. J
Ocrats in Louisiana are invited TO fol d
sake their party and either support
the Republican ticket or organize an y
Independent movement, which will l
lead its followers into the same camp i
as it has done in Virgiania and Mis-,
sissiPpi. l
The hope Of the people of Louis .
lana, as of the people Of this country,
is in the Democratic party. We have .
tried the Republican party in our c
State, and in the government of the .
Nation. We have rid ourselves Of its
baneful influence at home. Let us 2
maintain our organization, and con
time the good fight until it is driven
from the high places of the Nation. 2
In conclusion, ! repeat that it would .
be to me labor of love, as well as
a matter of personal interest, to take 4
part in the proposed canvass, but the G.
people have assigned me to other du-
ties, which | cannot neglect, and in I
attending to which ] can serve them 2
better than upon the stump. -,
In the Presidential campaign hope u
and expect to take an active part in 2,
The canvass of our State, and must de- q
fer until then my visits to the parishes. %
Very resDectfully. Of