The Opelousas courier., 1885-05-23

Baton Rouge Capitolian Advocate.

of our contemporaries, the Dem
ocratic party of Louisianais des-
tined to undergo a thorough
transformation under the leader
ship of brood of political Nah
dis who arrogate to themselves
all the virtue in the State. These
anointed sayiors are to dispense
that mysterious .bugaboo "the
ring, with an army of immac-
ulates of all colors and former.
political affiliations, who are
being banded together to purify
the ballot box in particular and
the body polite in general.
To this end they have pro-
nounced anathema upon the
mass of the adherents of the
Democratic party organization,
whom they charge with being the
component parts of a huge ring.
that carries elections by fraud
and intimidation and perpe-
trates innumerable reprehensible
acts.
Our Mahdis, evidently, are
conscious of the fact that there
are.not enough high positions
to go around, and that their
chances to gain or retain high
places will be enhanced in pro-
portion to the. number of prom
inent men whose names and re-
putations can be stained by be-
ing classified with the ring" In
other words, it is upon the heaps
made of the ruined characters
of their fellow-citizens and for
mer political friends that they
hope to rise into eminence
BY the light of the sweeping
allegations of these self-styled
Reformers, the majority of the
Louisiana Democracy has been
made to appear abroad as a
reeking mass of corruption, I'M
til the name of Louisiana has
become synonymous with
everything that is loathsome.
According to these men the
abuses complained of can only
be corrected by the assistance
of the Republican party, and
Reform +" is to be sought at
the hands of the black v4,ters,
whose ballots III many portions
of the State are mere ehattels
for bargain and sale on the day
of election.
Yet, it is notorious that many
of the self-collstituted cham
pions of undifined reform, have
either occupied in the past or
are occupying now, positions OF
honor and emolument by the
methods they are SO loudly de-
nouncing, with which we dare
say, they are more familiar than
we, despite our connection with
the Democratic State Commit
tee as q member from 1879 until
December, 1883, and as its chair
man since the early part of 1884.
We do not claim for any par
ty or faction that every one of
its adherents is without blem-
ish /, nor would we assert that
an entire body of our felloW-cit-
liens is made up of corrupt and
unworthy men for, this would
apply with as much ~propriety
to any religious sect, because OF
the fact that there can be found
bad ministers Or backslidlng
brethren iii its ranks.
We c~heerfully admit that
among the organizers or sup
Dorters of the so-called. Reform
Democracy, are to be found
many respectable men but we
claim with equal justification
that the Democratic organiza-
ton which has been styled " the
ring,n contains as great a pro-
portion Of respectable men as
the Retormers have among
themselves.
We submit that it is not
among the ignorant masses OF
the black adherents of the Re
publican party that reforms are
to be sought, and that such at
tempts can only result ID dis
tracing aud demoralizing tire
body polite in Louisiana, which
is just beginning to right itself
from the repeated shocks it has
received since 1860.
We contend that the only
hope for the advancement of
Louisiana is in the maintain
ance OF the unity of the Demo
cratic party, which is composed
DE the mass of her INTELLIGENT
people ; and that it would be
suicidal to her interests and hap.
piness to permit it's disruption.
VIZ have always advocated