The Meridional. (Abbeville, La.) 1856-1906, 1888-01-14
Tire Eve Of tire Battle.

Governor Nichols was next ia
troduced and greeted with cheers.
He said that tomorrow would de-
eide, as far as the votes of the city
Democrats are concerned, whom
they wanted for governor. He has
been all over the State giving his
views on the situation as affecting
the State and the Democracy. He
comes a. a Democrat and speaks, as
it is his duty to do. Of things going
wrong and of the tendency and the
result of certain acts Of the administra.
ton. 1t docs not follow that the
people must agree with him, but
they will g.. least act advisedly.
He is a Democrat and always has
been. when he came from the army
in 1865 he could not vote, being u
West Point officer who serted in
the Confederate army. He remain.
ed in that condition for twelve
sears until elected governor. He
felt then, as now, an active, earnest
sympathy in all that concerned his
fellow.citiscns, for what concerned
them concerned him. He felt salts.
fed that in the success of the Dem,
ocratic party rested tire success of
the white people aud Of the State.
He has lot changed his opinion.
The present policy of the admins.
tration viii be continued i. the pre-
sem regime continues. The Demo-
cratic party is going to pieces and
the white people are drifting apart.
He will tell the people why. One
of the greatest causes of discomfort
is that the people struggled twelve
years to get rid OF Republicanism.
and certain Republicans slipped
into the Democratic party in the
liberal movement Of 1872, and be-.
came democratic leaders. and that
a Democratic governor is influenced
not 10y Democratic influences, hut by
the very men the people fought
against. These men have changed
the name of their party, bat not
their methods Of principles. They
have brought over Republican ideas.
methods aud rascality. That is
what he wants to get rid of, and so
do the people. BE does not want
them in front as leaders. If thcy
must stay in the party it must he in
the rear.
The present government has not
allowed any Democratic latitude of
thought. A mar who t|inks diff.
ferently from it Is not a Democrat.
A man whe was not for Niltz and
who is not for McEnery is as
thoroughly excluded as if he was q
Republican outright. That is all
wrong. It divides the party into.
two wings. He does not want to
create faction. He wants to unity
and solidity the party. He wants
every Democrat to feel that he O
selct whom he pleascs as his candi.
date, providing he supports the
nominee. He does not believe a
McEnery man to be q Republican.
He believes in giving preference to
political friends. bat this should not
be pushed too far until it becomes a
system Of exclusion. The appoint.
ing power must be exercised so that
the other side shall not feel cxclud.
cd. If the white people of Louisi.
ana should separate it would he a
great calamity.
Another cause Of discomfort is
that the governor, in order to as
certain what q country parish OF
city wants, used a method thorough
ly undemocratic. He selects one or
two lieutenant governors in each
parish. The patronage in the city
for the last four years, or even
seven years. has been practically ia
the hands of a single man. lestead
of going to the governor an appli.
cant must 60 to the man who has
got the governor. The people can
rest assured that If the speaker is
elected he will have no lieutenant
governor in New Orleans.
He wanted to show the tendency
of things. speaking as a Democrat
to Democrats. All power is con.
ccatrated in the governor. He ap.
points all the assessors, the police
iuries. which r the local leyisla.