St. Landry democrat., 1889-08-03
The Arrest Of the Regulators.
\, o, Times. Democrat

n. o. Times. Democrat
Ile determined action OF Gov. Mich.
oils ln sending troops to Lafayette and
arrestlng the regulators who lately
broke into the parish Jail there, iyncI,ed
a prisoner, and were guilty of other law.
less acts, means an end to regulators in
tlis State. The Governor has declared
I'D no uncertain tones, that lawlessness
OF this kind will not be tolerated iu
Louisiana, hut that the local authori-
ties will receive from the State all the
aid and assistance they need to preserve
order and enforce the law.
! Such step WAS inevitable form the
start. Gov. Nichols, unwilIingiy to act
hastily, restrained action until further
endurance became impossible.
Inc Hines Democrat is of opinion
that vigorous proceedings should have
been taken immediately after the New
Iberia affair, W hen it first became evil
dent that a spirit Of lawlessness prerail-
ed Id that section of Louisiana. The
White Gap movement in Indiana had
convinced us that the authorities could
not move too quickly in suppressing
any organization which proposed to
take the law into its own hands, to defy
tne authorities and to administer JUS
tice. The Governor and many other
an honest difference, notas to whether
the law should be enforced or not. but
whether the time had yet arrived for
extreme measures. They hoped that
the matter would settle itself without
the use of force we feared, from past
experience, that the regulators would
be emboldened and encouraged to
greater exeesses by the false idea that
Inc State authorities would take no |
steps against them.
Then came the Lafayette affair. The !
town election was stopped by the regu- !
lators; and When arrests followed and |
trials We're threatened, it was suddenly |
announced that the judge of the dis
trlct had decided to retire from the
bench. Jnd go DeBaillon has the ex
cuso OF Ill health for his retirement.
put u IS an open secret in Lafayette
that the regulators played an import
ant part here; and they are reported to
nave followed it up by meeting and re-
co,hulenulhs as successor to the
lnugeshlp gentleman who, they an
nounced, would be acceptable to the
regul lator sentiment of the district.
1t is scarcely to be wondered at that
with. these successes, the regulators
should be tempted into a still more
reckless defiance OF the authorities
.ldlng INTO town in broad daylight, de-
tylng the sheriff and all his power,
lammering away at the Jail and finally
ynchlng prisoner. Such, in brief. il
history of the rise and fall of lawless-
less and the regulators in Lafayette-
or it is not probable that they will sur-
I'VE the vigorous action of the Gov
'rnor. The malady Threatened to spread
hrongh South Louisiana Just as white
apism had done in Indiana; and in ST.
landry Law and order association was
ecentiy formed to protect that parish
rom similar deeds.
Fortunately the action of the Gov
iaor has rendered unnecessaryl such
ssoclatlons for protection from regu-
atofs or law breakers. Gov. Nichols '
as given assurance that whenever the 1
over OF tue Sts.se is needed TO support
as acted as Gov, Eagle, of Arkansas. At
crest City, aud Gov. Seay. of Alahnma
{ Birmingham, and as other Southern
GOVERNORS do III similar emergencies.
hlte Caps may still flourish under the
yes OF the desperate Foraker and the /.
cree hlters but regulators raust rot and
Ill not be tolerated in the South. The
oVernors action ought to settle this
aestion torever-that an organization
defiance of the law, which takes the
'Vernment In its own hands, which
'rces Judges IRON the bench aud defies
le sherltfs and all their power, cannot
ld VIII not be tolerated here. He has
ven tiie subject full thought and con-
deratIob. Aud now that he has acted,
wv that ne says that further patience
impossible, and that q vigorous course s
dealing With the law breakers is ne
ssary: every man i'll Louisiana should E
ppoft him, heast aud soul, in his en-
aV0r to suppress violence, and to as q
re Louisiana that peace and order is {
sential TO its progress and prosperity.