The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1890-10-11

Address Of Judge Beattie.

at Raceland, III September, at a mass
meeting of citizens residing on the
west bank of Bayou Latourche. Below
is a revised and correct report of that
speech III full.
Fellow citizens-You and | have
heard the explanation given by our
Senator of the manner of the passage
and the reason why he voted for the
AtclIafalaya Basin Bill.
This may be satisfactory to YOU,
but it is not to me, and being called
upon by you for my opinion, l shall
give it freely and distinctly.
Permit me to indulge in some re-
marks as to the past. 1t has been
many long years since l have had the
pleasure and opportunity to address
so Intelligent and SO representative an
assemblage as this-an assemblage SO
representative of the best intellect aad
highest worth of our parish.
Why | have been SO unfortunate-it
is useless now to tell. But this l will
say, that, however much | have differ
ed with my friends of Lafourche on
many questions, have at all times
acted with an eye single to what nv
best thought told me was for your and
my interest, and. am proud to say that
| believe you have given me full Gre
dit fer this good intent, for oft times
and again have you given me most
fattering testimonials of your regard
and respect. l thank you again and
again for this, and feel that if nothing
else be left them, it will be a proud
heritage TO my children when [ am
laid away with the friends of nv
youth. III the sacred soil of Lafourche.
This then will nerve me to other exer-
tons to attain and deserve your friend
ship and good will.
In some things, though | have been
much to blame, yes, we have all been
TO blame aud for this we must pav the
penalty awarded to all transgressions.
Many and often times | have refused
To meet my fellow citizens and discuss
with them the question OF the day. be-
cause l differed so widely from them.
Much blame should attach to me for
this, because it was my duty to discuss
with you, who have been so kind to
me i'll all things. 1t Is the duty Of
each citizen to discuss with his fellows
the public questions of the day that
all OF us may act intelligently and be
not led by demagogues and charlatans
who endeavOr to mould the public
vote Tor mere place and pelf.
We are all to blame for allowing
ourselves to be caught and divided by
the catcfi-penny appeals of the dema-
gogue who In the name of party fealty,
demands from us treason to the people
and the state, by asking OF us to do
unholy and ~unrighteous things, because
party and faction demand it.
Too often have we allowed ourselves
to be coerced into voting for and sup
porting unworthy and incompetent
men, simply because they had been
baptised into the party by worse and
more incompetent men. When we
stand as we now Go, before the confess
sional of public opinion, let us each
and every one of us exclaim "mea cuI-
pa, mea magma culpa," acknowledging
our great wrong and grievous sins
against the people. and pledging our
best endeayor never again to sin in
like manner If we do this earnestly
and t%ruthfully we will not again be
mlsrepresented and we can no longer
be blamed for our suffering by being
told, it Is the result of the acts of II
" representatives.
The senator has told you that a GER
tain clique Or faction, as he terms it,
by pretending to be Democratic is
claiming to possess all the good in
the Democratic Party, and is ~ceaseless-
ly endeavoring to besmirch the d
tations OF all men who differ with them.
and who, the senator says, are the
special adllerents of true Democracy.
He has alluded to criticisms lately
passed by someo of the public press upon
certain official u%tterances of mine.
AS for me, | lay no claim to exemp-
ton from just criticism, but in this case
| shall appeal from the Agrippa of the
Press to the Caesar Of the people who
made me and whose representative I
am for the distinct purposes laid down
IN the charter which they have given
into my care.
AS to the Senator's remarks against
some people in the Democratic party.
1T IS not for me to defend them. Once
l thought | knew what Democracy
meant. l ought to know for | drank If
in with my mothers mllx and learnt
its principles at my fathers knee who.
you know for long years stood us about
the sole representative of that line of
thought among you. say l thought
l knew somewhat of its meanings bur
the word Democracy has of late DAYS
been SO desecrated to unholy purpo
ses that If it h.s tha