The Opelousas courier. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1852-1910, 1890-05-31

specially dedicated to the advocacy r
anti lottery principles, voices in it's ia,
issue the following startling and signif
cant utterances
If this be so, we say drive out sue
Democracy and let us erect a pure. hon
est and true Democracy instead. If tb
States and Times Democrat arc deter
mined to drive it to split, let the spli
come and let the true, honest citizens q
the State meet it."
| We have italicized the word i" citi
zens purposely. The above languae
Is plain, clear, concise; its import can
not be evaded. 1t meaps exactly wba
1t says, and what it says means nothin,
but revolution and the establishment o
an independent party, including tha
erstwhile political factor, the negr,
element" According to usage, etymo
logical Interpretation aud the oft-re
peated decisions of the Supreme Cour
OF the United States, the word "negro
is iuclnded in the word "citizen,'' an(
when our contemporary uses the term
in connection with the context of tht
whole sentence, without restriction, ex
planatlon or reservation, our construc.
tion of the writer's object and meaning
cannot be disputed. It is idle to say
that reference to Democratic citizens
was solely intended. Aware as we are
OF the schemes and plots now going
on at the State capital by minority OF
dissatisfied and disgruntled Dem ocrats,
who, under the banner of "Rule or
Ruin," have been establishing their or
gani2ation in New Orleans, With rami-
fications in our various parishes, We
cannot say that We were unprepared to
hear the disgusting threat. These peo.
pie, like the rodent of the fable guawing
at a file. will find not only their efforts
futile. but will have soon to meet face
to face an Indignant Democracy that
will sternly call them to account.
AS far as we ourselves are concerned.
mirroring as it We're the views of a large
and honest Democratic population in
this parish, we utterly reprobate and
condemn the faintest allusion to the
possibility of a split in the ranks of the
Democratic party. To US it has been
pillar of light in the darkest hours of
our history, aud to it are we indebt
ed for that haven of prosperity and in.
ternal peace in which our ship of state
is now safely moored. IF it be true
(and the assertion has not been contra
dicted), that to Charles t. Howard's lib.
eral contribution was mainly due Lou
isiana's restoration to the galaxy If
States and the establishment of the
Nichols government in 1877; if the
people, grateful for the eminent ser.
vices lately rendered by the Louisiana
Lottery Co., and appalled, at the pros
pect in the near future of increased tax
alton, imposts and licenses necessary to
I'LL the Golfers of a depleted treasury
appalled, at the prospect of SUSPENDED
schools, broken levees, submerged fields.
unreclaimed lands and impending bank.
ruptcy through default on our State
bonds and accruing interest,"; if, we saw,
the people, in consideration of these to
them all.important subjects for serious
and calm thought, should think it TO
their interest and that of their wives
and children that the moneyed proffer
made by the Louisiana Lottery should
be submitted to them for final considera.
tion (the only true Democratic solution
of the question, by the way), we see no
grounded and justifabIe reason to resort
to the policy of disruption now so
openly advocated. On the contrary, we
think that the relegation of the whole
subject to the arbitrament of us, the
people, is the only Democratic line to be
pursued. To ignore this is to ignore
the principles upon which, like an ada
nantine rock, our party is grounded,
and woe to those who, entrusted by the
people with the guardianship of their
interests, betray the sacred trust. Like
the legislator in our own State who, op-
posing bill for the relief of our invalid
and needy Confederates, refused his
assent to the measure on the ground
that every parish should attend to its |
own paupers,' some of our lawgivers
may yet fall into the same condition of
ignominy and oblivion into which pub
lie indignation has since thrown him.
xAS