The Opelousas courier., 1894-10-27
Now and Then.
West Baton Rouge Sugar Planter.

West Baton Rouge Sugar Planter.
The McEnery-F Foster Lottery anti.
Lottery contest of 1891-92 developed
active and bitter p%artizans, who espous.
ed one cause or the other. Among the
most prominent and noisiest of the anti
Lottery prO-Foster leaders were Messrs.
Henry and Richard Mccall and Ed. N.
Pugh, of Ascension, and Henry P. Ker-
nOchan and James Wilkinson, of Pla-
quemines. In season and out of season
these gentlemen shouted in one breath
to the McEnery people: "TAe Lot
tery's offer of $1,250.000 to the State is a
bride, which we spurn with contempt %
and in the next they cried: "Our De-
mocracy is purer than that of the Nc
Eneryites'; they want to turn the State
over to the Republicans and the Mig
gers!" Finally, when Judge McEnery
had been nominated by a clean, clear
cut majority of the white Democrats of
Louisiana, these WORTHLESS set up the
standard of revolt, and, by methods
that need not be discussed here or now,
placed Gov. Foster in the gubernatorial
the new dispensatiOn were individually
receiving from the Federal Govern
tent a bounty of 2 cents for every
pound of sugar they put on the market.
Time rolled o. For some months af-
ter the election and inauguration of the
Democratic State and National admin
istrations, all was happiness within the
camp of Mccall, Pugh. Ware, Kernochan
q Co.. They were waxing fat on the
bounty so generously given them ont of
Uncle Samuel's crib by Tom Reeds bill
l%ion-dollar Congress. Finally a cloud
formed on the hitherto bright horizon
OF the bounty-blue sky-a small cloud,
perchance, but one that BODIED evil to
the bounty as a 15-year institution. A
Democratic Congress, in obedience to
the pledges and promises made the
people in 1892, had begun to formulate
a tariff bill-a measure in which, assur-
a 2x4 place. And then Mccall g. Co.
began a hegira to Washington such as
has never been seen before or since.
They buttOn-hole and waylaid Sena-
tors and Representatives by night and
by day they darkened the doors au,!
committee-rooms Of both Houses they
made the air heavy with plaintiye cries:
but all in vain. The bounty vas DOOM
ed. Its death-knell had been sounded
b.. the American people.
Back in the exciting days of the CAM
paign of 1892 Mccall & Co. had learned
to dicker-and to bolt. They had dick
cred with Johnny Fitzpatrick and other
guileless b'hoys down in the Crescent
City and, while success had not always
crowned their efforts, they had at least
acquired considerable experience and
tinesse in the science Of political diplo-
Why not make use of the arts
u md wIInc tnnrral Sr h~~-- l---0
not, indeedq With Mccall, Ker.
nochan, Ware g. Co. to think was to act.
Seeking Thos. B. Reed and Wm.M cKin-
ley, Jr., the Louisiana planter-politi-
clans made a reciprocal dicker, the
terms of which were that the aforesaid
planters were to carry three of the Con- |
gressional Districts OF this State for the
ndidates Of the Republican party and
in return therefor-what9 Po- |
|itical honors 7, Patronage9 A large
sum Of money spaid into Louisiana's
for the support of our levees, |
schools. charitable institutions, etc.f
No. These political purists had sold
to Reed and Mckinley, and
offered to turn over to the tender mer-
lies of Demas, Herwig, Pinchback, |
Badger ct ais. three Of the fairest Con-
sressional Districts of this State, for a
consideration. That consideration is a
,-cent bounty Cor an equivalent duty
. be PAID into the pockets Of these plant
out Of, the national treasury, BY Re-
urn to po'0er in future!
Satisfied with their political deal, the
'ugar planters left Washington, and,
eturning to Louisiana, threw off, like a
Vorn-out garment, the cloak of Demo
;racy, which they had worn so loosely
md SO long. The fact that "there is
10 zeal like the zeal of a convertn has
'een exemplified 10 this instance, be-
'ause they have denounced the Demo-
ratio party as the one and only parent
Il every crime in the decalogue. And
ct b0unty-grabbers, who are willing to
ell themselves, body and soul, to the
party, for a bribe /; who are
by the use Of negro votes,
o defeat the Democratic candidates in
he First, Second and Third Congress
ionat Districts !; these are the men who,
hree short years ago, had the consum-
nate effrOntery to howl themselves
oarse about bribery" negro domi-
ation," the honor and manhood of
be State" etc.!
Under existing circumstances, the
and loyal Democrats of the three
~istricts have a plain duty to perform.
iet them turn out to q man on election
ay and bury Beattie, Coleman and
under an avalanche of votes
nd thus rebuke those men who, by
heir own words and deeds, are Repub-
cans for revenue only. If, on the 9TH
+ hand, through Democratic apathy or
cause, this mercenary revolt
eed in whole or in part, then indeed
ill a perfect Pandora's box of evils be
armed loose upon us-a calamity from
'hich we may we'll exclaim: GOOD