The Louisiana populist. [volume] (Natchitoches, Natchitoches Parish, La.) 1894-1898, 1895-01-18

or: so that we could not have re-
ferred to them.
The whole gist of our article
shows plainly that we were crltl-
cisiug the Illegal and unwarranted
action of the police jury, which ac-
ton we could not theE, nor can we
now, account for except by attribu-
ting it, as we did, to desire to
make political hobby out of it.
The police jury may not be poll
ticians, but there is not now pO-
lice jury in this State that isn't IA
political creation a reward for
political services that have been or
may be rendered, and nobody pre-
tends to deny it. It is impossible
to have anything else under the
appointive system, which has very
properly been repealed as to them.
We do not claim that politicians
originated this movement. we
believe the four gentlemen named
above, are as free from professional
politics as any that could be found
in this city. But practical polltl-
clans seldom invent their hobbies,
though they are always found de-
cidedly on one side OF the other.
The story of the origin Of this
movement prohibition) as related
above, reminds us very forcibly of
a bit of modern history with which
the voters of NatchitOcheS are
painfully familiar.
In August 1890, the State Farm
ers Alliance met at Alexandria,
and during their session passed an
innocent resolution denOuncing the
La. Lottery as social and pOliti-
cal evil, (same against whiskey)
and pledging its united opposition
to it. Later. Baptist conventions,
Methodist conferences and great
city preachers denounced it.
Nobody supposed politics was at
the bottom of this, and they were
not, hut politicians took hold of 1t
and soon had farmers, churches,
preachers, and all cat the bottom
of it,n and the saddle well strap
ped on, and the world knows the
result.
In that fight we urged and beg
ged the Farmers Alliance to "turn
neither to the right nor to the left
but to keep straight ahead in sup
port of the "Ocala Demands" but
to no avail, the politicians were in
the saddle. They are now in office,
the lottery is dead and so is the
Farmers Alliance, while the Ocala
Demands are known only in the
Peoples party platform, and we
have a hundred lotteries worse than
the one we killed.
1t was to prevent a repetition Of
this history OH small scale thai
we sounded note of warning to
our party last week. We will vote
for prOhibitiOn-have always done
so, but when we hear q lawyer
who is enjoying some of the spoil<
of political victory (but OF course
he's no politician). say that proba
bly, 2-thirds of his practice grows
either directly or indirectly out Of
the sale of whiskey, and yet he is
in favor of prohibition, we fee
ashamed Ct the tameness of Oul
enthusiasm, and vainly look for a
chip with a spraddle-bug under it
We have heard one of our best
Populists say that prohibition was
a greater necessity in these hare
times, and that his party ought tt
endorse it. In view of the fac
that this would drive some OF Oul
support away, and prolong our ct
forts to relieve 'these hard times,
the proposition reminds us OF I
man who suggested that his neigh
Dor quit working for bread to salts
fy his hunger, but go hunt som'
green persimmons and eat them t.
draw his stomach up to a size tina
would suit his cupboard.
Some of our friends objected t.
o,,. OF "a onaut last WnQk that cOt