The Louisiana populist. [volume] (Natchitoches, Natchitoches Parish, La.) 1894-1898, 1896-05-29
The Situation i'm Our State.

cracy has been taken and still W.
live, and some people believe THU
is 1.-THE land of the free and the
home of the brave"
No one who knew Democracy
when it was the champion of right
and the friend of the people, would
recognize even a semblance of it.
self in the political corporation
known IN this State as the Demo
cratic party. There was a time
when the name was dear to the
people, when a man would almost
strike his friend If he should charge
anything dishonorable or selfish to
the party, but how is it now
Compared to its former self it is
about as unblushing and dyed in
shame, as the harlot compared to
the virgin, There is now no pre-
tension to honesty or fair dealing,
but like a gaming table surround
ed by black-legs, many of the
leading spirits would consider it
puerile to be considered honest.
When men are SO unblushing in
their schemes of rascality as to de-
clare that they have the power and
intend to use it to their own adj
vancement and interests, no mat
ter whether they are regularly
elected or not, it is time for the
people to ask themselves what is
coming next. -
There is only one hope for re-
form in this State, and that must
come by the Australian ballot law,
or something similar. 1t is against
our principles, established by the
founders of the republic, to have
taxation without representation"
but what are we having to-day, if
it is not that in its most repulsive
form ? With such q law, enforc-
ed, as it would be, a part at least
will have representation, and this
part being identified in general in
terest with the great masses, would
look after the general welfare, and
perhaps in few years such prog
ress could be made that dis barment
from political rights might be en-
tirely removed. -
As matters now stand, a few
men with the political machinery,
for that express pur-
pose, can perpetuate themselves in
power against the will of the
wealth and intelligence of the
State. The Democratic party-so
callcd-retains it's hold upon the
Offices throughout the State by ex-
actly the same means and through
The same influences that the old
Republican party so
long kept its foot-hold. While we
had faith in the business of the |
of men, we believed it
wrong to debar a large number of
people from the privilege of
protecting their personal rights
through the use of the ballot, but |
Iince, we see that the masses of the |
State are unable or unwilling to
,ope with this octopus of a politi-
,al corporation, we believe it best
o narrow the fight down to white
,asis, believing that the true prin-
,iples of Americanism will assert
themselves whenever this night
mare of negro domination is re-
moved. There are too many white
,eople who are still silly enough to
'elieve that the negro wants Office,
nd wants to dictate the course of
'olitics SO long as he as a race has
he right to vote. We do not be-
ong to this class, but we have seen
nough to know that there are
housands who can be whipped into
me on this bug-a-boo. But this il
ct our greatest reason why we
elieve it best to have an educa-
ional qualification for suffrage.
he truth of the matter is that the T