The Louisiana populist. [volume] (Natchitoches, Natchitoches Parish, La.) 1894-1898, 1896-03-20

old home in Lincoln parish, and
cannot return for some time, on
account of the rigid quarantine,
and my own town, Robeline, would
not permit me to return after l
had taken a tour of a great part
of the parish, and | could not
think of leaving my three daught-
ers at home without a parental
protector, even If l could 90 out of
and come back to our town.
As the time is approaching
when you all should be making up
your minds as to whom you will
vote for to represent your parish
in the legislature, l think it due
you to tell you how | stand on the
questions you are interested in.
To begin on, am unaltcrably fix
ed in favor of free silver, and
shall support no man for the Unit
ed States Senate who is not out
spoken in favor of free silver at
Is to l, independent Of all other
nations. Next, | am, and have al
ways been opposed to the suffrage
amendment with the qualifications
proposed by the first sections of
No. 200, and am most bitterly OPP
posed to the section which leaves
the question possible to change by
even a unanimous vote of the leg
islaturc. l do not think the PEG
pie should ever surrender their
right to pass upon the change of
any part of the constitutional law.
If there were no other objection,
that clause should seal its doom.
l am in favor of more liberal
appropriations to the public schools
and think the status of public edu-
cation should be more a matter for
State pride than the market value
of its bonds. 1 am in favor of as
sisting school districts to erect bet
ter school houses in which children
can keep comfortable in the win
ter months, when they can best be
spared from the work on the farm.
| favor having good high schools,
ample appropriations to keep up
the high standard of the State
Normal and the Industrial schools,
in fact, / think the education of the
people should be the highest ambi- |
ton of every GOOD citizen,
/ believe that the place to begin |
reform Is at home. A man who |
will cast his vote for a candidate |
who does not represent bis ideas Of |
government, should never talk re-
from, for he shows by his own
act that he is not willing to help to
secure it. To get reform We must
first got our wards right, then our
parishes, then the State, and
through these We can reach the ma
tional government. The man who
votes for goldbug for legislator
or governor need not hope to help
elect free silver president and
free silver congress. Without a
fair ballot and an honest count
which we cannot hope to get
through corrupt machinc-we
need not hope to get men to rep
resent our ideas in the national leg
stature. We must call for honest
methods and honest men from gov
,rnor down, and this means that
he law must be regarded and full
y enforced. The law is quite
good enough as it is, but it should
De crrried ont to the letter.
Il more favorable conditions make
t possible / shall try to visit all
parts of the parish between now
ind the election. If | cannot do
his, hope those who do not know
ne will put themselves to the
.rouble to investigate my past life,
Ind judge me according to that,
Is to my fidelity to principle, and
What l believe right. ! have been
n the State twenty odd years
spent IS In Lincoln parish, and
,y the day of election will
lave been four years in Robeline.
leaving myself in your hands, l
w.. D...oo.&f,,lI. /