The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1896-04-09

date for ollice-nay, above the sue
cess OF any party, men who have at
heart the welfare Of the State, who
cherish her good name and who seek
the blessings Of peace for themselves
and posterity, place the passage OF
the suffrage amendment to the Con
stltution. Let no self-seekiug poll
ticlan mistake the present temper of
the people.
Tired of factionaI broils and strife
bred and nourisheu by an abnormal
| political system, men have lapscd
into apathy, so far as the personnel
of candidates for office is concerned.
but political thought and political
energy are not dead in louisiana
The great masses of the people are
considering measures and not men.
They realize that the State was
saved in 1876 from chaos and ruin
| by revolution, and has since been
held by force of arms. They Justly
hold that the political methods of the
past two decades were justified by
the exigencies of the times, and to
avert the absolute disintegration
aud destruction of the entire fabric
of government and society.
They have not forgotten nor will
they ever forget the night of terror
and despair which wcll-nish over
whelmed them as the result OF the
enfranchisement of the negro.
But having all these things in
mind, and because of them, earnest
and thinking men have revolted
from the political system which they
have engendered, and the deliberate
conscience of good citizens has
sought and found in tho proposed
suffrage amendment relief, as we'll
from negro domination as from the
revolutionary methods brought
about by that curse.
Eight-thiuhins men ask them
Selves if they are TO pass their lives
lu state of seml-wartare. They
realize that there can be no perma-
uent peace and prosperity in a socie-
ty and under government where
violation of the laws of the land is
the foundation of the political struc-
ture. The evils of such a system
are glarinsly apparent in our poll
tics and our social life.
The fear Of negro government has
heretofore maSsed the whites into a
compact body, and has grudgingly
bat surely lodged all political power
in the Executive, which, experience
teaches, men use for their personal
advancement, without regard to the
public welfare. That power, en-
HANGED by the vast patronage con
fided to it by law, has emasculated
independent political action and
well-nigh suppressed independent
political thought.
| Party principles have been iguoT.
ed or held III allegiance, while poll
tics has degenerated into a mere
scramble for Office. Fraud in elec
tons has come to be regarded as {
matter of course, and as il thing tt
be jcsted about. A spirit of contemp
for all law is being eugeudered by
these evils, and their blighteuius
influence is impressing itself upor
youth, and slowly but surely affect
ing the whole social fabric.
The passage of the suffrage amend
ment is the ouly cure for all thes'
evils. 1t will protect us from them
it will protect Us from negro DONNA
tiOu; it will restore to the individna
voter his power as political uni
and enable us to return to deCen
aud orderly political methods. Ever
intelligent and self-respecting ma
in the State, be he white OF blacL
should vote for it, work for it an