The Louisiana populist. [volume] (Natchitoches, Natchitoches Parish, La.) 1894-1898, 1896-06-26
Fosterites Reaffirm Their Allegi-
ances to the Time-honorded
Principles of Ballot-Box
Stuffing.
Will the White Men of Louisiana
Longer Submit to 4 Set of
Political BoOdlcrs Govern
ing the Affairs of Our
State,
Or Will They Demand Fair
Election, and Have 1t.

10 every generation OF men ant
every political party that has ever
existed is given, one part or phase
of some great problem to solve
Our immediate predecessors had
to deal with the black mans bond
age in this country. With the alb
clifton of slavery came still gravel
matters. We are charged with Sc
curing industrial freedom, so that
men may not only own and control
their muscles, but that they shall
get what they earn, and themselves
enjoy the profits.
| That, if understand the mean
ing Of Populism, is the time mis-
sion of our party. To-day we are
confronted in Louisiana with a
situation that is fairly demorali
zing to the best interest of our fair
State. We have barely escaped
| political revolution from the SIM
pie fact that men have been denied
the right to express their political
views. The Democratic party in
the State of Louisiana to-day as
sumes the right to perpetuatc its
power by fraud and intimidation,
and thereby nulify the best inter-
est of our State.
From 1874 to rs, we were con-
fronted with the question of negro
domination. A few carpet-baggers
with the negroes, assumed the
right to govern our State. The
Carpet-basgers would pass the
word along the line to the negroes,
and they would mass and in solid
phalanx to the support of any mea'
sure they might suggest. Their
manner of governing the affairs of
our State was so thoroughly antag-
onistic to the wishes of the masses
of the white men of our State
that they rose up in arms and rebel
led against it. To-day we are con-
fronted with a condition of affairs
not very much unlike the days of
IA and rs. A party of political
boodlers marching under the BAN
ner of Democracy and calling them
selves Democrats, are to-day con-
trolling the affairs of or State.
How |! With the negro votes. Do
the negroes believe with them. and
vote with them =? No! Then how
do they utilize their votes ! By
stealing them in such places as
they can and by intimidation where
they are watched.
Compare the party of 1874 with
the party of 1896. This is the
difference the party of "a divi
ded the Doodle and Offices with the
negroes, but the party of '96 takes
all the Offices and keeps all the
Doodle. This aught to encourage
every colored man in Louisiana to
effect an organization to get his
people to stay out of politics.
They can't hope to ever dominate
in politics, and as long as they al
low themselves to be used they will
only serve to satisfy the wishes of
some Office seeker, and will never
be the party to accomplish any
great principle. They were used
against us on April 2lst in quanti-
ties large enough to satisfy Foster
and his minions. A word of cheer
passed along our lines when we
were assured that the legislature
would pass an election law that
would insure fair elections and give
us constitutional convention with
unrestricted powers. But our
hopes are being blighted, over
half the session is out and nothing
has yet been done towards reform.
Fosters minions seem to prefer
the same old system of ballot box
stuffing rather than any system that
would satisfy the best people of
our State.
Thoxy have <bo ,,ou-or ~ v,occ