The Louisiana populist. [volume] (Natchitoches, Natchitoches Parish, La.) 1894-1898, 1896-08-14

committee. Carried, and the follow
ing were appointed f. S. Ly-
ons of Ascension, +. l.. West of
Acadia, Hon. Jos. Klienpeter of
East Baton Rouge, ]. j. Mills of
Calcasieu, Hon. III. l.. Brian of
Natchitoches, Judge A. A. Gunby
of Ouachita, Hon. A. L. Nelson of
Claiborne, Hon. A. w. Stewart of
Grant, and N. V. Bush of Rapides.
To give the committee time to
report the convention took recess
till s o'clock.
The convention was called to or
der at $50 and the committee filed
two reports
Judge Gunby read the report of
the majority. which was as follows:
= "Be it resolved, that we de-
nounce the leaders of the Demo-
cratic party of Louisiana as in
league with fraud and in covenant
with crime. In order to secure
the state government which they
hold today the Democratic leaders
violated every provision of the
registration and election laws which
they themselves enacted, resorted
to every species of crime against
a free ballot, suppressed free speech
and the right of public assemblage,
committed fraud, perjury, forgery
and theft, and finally employed the
militia to make these nefarious and
OdiOus crimes effective. n
eve declare that the right to a
free ballot and an honest count is
the first essential of free govern
ment, and the demand for this right
is paramount to all other issues I'M
It'll honest elections are secured be-
yond all question. The fact that
the Democrats in their Chicago
platform did not dare to uphold the
right to a fair ballot shows that
they are welded to the system of
ballot box stuffing in the South.
We denouncc both old parties as
utterly incapable of grasping end
dealing with the problems and
emergencies that have arisen du-
ring the past twenty-five years.
They have alternately held posses
sion of the national government
and given us a series of panics,
depressions and experiments which
have ruined the prosperity of all
classes of worthy citizens. They
have converted public Office into
selfish perquisite and made politics
mere scramble for spoils. The
evils from which the people have
suffered have been due chiefly to a
depraved and degenerate sense of
Official duty, whose blighting in
fiuence has extinguished patriotism
among the leaders of both old par
ties.
''Under these conditions a new
party with new principles, new
methods, new men and new inspi-
rations for the welfare of the peo-
pie has become a historic necessity.
Any step which would endangef
the independence and final triumph
Of the Peoples party would be
treason to the dearest hopes of hu,
manity. We denounce both old
parties as being under plutocratic
and British influence, the one in
its commercial policy and the other
in its financial policy. We de-
nOunce the Democratic policy of
placing raw material on the free
list while protecting manufacturers
Is favOring the classes against the
and we denounce the pro-
duties of the Republicans
which foster trusts and monOplies.
Between these two extremcties,
here is safe road Tor statesman
ship. We denounce the goldbug-
SIN and centralism of the Republi-
,ans and the lawlessness and selfish
greed of the Democrats, and de-
'lare that prosperity, peace and
ustce can never be restored to this
country by the success of either
# the old parties, which have long
'ince abandoned their original prin-
;iples and are honeycombed with
greed and corruption.
These old parties are now divided
md the shattered columns are train
no their artillery on each other. |
Now is the time for the Populists
o stand united and firm and charge
III along the line. N
1--WE heartily indorse the plat
orm of principles adopted by the
Peoples party convention
It st. Louis, and we declare our
ealty to the ticket there nominated,
which all the friends of free silver