The Progress., 1896-04-18
TIE SUFFRAGE
AnBHDNB EMF
WILL It b CARRIED ?

. That there must be change i
' election methods in this State; {
good government will be overthrow
is conceded by all honest, intelligen
men.
That intelligence and morality can
not rule, with an unqualified sui
frage, 4 free vote to all men of tn,
age of majority granted to the popa
latlon Of Louisiana is'as well settled
THEN, these premises considered
what do the people Of this common
weSlth who are in power and can cor
reef the existing evil and prevent the
substitution of the second. intend tt
do about it? How long must al
things be subOrdiuated to the perso
ual III terests Of Individuals, and how
long will the sovereign people sub
init t. surrender Of principle fol
policy.
In our opiuion the success Of thu
Democratic State ticket was
never more necessary 20 the genera
welfare Of the entire State and all
the people of the State,
The PROGRESS believes lute!li-
gence, Morality Industry and Educa-
ton demands the SUCCESS of that
ticket of which the Hon. Murphy j
Foster Is the head.
In facs we do not see how any
thinking person who looked into the
affairs OF government during the last
fonr years; has seen our wonderful
improvement IN all branches, of ahe
departments which makes up gov
ernment can believe otherwise. Bat
this vexed question OF election meth
DDS will obtruae itself; this horrid
specter Will raise it's head; this grim
and unsightly serpent which centinu~
ally gnaws at the bulwark of our safe
[ ty, the privileges of tho ballot, will
continue it's ceaseless feeding and
continue to debilitate our body poll
tic But what is to be done about
it? Must our splendid civilization
prostitute itself before the rapacious
greed of the ignorant negro and the
unlettered and vicious dago? Must
our great commonwealth, in endeav-
oring to fee itself from the debilita-
ting and CALLING shackels which low
fetter d er and impede her footsteps
on the road to greater progress; AS
ten to the siren song OF a wicked and
debauched houri, and turn our re-
hnement, lnte]llg ence, culture ard
progression oyer to class far more
rapaeious, gre edy and immoral than
the nDholy conditions which now en-
shroud the ballot?
Why do rot the better element of
people, lrrespective.of party, meet on a
common plane on next Tuesday, and
on one issue at least, unite IN indoors
ing the suffrage amendment?
Why are the Republicans opposing
it? Does the negro element thereof
even, want thing SO y,sacred and
important to be placed in the hands
Of members Of their race who are i'll
capable of approaching its import,
and in whose custody tins ballot is
like the biblical pearl before swine?
Do the intelligent negroes want the
ignorant, vicious and corrupt of their
race to be custodians and owners of
thing so fraught with importance as
the ballot, simply because they are
negroes?
And the Populists. What just
cause; what tenable reason can they
assign for opposing this suffrage
amendment; this measure which
offers to enlightenment and virtue an
escape from the noisome Influence
which surround them, in this incubus
Of the ballot?
Have they not ali along clamored
for an elective franchise which would |
enable all intelligent men to express
their choice of men and nominees at |
the ballot box? Will they admit by |
their opposition that their hue and
cry was demagoguery of the most
ordinary type, and they used it most
ly as a campaign document?
And the Democrats; those who are,
you have less excuse than both she
others. This amendment is a party |
me asure; it is the offspring Of a
Democratic Legislature; it is part
and parcel of the Democratic State
platform and members of the Demo
cratic party have 10 right to refuse to
support it. In fact they ara in honor
bound to give it their loyal indorse-
ment aud support. In fact all men
who are really tired of existing condi-
tons; who want pure p ,'tt1cs, adj
vancement along the great highway
Of life, mentally, morally, indus
trially and religiously, are, in our
opinion bound by all the ties of
higher civilization to support it, and
it gives The PROGRESS great pleasure
to state it as opinion that old Caddo
will do HER duty Loyalty.
Next Tuesday will be the occasion
when it is to be hoped that every
white man, and in fact, every man
who loves his country, desires indns-