Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1896-05-09
SAYAGES EQUALLBD.
CIVILIZATION nOCKED,
THE RINGS DEu.lNhS.
WOMEN NOT SPARED.
VIII tc lien Protect Their
LabOrerS.
TROOPS WIrHDRA WN.

-
TROOPS WITHDRA WN.
The New Orleans Picayune thus de-
scribes the condition of affairs in the
town OF Opelousas, louisiana:
The regulators i'm the town of Ope-
lousas number about twenty-five men
and they are composed of the office
holders and several others who are with
them, and under obligations TO them
The followers Of these men are in the
country and number several hundred
They are visited frequently, and are
kept posted by their leaders in town.
TuK CAUSE OF THE TROUBLE
The cause of the trouble rests in the
desire of the State officers to perpetu-
ate themselves in office. To do this
they have resorted to the old-time tao
tics of regulation" In other words
they go abou, intimidating and doing
various deeds of violence, wher yer
and whenever their interests can be
served. The law-abiding citizens are
opposed to their tactics, and are not
supporting them for office, and further
more desire TO see the Negroes accord
ed their rights as well as every body
else. None of them want Negro SUI
premacy, rs far as that goes, but the
whole matter is one OF local or parish
politics.
IN FAVOR OF THE GOVERNOR
Both regulators and citizens who op-
pose them and their unlawful methods
are in favor OF Governor Foster. The
differences relate solely TO who shall
have the parish offices
With the cry Of white supremacy,
the regulators have gone about the
country shooting Ne2rOes and driving
them from the fields. What few Ne
grOes remain at work sleeps in the
cane brakes at night, out OF fear of be-
ing taken out and whipped or killed by
the regulators.
WHITE MEN PROTECT THEM
Farmers and planters have been
obliged to stay with their Negroes in
the fields to protect them while they
worked Not being content with kill
ing and maltreating the Negroes. the
regulators have established sort OF
inquisition, through which they put
the Negro women who refuse to dis
close the hiding places of their hus-
bands.
HORRIBLE CRUELTIEs.
Negro women have been beaten with
raw hides i'm order to force them to tel
the whereabouts Of their husbands and
brothers, and when rawhides were not
available, the regulators have whipped
/ them with barbed wire, laceratins
their flesh. and subjecting them to hor
rible torture. AS a consequence oi
these uncivilized practices and barbar-
Gus methods, the laborers have beer
driven from the fields, and many have
gone to other parishes, deeming theil
lives of more importance than theii
employment, or even their homes The
crops f ere net being ted Co plant
ed. Mules stand idly in the stables
plows are rusting in the burrows, gras
is growing on the turned land, ant
general decentralization exist
ALL CARRY FIRE ARMS.
Every man is a walking arsenal, an,
many carry rifles and shotguns abou
the streets, in addition to their pistol
and dirks. If the lie should psss Their
would be a bloody fight, and it is be
lieved that before the week is over dis
turbances will occur. The very da
the artillery left the town courier
were dispatched TO the country dis
tricts to inform the followers of tn
} regulators of the action Of the govern
or. rhe main objection to the troop
on the part of the regulators, was tina
the Negroes and others were enterpris
= ing enough TO register while the mill
tary was stationed about the registrar
; office. MIR. Swords, the registrar.
one of the regulator leaders, and sit
: in his office with lagre pistol bucl
led on his waist and Winchester riff
at "A convenient distance. These h
carries about with him on the street,
: DEPLoRABLE CONDITION.
The town of Opelousas is in deplol
| able condition, and the ladies are
2 fear and trembling lest their husband
or brothers will be called out by til
: regulators and shot down A pist,
= report at night alarms the whole con
S munity, and everybody gets up. Whe
: the military left the ladies followe
h the soldier boys to the depot and bel
e ged them to remain. But they coul
q not, as their presence was too much
e guarantee To the rights of voters
i register who were known to be again
h the regulators.
:. TO STAY IN OFFICE.
;, According to Adjutant Kursheed
e the whole matter resolves itself in
d this The present officials have resol
& ed to maintain themselves in offic
To do this, they have found it necess
ry TO bulldoze citizens of all kinds,
kill Negro men, to whip Negro womI
with barbed wire and rawhide,
\ threaten the lives of their opponent
the law and order of the citizens
Opelousas, and to commit such dee
of outlawry and inhumanity and ba
barism as should not only incite q
wrath of the State authorities, b.
= should arouse a public sentiment tn
at once condemns them as viliainOT
- FAR BITTER To PAY BOUNTY.
The citizens of ST. Landry, which h
some 49,. 90 inhabitants, could bett
afford, he thinks to raise a large So
of money and pay the ambitious reg
latOrs the amount of four years of 81
airy. than have them resort to metho
that ruin labor, hold back the crol
drive away the Negroes, who are nj
ge essary in the fields, and give the pari
TX such reputation as is not calculat
of to induce the immigration of lawabi
ing people.
s Out of total of ISI wee
re re lies in Virginia this Directo
d. acco.ds a circulation III actu
Sc 6O-,1,-ae r.. O1,1xy 30 Int tbic no