The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1896-06-06
STICK TO YOUR PARTY.

| Popallst candidate for Congress, in
opposition TO Col. Boatner, deliy,
cred speech at the Armory Hall to
quite representative gathering OF
the people. Mr.. Benoit confined
his remarks to a discussion of the
financial question. He is for free
silver ont and out. His talk was
quite interesting and instructive;
but beyond making good impress,
sion, we do not think be added half
dozen or more men TO his cause.
OF course there were very few
Benoit men in the audience, the
country people having come into
town to attend court, while the
town people went just to hear what
be had to FAY. Mr.. Benoit advo.
Gated tue free and unlimited coinage
of silver, and promised to vote that
way in Congress on all financial leg,
islation. On the money question
the people of East Carroll are of the
same opinion, they coincide with
him. But does that justify any
Democrat in voting for a Populist
against a Democrat? We hear
some citizens say that they intend
to vote against Col. Boatner. Why
Because they do not agree with him
on the money question. Now, let
us suppose Mr.. Benoit should be
sent to Congress-; let US suppose the
Demo cracy of East Carroll should
help to elect Populist to Congress
in place of Mr.. Boatner, a Demo.
crat. Naturally they would expect
Mr. Benoit to support all Demo
cratic measures. But would he do
this? On all strictly party votes
how would our Populist Congress
man vote? Why with his own
party, of course. Mr.. Benoit, being
a Populist, and adhering to the
tenets of the Peoples Party, could
not vote with the Democrats on all
measures; if he did, he would be a
Democrat and would repudiate his
own platform. Then again, con.
ceding that on most all questions he
would vote with the Populists,
would not there be times when he
would vote either with Republicans
or Democrats, whichever way it
would be to the interests of his party
to vote? Why most certainly so.
Remember, fellow Democrats, prom
Uses made by Populist candidate
to a Democratic people are too much
like pie crust. No sane man would
place any confidence in them. If
Benoit should get to go to Congress,
Populism and not Democracy would
receive his support.
Mr.. Benoit asked the people to
lay aside their party ties for this
time and vote for him. What ! lay
aside our party ties just to send Mr..
Alexis Benoit to Congress? Does
the gentleman expect us to repudi-
ate our own party and go to him,
when in the years gone by it has
been struggle for US here in the
South to preserve our supremacy?
Shall We torsake our-party just for
A. Benoit-the party to which we
cling, to which our fathers and our
forefathers chung, and which we pro
pose to transmit to our children
shall we forsake its tenets, its princi.
pies and its glorious associations
just to vote for a Populist? We
hardly think the sturdy Democracy
of East Carroll win accommodate
the gentleman this far.
Whatever you do, STICK TO YOUR
PARTY. These were the words of
that patriot of patriots, Samuel D.
McEnery on a former occasion in
this parish years since. Stick to
your party! There is a deep phiIos-
ophy in these words, for they con-
tain more than they appear to upon
the surface. Because you differ
with Col. Boatner on the financial
question, is no reason you should
oppose him. He is a Democrat first,
last and always. II you are also,
then support him.
The committee in Congress on
elections cases decided
that there was no election in the
Fifth District. That being the case,
Col. Boatner is still the nominee of