The Louisiana populist., 1897-09-10
A Country Writer Offers Sugges-
tons to the People.
Natchitochcs, I.A..
August 25th, 1897. ,

Editor DAILY ltem-EverY little
one-horse ballot box ,stufing Dem
ocrat and q few Of their leaders are
ventilating their more or less ride
ulous views on the duties of the
Constitutional Convention, hoping
thereby to attract enough attention
to be appointed to attend same as
a delegate, for an election, we will
have none in reality, if it can, by
any manner Of means be avoided.
Many good men are pointing out
the dangers ahead if the usurper
succeeds in appointing his friends
and boot-licks, which he will do if
not prevented.
Editor L. N. CorMay gives some
good advice and suggests an ag-
gressive campaign, but unfortu-
nately, he stops short. [ admire
his course, but knowing the mass
es, he knows that they do not act
without leaders, and leaders who
are expected to blaze the way and
to follow the blazcs. Suggestions
of aggressive campaigns amount to
nothing unless the quality and
manner of aggrcssivencss is point
ed out, so as to enable the people
to discuss, understand and act,
not as a mob and by spots, but as
q whole, and thus hurl the infa-
nous ballot thief from power. 1t
is mere child's play to allow the
commissioners to do their work
and then talk of redress before
courts.
Taking the situation as we find it,
we are as etIectually disfranchiscd
as are the conyicts. A perjured
scoundrel in the cool recesses of an
office, makes out so-called poll
lists, and leave off whom he sees fit ;
in fact all is done to retard the vo-
ter, and after you deposit your
ballot it ''may" be counted as you
intended, oftener not. The discus
sion of the manner of raping the
ballot is unnecessary, suffice it to
say that the people have no voice
iii the selection of rulers, it is onl y
Il periodical and expensive farce
previous to an appointment by the
usurper, Foster. This being q
fact, the naked question for solu,
ton is Have we n right to resist
such proceedings by force of ne
cessitY!
Any resort to courts is useless
it would be idle to expect redress
from the benefciaries of a theft
The colonists had no greater griev.
ance against England. If they
had a right to resist, we have q
greater one. Ii we admit our right
to defend our citizenship, to pro.
tect cur American manhood, theI
by what means are we to do So;
We see the military springing NJ
10 all localities, where Il doubt ol
their true submission exists. Talk
of bayonct rule, will you! Would
not Il good plan be as follows
That each ward in each parish Sc
lect number of men-determine(
mcn--to guard and watch the vo
ting and the box, and insist on the
right to vote of every known
qualified clector of his precinct
whether his name has been inten
tionaEly omitted or not, and t(
force, if force is necessary, The
commissioners to admit his vote
and after all voting is over not t(
suffer the box removed, and tt
force the commissioners, if force
is necessary, to count the votes an(
to make a true return in presence
Of and in full view of the public
And if the commissioners will no
exceed to just demands, we'll, if th'
worst must come, let them take the
consequences of their acts, for thi:
must come sooner or later, anC
this is rs good d time as any. /
rs only by such measures that th'
people can hope for representa-
tion in the convention.
| throw out the ideas to invite &
discussion as to the shortest an(
best way to obtain our rights. L
You think this worth publishing dt
so. | am yours respectfully,
DAMON.