The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1899-04-26


erty, and we couldn't suffer them de-
stroyed, and closed with him in. a scuff1e,
during which the papers were dropped
on the floor. We stepped back to the
table and picked up column rule to
drive him out of our Office, but found
he had anticipated us with 4I-Colts,
and standing on the steps with his gun
in one hand and throwing the papers out
with the other, he abused us with foul
language and dared us to come further,
on penalty OF death. Being unarmed and
not having gun Of any description in
the house, we stood and watched the
proceedings with about as much COM
placency as we would a toboggan slide
When he had finished he took a large
handful round on Second street toward
the court house and returning with sew
eral accomplces took the balance out in
the street and carried them away, and,
it is said, made bonfire of them
Half an hour or so later the sheriff
came in and told us that while he in
dorsed what Mr. Porter had done, he
had made every effort and had succeeded
in restraining the crowd from further
and personal violence, but warned us that
the matter had better be dropped, and
if similar thing recurred he would head
the crowd, or words to that effect.
This is only a pretext to cover the
Of nd int
ance of long standing.
We were born in 40 miles of this place,
and our ancestors on both sides lived in
the state; we had made our home in this
| town and bought property here, even
after we had become fully convinced that
we had no political rights here, but now
we find that we have no property nor
personal rights here.
1t would be the veriest farce to appeal
to the courts; that has been fully demon
strated in the past The only defense Of
these sacred rights for us lies in repudi
ating the teachings of sainted father,
Christian mother, our lifelong religion,
the laws of Our country, and take up and
carry arms, take human life or give it,
and become bandit and reprobate.
We decline the remedy and give up. If
no more of our property is destroyed un-
til we dispose OF it, and our life is ex-
tended, we shall shake the dust of fair
Natchitoches off Our feet.-Natchitoche
Populist.
William Lloyd Garrison was dragged
through Boston's streets for conscience
sake. Lovejoy was killed at Alton, ILL.,,
and his printing press was thrown into
the river because he dared to protest
against the anarchy of the slave power
in the ffties. The Republican state
central committee of Kansas engaged in
diabolical dynamite conspiracy against
the Nonconformist in 1888, and but for
an accidental discharge of their bomb,
would have succeeded in destroying the
office with a mob and in killing the
"Vincents" who were in the way of the
Republican anarchists of that state. We
thought we had outlived such disgraceful
proceedings, but here is a paper actually
driven out of Louisiana at the point of
the revolver, and the sheriff declares he
will assist the next mob. Populists of
other states should assist in sending liter
ature into that benighted state, to beget
the needed independence and courage
among the masses so they will not sub
NIT to the desperate methods of the Off
cial desperadoes that infest the parish
seats and ride rough-shod over law and
the people in their struggle to maintain
political ascendency. Populists in Loui-
siana should subscribe as literally as
they possibly can for strong outside re-
form papers so long as mobs will not
permit reform papers to be printed with
in the state. They should strive to build
up a demand for fairness, and there is
nothing so effectual as the circulation of
reform papers whose every utterance
shows the utter falsity of the claims made
by the political rings and cliques that
have cursed the state SO long. From per-
sonal observation and in enjoying the
cordial hospitality of the common peo-
ple," the writer takes pleasure in testify
ing to the almost universal w-abiding
tendencies of all except the purse proud,
arrogant, office-holding rings that infest
the state, but while this is true, it is also
true that they give up too easily when
those rings resort to unfair and illegal
methods to retain their hold on salaries
BONE" among the people, and nothing
but the right kind of political education
will ever give it, and nothing is so effect
i've as strong outside newspapers.