The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1899-04-26
We ALL THINK ALIKE.
How Southern Democrats
Treat Populists.
An Interesting Narrative.
From the Nonconformist.

= From the Nonconformist.
Among the first to see the necessity
for a new party were the Brians-father
and son-and they threw themselves in
to the cause with wholehearted zeal
that swept the parishes of that senatorial
district, and the elder Brian was returned
to the senate as an Alliance man. The
son, Hardy L. Brian, soon thereafter re-
moved to Winn parish and started the
"Comrade" at Winfield. He was elect
ed to the legislature from Winn parish,
polling about 50 per cent of the entire
vote. He served with signal success,
considering his youth and inexperience,
and was later made chairman OF the Peo-
pies party of Louisiana, which position
he held for several years, and-we think
still holds. He removed from Winn
field to Natchitoches and started the
Populist, having sold the Comrade to B.
w. Bailey, another rising and energetic
young man. In 1894 Mr. Bailey was
the Populist candidate for congress, and
with him day and night Mr.. Brian
mapped and planned the campaign and
we were victorious Mr.. Bailey was
ELECTED by a majority Of $50 votes,
but was counted out by over 5000,
detailed account of which would be too
long for this article. His poverty pre-
vented him from successfully prosecut-
ing contest. and Mr.. Ogden sat in the
seat to which Mr.. Bailey was elected.
In the campaign of 1906 Mr.. Brian was
PopuliSt state chairman and conducted
vigorous campaign which was victorious
in many parishes-among them Winn
and Natchitoches, the homes OF Messrs.
Bailey and Brian When the Natchi-
toches Democratic gang OF political lead
ers and heelers realized that they were
beaten, they determined to throw out GER
tain Populist precincts, and this so in
censed the Populists that they came in
at the call of Mr.. Brian, thousand
strong, and camped near the town to pre-
vent the high-handed outrage The gov
ernor OF the state sent militia to back
up the counting out process OF the "po-
lice jury" to Our county
commissioners" One word from Mr..
Brian would have caused battle that
would have destroyed the town and
opened a feud that would have existed
for hundred years. His early training
made him prefer peace even at a cost
Of present justice, and he withheld the
word his friends were waiting for. The
count-out was completed and the Demo
cratic officers were given the places. The
boycott was so severe that Mrs. Brian
conducted a hotel, partially to support the
family while Mr. Brian pushed his work
faithfully against terrible odds. Several
times has he been warned that murder
was his fate. but he insured his life and
kept straight ahead in the line of duty.
Three times in two years have the mob
attacked him. Twice he successfully re-
PEELED the attack, but recently he was
compelled to succumb. The Enterprise
a gold-bug Democratic sheet. and official
parish paper-was his competitor IN
Natchitoches. 1t is edited by : lawyer.
c. V. Porter, who was recently appointed
by the governor as district prosecuting
attorney. The Populist contained
1aughable take-off on the ante-deluvian
few copies OF which were taken out by
local subscribers before the edition was
regularly mailed Attorney Porter saw
the article and, taking his revolver, went
to the Populst office, and with revolver
in hand, robbed the office OF the edition
that was ready for mailing and burned
them in the street.
1t is easily seen what tension is in
politics when a small-bore lawyer, ap-
pointed to prosecute lawbreakers, him
self turns desperate, and that, too, over
a matter that were laughable and in no
sense libelous. It is easily seen that
the gang" was eagerly waiting for
pretext so as to destroy reform paper.
The destruction of one edition was but
one step in the conspiracy. When the
sheriff was called upon to protect life
and property, which was his sworn
duty, he coolly informed Mr.. Brian that
he would himself head the next mob.
In the final issue OF his paper Mr.. Brian
says:
MOB LAW.
This space contained a fictitious mar
rative of the humorous order, intended,
and so stated in the heading, to criticize
the Enterprises news columns, along the
line we have been following for the past
month.
Yesterday evening after about half the
edition had been printed, folded and laid
on the desk for mailing, several copies
having been handed out to passing sub
scribers, c. v. Porter stepped into the
office, and with the remark, Brian, you
have gone too far" began to gather up
the papers, We told him that it would
be an easy matter for him to get out an
Injunction and stop the issue, but he said