The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1902-11-29
Remove From Us This Reproach'
Abbevills Meridional

state OF lAOulelaHa 10 ~
political ascendency and continue 10
exist IN the hearts and affections OF
her people it must repeal in toto the
presept abom,nation IN the shape OF
the election law. The political
ex,genc,es which justified its crea-
ton aud operation no longer exist
The Constitution of 1895 has made
the white man supreme in politics
IN Louisiana for all time to come.
That being the case it is a neck
ery, a hollow sham to tender the
white man who has successfully run
the gauntlet Of the registration
Office and the poll tax law, a ballot
which he does not understand and
which be cannot vote intelIigentiy.
The slim vote cast at the last elec'
ton on the amendments Is proof
positive of the CALLING restraint OF
+ the cumbersome election machinery
of the present law.
Abolish the whole thing. The
, Australian ballot Ia q fraud as oper.
ated Ill this State. Nay, more, 1t
r should cause every honest man to
!. blush when he reads of the many
j voters who have been robbed of the
: right of suffrage by reason of the
q "spo,led ballot" There 10 absolute
}, ly no privacy as contemplated by
n the original system. On the con-
o trary, the commissioners know how
:: every ballot Is cast as it is made
' out right under their eyes.
!, Let US return to the old system Of
n free election tickets and . secret
< ballot. Let every man run tol
Office who desires. Let him have
. as many tickets as he wants aid rur
II on az many tickets a. he chooses
Let the man who 10 net o. smart q
. Philadelphia lawyer, take BIZ
, ticket to his home or to Q quie
IS spot, studY it carefully and the'
II make II out to suit his views. carr!
u 1t to the box and drop it in. l
= will then represent the solemn ant
4 deliberate expression Of his will
1t he is entitled by law and csnno
FIX his ticket alone and unaided
'. why be can then call in q trusts'
r friend. In this parish there ar
= hundreds Of good men who canno
# vote untrammeled under the presen
rs law, and they feel no interest il
O. the elections. In the primaries
e when oil tue red tape vas absent
y they turned out aud voted. Whel
70 they must vote like sutoma;on
I'd they stay at home, and the mlserabl
th small vote cast at the last election
10 shows how little they care abou
). voting for an elephant or rooster
ia To him the election Is q persona
y affair. It 10 the men that he d.
sires to vote for-not an emblem.
1T That sterling Democratic journal
er the Lafayette Gazette. condemns th
es law In these words:
70 "Before the adoption of the ne,
~ constitution the present electio
Law may have served . good pul
pose, but it has assuredly outl,ve
its usefulness. In the absence {
any qualification Of the suffraq
this complicated system might be-,
been necessary for . legal el,m,n
NJ ton OF the negro vote. But no.
ne that there is suffrage law whic
10. can be depended upon to dlsfra,
or chise the Objectionable element On
nd to leave the political affairs OK ,h
State entirely IN the hands of Il
white people, we believe every col
er. sideratione of justice and evel
let principle of Republican governmel
demands The repeal Of the elect,c
law.
At the election held last Tuesds
In this paiish hundreds of men
do average intelligence only stamp,
re- the emblem, and for fear Of spo
BOT ing their ballots or through ,nabi
IN ty to prepare them, ignored Il
amendments, sthus only partial
ny exercising the right Of yotlng. W
ew know Of several instances whe
Of we'll educated men voted the 81
blems, but could not, In the TIN
rd' allotted, vote intelligently on Il
RE questions embodied IN the amen