The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1903-01-17

OF the ring in this city. What ha
the ring to do with national meas
ures? They were, perhaps, Repub
lIcans yesterday, and If the Repub
| leans came into rower again they
would be Republicans. They are
Tenn 'cratlc now because Democracy
means all in Louisiana.
DIR. Bruins said that it was a sur.
render of principle when men go IN,
TO the primaries TO settle local poll.
tics.
Then he referred to the fact that,
though the State made the law for
the primaries, 1t is enforced by the
ring, and when there are trangres-
slons the party Is not interested IN
giving information. Strict party
men feel that tnelr whole RESPONSE
billty is TO their party, and forget
what they owe to the State and to
| conscience.
There would be no assurance
that the men Endorsed in the pri-
mary would appear on the ticket.
Going down INTO the mire to touch
pitch TO make it white was not the
remedy.
The speaker SAID that there was
one way that was always successful, :,
referring TO the revolutions Of 1888
and 1896. When people make
up tn ir minds to risk all rather
than stdn1 1t they get what they
demand. He told of The changed
conditions since 1888, before winch
time man representing an indie
pendent movtmen, went to the polls
taking his hie in his hand. The
ring men threw the independent
commissioners bodily out Of the
doors; If they found a man who
could take care of himself they
would poison his food or sit up un
Ill he could stand it no longer and
went to sleep and then doctor the
returns. Since those defeats the
ring has changed. and is now try
ing to be soclable. nut 1t is after
the same things. DIR. Bruins told
Of the improvements made by those
reform governments. changing the
Fire Department from a body of
thugs to bea' the people INTO sub
mission on election days to q paid
body ont of politics, and the Police
Department placed op similar
basis. They established a sane
government. Mr.. Shakespeare was
a man the people were proud to
have for Mayor Before that a
New Orleans man was ashamed to
say who the Mayor was, and more
ashamed 1t he was asked to point
him out. Before that the ann of
the office. holders was only to pocket
the money aud place friends in MI.
nor offices.
DR.. Bruins also commented on
the improvements in the election
laws mad. III 1895, the establish
ueni o. a registration law IN New
Orleans aud the new charter and
he establishment "f the poll tax re-
au,femtnt III The convention of 1899
hough the permanent poll tax
requirement was lost. He also
talked Of the election law and Sc
cret ballot. As re ,ult Of all these
things the la>l Il 'c'ion, although
the ring was opposed by a strong
body, was one Cf the most peaceful
IN the history of the country, and
while in 1888 ., 500 armed men had
to be kept at the polls, and IN 1896
5000 to 1000 had to be employed,
in the last election the New Or
leans police force preserved order,
and surely nothing else could show
a more peaceful condition than that.
The. rug is trying to be good, 1t
wishes to be social and to discuss
political questions with us, and no
longer threatens. 1t is getting
some of our society people, so that
1t can always point to respectabs Iity,
but it has not lost its desire for
Office and plunder. 1t has ouly
changed its methods. 1t now at
tacks us in the Legislature. Acts
of the last Legislature were the
most ruthless invasion of selEgov
ernment ever committed. They
forced n4 TO give $4,000 TO keep up
little square near the French