The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1907-06-22
ADDRESS TO VOTERS.
Chairman F. b. Williams Urges Repub-
licans and Independents to Refrain
from Participating in the APP

dress to the Republican and independ'
ent voters of Louisiana:
] "The Republican state committee,
through the undersigned, desires to
speak to the people of the state through
the medium ofthe press. All independ.
ents and all Republican voters are asked
to have nothing to do with the ap.
preaching Democratic primary. To
our Republican friends it is sufficient
to say that party allegiance is always
necessary, and that they can not con-
sistently take part in a Democratic
| primary. To the independent voters
of Louisiana we appeal also, in the
name of that freedom of action so es-
sential to political liberty. An effort
will be made to entrap every voter into
the Democra attic gubern atorial primary.
The contest for the Democratic nomi-
nation for governor, the rivalry ofcan-
didates for local office, will, in time,
become intense. The bars will be let
down, and the unorthodox will be
sought after. The direct primary may
be desirable from a standpoint of party
government, but the conditions in Lou-
isiana are such that the direct primary
| system is vicious. It is intended as a
substitute for the generalization. The
plan is to govern our state, not by elec-
tions, but by the primaries of the DOM
inant party. Under this system the
general election becomes matter of
form. All policies and issues are swal-
lowed up in the platform, the person
ality and the promises of the respective
candidates for Office. IF all the voters
can be induced to participate in the
primaries, our former government will
be changed. A minority can never be-
come majority party. A reform
movement as such can never rise higher
than the plane of party politics.
The independent vote, once SO highly
eulogized by the Cleveland Democrats,
will be forced out OF existence. The
citizen will be no longer free to use his
best judgment in voting Democratic
or Republican ticket. The party
primary will debar him. He will be
told that the result of primary in
which he participates is as binding
upon him as the result OF generalelec-
tion.
AS no man can bargain away the
freedom of his ballot, nor surrender in
advance his right to vote for the good
of his state, the doctrine of submission
to a primary is false, pernicious and
poisonous. Judged even by the moral
law, the suppression OF the individual
by the artful device of party submis-
sion is more unholy than the bursting
of the bonds of party slavery by the
dissatisfied individual.
ut is best, however, that the Repub-
licans and the ind dependents should turn
q deaf ear to the Establishments of DEM
ocrats, and of personal friends who
would seek to entice them into a sur.
render of their political faith.
w ait for the general election. The
Republican party will with full tickets
ofeandidates representing its principles
be ia the field. Why should not our
party become powerful in this states
It has become all-powerful Ia the Ia
tion. Nothing but blind prejudice can
keep it down in the south.
In Louisiana we are all vitaily in
terested in the protective tariff, in large
appropriations for internal improve
ments, in a uniform system of quaran-
tine, and generally in the liberal use
of federal power, as advocated onceb by
the Wing party and now by the Re-
publicans. Whenever our people have
appealed to a Republican administra-
tion, they are met with a ready re-
sponse. President Roosevelt has
treated us with distinguished consider
alton. By personal visits, by the
character of his local appointments
by his generous sympathy for ourneeds
and his ready assistance in the hour
of our trial, this great man, the leader
of the Republican party, has endeared
himself to all llLouisianians. His party
shares in the glory Of such leadership.
1.-THE hope of the south lies in better
political conditions than have hereto.
fore prevailed. Government by Dem.
ocratic primaries will prove failure
i The field is too narrow and cramped
for the exercise of the political activi.
i ties Of a great people. The competi
tive party system is the normal rem,
| edy which We OF the south must come
Z, TO.
/. with our present suffrage law
fairly administered the Republican
party can be made safe vehicle fol
local government.
.'The efforts OF the Republicans o
Louisiana will be to bring the part,
to the people as a medium for ma
, tional, state and local government
Meanwhile, the Republicans ask til
voters OF this state, who are not hide
bound Democrats, to hold themselYe
. free from party primaries, and Il
j await the real election which will b
; held next April, when Republics
: state and local tickets will invite thei
j suffrages.
a Fortunate Texan.