The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1907-11-23


can party in the state to hold IN check
the Gefaulting Dudenhefers, Fosters,
Letteus aad other notorious Demo-
cratic city and parish officials. who
prostitute their Offices fer unholy pur-
! poses and make heavy inroads on the
/ state treasury.
And yet, when prominent business
aud professional men, and others
/ equally as prominent in agricuf aral,
| manufacturing aad Tutoring circles,
! attempt to perfect the ors anization
and upbuildipg Of party along the
/ lines outlined, they are met at every
turn vish ridieuia and gitpperRtiYs
| abuse from Democratic press and pol.
! itieiana, and are accused Of attempt
/ iug to restore the old regime of recon
struction days.
The rise of the Democratic party, at
one time in the states history, was
absolutely necessary for the preserva-
ton of Anglo Saxon home rule, and
| none figured more prominently in the
/ restoration OF law and order than
many Of those who today are leading
! Republicans throughout the state,
i most notably our last Republican
candidate for governor, that highly
esteemed citizen and fearless Confed-
crate soldier, General w. j. Behan.
But, after nearly thirty years of I'M
interrupted Democratic ring rule,
! history seems to be repeating itself,
and we find its leaders have grown
| bold, arrogant and careless of the
rights of the people, and they seem to
have forgotten the singing rebuke ad-
ministered to tJaem in the remark BILE
campaign of 1896.
In every parish of the state we find a
ring of Democr attic officials, who seem
F., well-nigh invincible, and who, in the
present gubernatorial campaign, seem
to act with a unanimity of purpose
which suggests manipulation by the
fine italian hand of some postmaster
in the art of politics.
APPEAL TO INTELLIGENT AND
| INDEPENDENT VOTERS.
In the light of these truths, and in
the honest conviction that conditions
will not be materially changed under
! a continuation of Democratic rule,
propose TO call upon the intelligent
! aud independent voters, and especially
upon the young men of the state, tc
rally to the support of the Republican
party.
/ In my associates on the state ticket
I recognize prominent business and
/ professional men who, at great per-
sonal sacrifice, have agreed to stand
with me in the fight for better political
conditions in the state, and greater en-
couragement to her industries, and, il
intrusted with executive power, | an
confident they will devote their com.
bined energies toward accomplishing
many needed reforms and securing for
the people OF Louisiana q just and
/ S9dA0te1tSs duEIlt4lsGt dbAOn III oil Oil :
that will place this state among the
best governed and most progressive OF
the Union. While in no way DESTROYS
OF making impr actieal and impossible
promises and advocating Utopian
/ IDEAS of government, Lwish to make
clear my attitude on the leading IS
sues of the day,
/ NO CHANGE IN SUFFRAGE LAWS,
First of all we must assure the pee
pie that We propose no change in the
suffrage clause OF the state constitu.
ton. Recently, in notable speech at
Louisville, Kentucky, Secretary OF
ar TAFT stated that there could be no
objection to the constitution Of those
southern states which had eliminated
the vicious and iIliterate voters pro-
vided the law was honestly enforced.
! We OF the Republican party of Louis
lana can afford to stand upon that
same declaration. We want no hand
| in the government of our state unless
we secure our commissions from her
best citizenry.
Ia giving this assurance to the peo-
pie it might be an evidence of our
good faith to emphasize the fact that
in 1896 Captain Pharr received the ed
ucated and intelligent vote of the state
for governor, while the vicious and IL
literate vote was counted, whether
cast or not, for his opponent. We,
therefore, sacrifice nothing by taking
this position, but only make impossi-
BILE repetition of the crime of 1896.
PRIMARY ELECTIONS.
1t seems to me that the question of
preserving the Republican party in
this state as militant, active, posi-
tive force is identical with the question
of preserving republican form of
government. To put it otherwise,
shall we have a government of the
people, by the people, for the people,
or government of the politicians, by
the politicians, for the politicians? A
one-party government means the lat
ter, and we are making giant strides in
that direction. Already a man is a
Democrat by law, or Republican by
law, as against the good old-fashioned
doctrine Of party choice through con-
yietion or principle. l hold that it
is wrong to legislate men into poIiti-
cal parties, to say that man cannot