Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1916-03-03
VIGOROUS APPEAL FROM AN OLD VETERAN.
Hunter Rapdes Earnest Appeal to the
Young Democracy of the State to Rally to the
support Of Col Pleasant.
Alexandria, La, Feb. 22nd, 1916

|
Dear Sir: Owing to quite long spell
OF illness, and an operation performed bS
my doctors, am unable TO take an active
part in the present campaign, bat from
my sick bed send the outline Of mes
sage, which | hope to deliver in person
before long, to my brother Democrats of
this State
Fellow Democrats: To an old line Dem
ocrat who fought the Republican party
with its negro domination Throughout
the reconstruction era, who witnessed its
outrages and insults to our women, our
children and GENERALIZATION, the present
campaign presents some strange and
amusing features.
1t is strange that only forty odd years
after these onrageS PIT upon orr people,
and after We had been forced to shoot
them ont 81 power, any Republican would
offer himself a. a candidate for governor
of Louisiana. 1t is strange that any set of
men should think that the Democrats of
Louisiana have forgotten or could forget,
the lives, the valuable lives, of our best
yonng AMI old men placed upon the altar
oi our country at CnlilX. Coushatta,
| OpelOusas and New Orleans on the 18th
| OF September.
1t is stranOe that a set of men who say
| they are independent of the Democratic
party and not of it, should presume to
dictate reformation in a party of which
they do not helong--Dpmocracy means
the rule Of the maiority--ii they do not
belong 10 any party, ii they are not willing
to he bound 10y majority oi all the voters
Of the State, what business il it al theirs
To NEEDLE with the affairs OF any party?
If they are political bushwhackers and
jayhawkers, they are political outlaws,
and yet they have the impotence to as
sumo the right to dictate to the regular
soldier OF the Democratic party what the
policy of that party should be-"We do
not belong to yonr party but we intend
to control it"-This is strange doctrine
and nobody but set of irresponsible odds
and ends ever could have thought of, or
seriously contended for, any such right.
1t is strange that if these men are Dem
ocrats, they should refuse to 90 into
Democratic primary and submit to the
rule of the majority, and it is wonderfully
strange that they should nominate
Roosevelt-Bul Moose Republican as their
candidate against the Democratic nOmi-
nee.
If Democrat should attempt to die
tate to the Republican party, or to ont
line its policy, the Republicans would
justly tell him it was none of his business
and promptly and properly kick him out
of the house.
In the face OF his own declarations, if
correctly reported. and his acts, it is
highly amusing to listen to our friend,
the Republican candidate, abuse the
bosses-Mr. Parker does not claim to be
Democrat, and We shall still insist that
ii we have bosses in the party, they are
our bosses and il is no concern Of his.
We will attend to this matter ourselves
when we think we are bossed.
Mr.. Parker started out advocating
many changes in our laws. To start with,
he was throughout his entire system, in
his marrow and all his bones, opposed to
all 'bOsses," the very thought of a 'boss'
made him sick, angry and threw him into
fits. He intended to destroy them, break
them into little pieces and scatter the
remains to the four corners OF the earth.
II correctly reported, he intends to have
constitution convention if elected gov
srnor of this State. This is to be COM
posed OF few men, all appointed by the
governor. These men were to make the
constitution and adopt it themselves.
The people were to have nothing to do
with it or say about it. In other words,
this was to be John VI. Parker's conven
ton, and John M. Parker's constitution.
How is this for man who gets sick at
the stomach and throws fit at the very
mention of the word "boss?' 1t is at
least amusing.
The next thing Inc proposes to do. ac-
cording to newspaper reports of his plat
form and speeches, is not only to restore
the appointive power of the governor,
which our people fought so hard to re-
move, in order to destroy "bossism" but
also to give the governor the right to APP
point all State officials. In other words,
the people are to turn over to him the
entire control OF their State in all of its
departments, because we know that such
unlimited power in the hands of one man
would make it possible for him to dictate
the nomination of every official from con-
stable to governor. He could name
every representative and senator in the
State legislature and in the Congress of
the United State, from Louisiana. He
would be king, dictator and "boss" OF
all the little "bosses." Roosevelt, the
man who dined with the negro and took
two more big black bucks to his loving
arms on public platform, and declared
they were as good as any of the white
men present, many believe would "boss''
our "boss," John NJ. Parker.
Alter Parker obtained all this power
- l. 4 l.