Year: 1879

that above h.jm there Ia q higher power than
the Office ITSELF he will discover that the
| humhIeet citizen Ut Louisiana has rights that
the Governor OF the State must and shall
respect
| The legislative department.. heretofore un-
der the constitution OF 1863. unrestricted In
tbeh powers, taxed thls people so much that


they came TO the conclusion that the more
| they worked the poorer they got. [Crles OF
ives, lndeeedr'l Yes, they worked, and while
the officers under that constitution were
growing rich they were growing poor. Ihey
were growing so poor and groaning 80 much
under the heavy burdens Of taxation imposed


under that document and the infamous laws
enacted hereunder by the Infamous men
that reason your delegates were 80 careful 70
protect your rights against al officials IN the


future.


Now, w-citizens, you will discover that
the powers Of the Legislature are 30 well de-


fined. and the limitations upon them are 80


well laid down and are 90 wise that your


rights will he protected and your property


perfectly secure. You can be taxed under the


new constitution six mills and no more.


Think Or It, Instead OF a.. or 5 per cent OF
State taxes which you have paid In this State


without counting your parish and other n


direct taxes that you had to bear, and that


heretofore you could be taxed, now, under


no circumstances, can you be taxed more


than elk mills on tho dollar. ! ask you,


then, friends and fellow-cltizens, whether or


not the Democratic party has redeemed


tne pIe'sa Is ] When " We = spoke q d


form before. the Republican party said
to us: You speak Of reform, but you


don't say how you intend to perfect
the reforni. We did not say how. because we
knew not III what condition the affairs OF our
State were; we know that we had been plum


dered; we knew that wa were poor; we knew


that all we could make aud scrape together in
this State and out VI its soil had gone. we
knew that we had paid the amount ont of tho
crops ot tho State. but we knew not how OF


where the money had gone: we could scarcely
say at that tmeif we took possession OF the
Offices whether we would iind out what had
become of that money. And when We took


possession of the Offices we found all in con-
| fusion: we found no books to show where the
money of the people had gone: We found that


men who had occupied high and responsible
positions, that once had been occupied by the
most talented, the truest and best citizens Of
Louisiana. had 50 far forgotten their duties,
had 50 far forgotten their positions toward the
people OF the State had so lowered them


selves as to carry away In the dark hour ct
the night even the books that would
enable their successors to restore order into
their affairs. But my friends, the officers
that you did elect, thank iod, were equal 20
| the great task. YoI had tho true ana brave
Nichols at the head of your government He
had made no idle promises. BY hard work


work by day and by night We at last looked
| into the condition OF your affairs and restored
some order; and, after these three short years,
| we come to-day and show you how we have
redeemed our pledges, and how much better
| off the people OF the State ares and during
those three short years ask the colored men
of this parish II they were not much better
off than they We're from 1868 up to the time
when the Democratic party took possession
OF the State


The State of Louisiana, colored men OF
Ouachita, Ia In the hands Of the Democratic
party The affairs Of your people for the last
three years have been administered by that
party Feeling that we have done justice TO
the people of the State, we intend to continue
that policy. The Republican party has
thought fit to put ticket In the field.
and they are canvassing this State.
They are fully aware Of the fact, that we
have given satisfaction to the people. white
and black, and they are wei! satisfied.
that they can never control the destintes OF
this people; and advise you one and all. par
ticularly the colored men OF Ouachita. who
have at last opened your eyes and Joined the
Democratic party, to remain there, listen to
| the advice OF the good men OF this party-men
who have your interests at heart who were
born and reared In this parish, the men who
knew you from their CHILDHOOD, the men who
want you to live here. who will do all in their
power to protect you in your rights, the men
who helped to make the constitution which
protects your rights as well as mine. the men
who made the constitution and 80 well pro-
tected your rights as to bring forth from your
colurad leaders who were members OF thRt
body the expression that even II they tnem





ganic law to live under they could not better
have secured the rights Of the colOred people.
Read the speeches made by PnchbHck,
colorcd man and one of your representa-
tives and a Republican. Read the speech made
by Allan. a colored man. q representative OF
Your race and a member Of the Republican
party. Read the speech made by Demas.
colored man, representative OF your race
and o member Of the Republican party. Read
for yourselves. and ponder well over what
they snid. and you will admit that ] toll
you the truth. and you will believe them
when they say to you that your rights are
Will discover that the constitution made by
the Democratic party will afford you more
facility to educate your children than the
constitution made by the Republican party
In 1868 Read the speeches carefully, and all
the debates Of that convention and you will
find that the truest and best colored men In
that convention. your truest and Eest repre-.
sentatives in that body say to the colored
people. Come forward to-day and support,
ratify and adopt the cons tuition made
by the Democratic party. And Mr..
Pinchback to-day ID speaking In favor
of that constitution. Mr.. Demas to-day has
taken the stump and is advocating the adop-
tion OF that constitution. Mr. Allain to-day
is asking the colored people TO come forward
and adopt the constitution. They say to the
colored people: II you do 90. your rights are
better secured than the Republican party ever
dared to secure them for you. II your leader
y
tell you that that constitution made by the
Democratic party Ia q good instrument, then.
my friends, my colored friends Of Ouachita.
why should you not go to the polls In Decem
Der and vote, not only for the constitution,
and the ordinances of the convention. but
for the men who have been put up as your
officers Tor the future, aud who helped to
frame that constitution? l had the dis
tinguished honor to preside over the eonstitu
tional convention that framed that document,
that SO protects your rights. | helped to
make that constitution. and Ii am elected,
as will be elected Governor Of this State. !
promise the people OF this p irish and Of this
State that | will carry it out in accordance
with its true interest and meaning. know
what the trainers Of that constitution meant,
and know that In framing 1t they meant
equal rights to all men, and to treat all men,
WHO understand and obey the laws Of the
State and the constitution Of the State, with
propriety and justice.


Our ticket. when elected, viii be an out and
out Democratic ticket. The party we repre-