LOUISIANA. 



457 



In Lis reply, Dr. Scars used tho following 



language: 



In the distribution of our fund I should b most 



huppy to cooperate with tho State authorities. Hut 



1 understand that the State public schools are so or- 



I that tho greater part of tho white population 



are unwilling to send their children t<> tlu-m, and 



that consequently the benefit of the public money 



goes, In fact, to tne colored children cliidly. It'thmi 



y feasible way of removing this inequality, 



MI; the white people generally into cooperation 



you, the necessity for a local agency would 



oei*o, and wo could act in concert with you. 



\W, ourselves, raise no question about mixed 

 schools. Wo simply take tho fact that the white 

 children do not generally attend them, without pass- 

 ing on the propriety or impropriety of their course. 

 W.- wish to promote universal education to aid 

 whole communities^ if possible. If that cannot be, 

 en. account of peculiar circumstances, we must give 

 the preference to those whose education is neglected. 

 It is well known that we are helping the white chil- 

 dren of Louisiana, as being the more destitute, from 

 the fact of their unwillingness to attend mixed 

 schools. Wo should give the preference to colored 

 children were they in like circumstances. 



Mr. Lusher has been requested to avoid contro- 

 versy and antagonism with the State authorities, and 

 has assured me of his wish and intention to do so. 



Nominating conventions for tho selection of 

 candidates for State officers were held in the 

 month of September, by both tho Republican 

 and Democratic parties. A feature of both 

 conventions was the appearance of a largo 

 number of colored delegates. Inquiries having 

 been addressed to the Democratic State Central 

 Committee, with reference to the admission of 

 colored delegates to the approaching Demo- 

 cratic Convention, the committee, in their ad- 

 dress to the people of the State, expressed the 

 views of the Democratic party on this subject 

 as follows : 



In order, therefore, to redeem our State, and re- 

 lease ourselves from the grasp of inefficient and cor- 

 rupt men, it becomes us to unite as one man, without 

 regard to race, color, or previous condition, and hurl 

 them from place and power, and fill the offices with 

 honest men and patriots. Tho interests of both 

 white and black men are identical in this struggle. 

 Whatever rights and privileges either enjoy under 

 tho Constitution are sacred, and it is the duty of 

 every citizen to see that they are maintained. Tho 

 Democratic party has always upheld and defended 

 the Constitution of the country, and will now, as 

 ever in the past, protect and defend eveiy citizen in 

 the full and free exercise of all rights guaranteed by 

 that instrument. At the last election in New York, 

 BO triumphant for the Democracy, the only charge 

 brought against the party was, that it favored the 

 colored citizens in their constitutional privileges. 

 Tho colored people of this State, therefore, may bo 

 assured that tho Democracy will ever continue to 

 live up to tho grand principles that have so long 

 characterized it. 



Our platform is retrenchment and reform ; to rid 

 the State of its enormous debt ; reduce taxation ; 

 have our levees rebuilt ; restore confidence and pro- 

 mote harmony between capital and labor ; between 

 the colored man and the planter : between tho latter 

 and the merchant ; to induce immigration, and to de- 

 velop the vast agricultural wealth of the State. For 

 the accomplishment of these purposes we ask the co- 

 operation of all good citizens, under whatever name 

 associated. 



The election, which was held in November 



notwithstanding some trouble had been an- 

 tiripatud was remarkable for its peaceful, 

 quiet character, and was referred to by tho 

 Governor as tho "most quiet, peaceable, and 

 orderly election tho State has witnessed for 

 many years." 



Tho election resulted jn a Republican suc- 

 cess. James Graham, the Republican caudiduti* 

 for Auditor, was elected by a vote of 60,428 

 to 40,9(50, received by Allen Jumel, the 1 > 

 cratic candidate ; and Antoine Dubrcclet (Re- 

 publican) was elected State Treasurer by a 

 majority of 24,477 over his opponent, James 

 D. I Mair. The following Republican members 

 of Congress were elected by large majorities: 

 first district, J. Hall Sypher; second district, 

 Lionel A. Sheldon ; third district, C. B. Dar- 

 roll; fourth district, James M;Clcery; fifth 

 district, Frank Morey. 



The Republicans also secured majorities in 

 both branches of the Legislature. The most 

 important feature of this election was the vot- 

 ing on the four constitutional amendments 

 which had been submitted by the preceding 

 General Assembly, and all of which were rati- 

 fied by the votes of the people. The first of 

 those amendments repeals the ninety-ninth ar- 

 ticle of the constitution. "This article," says 

 the Governor in his annual message 



" By reason of its disfranchisement of an influen- 

 tial class of our citizens, for political reasons, was 

 obnoxious to them and their friends, as the result has 

 proved, and was distasteful to almost all. Incorpo- 

 rated in our constitution by an unwise spirit of re- 

 taliation, and, by its peculiar phraseology, serving 

 mainly to irritate and humiliate, while debarring 

 from suffrage and office only the most scrupulous 

 and upright of the class it was aimed against, and 

 admitting all others, it had all the most odious 

 features of disfranchisement, with none of its good 

 effects, if such there be. It is to the lasting credit 

 of the first Republican administration of Louisiana, 

 that the amendment to strike out this last vestige of 

 the war, in our constitution^ was passed with the 

 unanimous Republican vote ol the General Assembly, 

 and indorsed unanimously by the people. It is no 

 longer a part of the constitution. Henceforth, in 

 Louisiana, all disabilities resulting from the war are 

 removed, and no citizen is disfranchised by its laws, 

 except for crime or mental disability. 



The second amendment limits the total 

 amount of State indebtedness that can be con- 

 tracted, up to the year 1890, to the sum of 

 $25,000,000. All indebtedness of whatever 

 character contracted above this amount before 

 that time is illegal, null, and void. It is 

 claimed that this voluntary limitation by the 

 people, of the amount of indebtedness which 

 they will incur for a term of years, will have 

 the double effect of increasing the credit of the 

 State securities, thus lessening the interest 

 the State will have to pay on any future loans, 

 and of compelling rigid economy on the part 

 of the State government. The third amend- 

 ment disqualifies all officials, who have held 

 public moneys, from voting or holding office 

 until they have received from the proper au- 

 thorities receipts in full for all funds that 

 have been thus held by them. Tho fourth 



