The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-09-22
TUESDAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER 22, 1885,
THE ELECTION PROCLAMATION.

Gov. Warmoths proclamation for an cleo
tion on the Sd of November next is a very re-
markable document. Its "whereas" declares
that " electors for president and vice-president
of the United States are to be chosen for this
State on Tuesday, the Sd day of November, as
provided by law" etc. but it would puzzle
the writer to discover what law of this State
provides for the election of members of Con.
gress on the Sd of November, 1868. The
truth is that the law provides for no election
of congressman except at the regular time,
November. 1869. That law has never been
repealed, we believe. 1t stands now upon the
statute book as an emphatic contradiction Of
Gov. Warmoth's proclamation. Perhaps the
Legislature may alter the time, but it has not
done SO yet, and hence the proclamation, like
Radical acts generally, is entirely without legal
warrant or sanction. But perhaps the most
extraordinary feature of this very extraordi-
nary document is that which relates to the
choice of electors. The governor, with as
much placid assurance as if he were not set
ting up his own will against the law and Gus
tom of the State directs these elections to be
held by districts and not by the State at large
except as to two of the electors. He desig-
mates the districts as electoral and congress
sionsl districts" thus either assuming that
there are certain legal electoral districts cor
responding with the congressional districts or
improvising such districts in accordance with
his own caprice. What right Gov. Warmoth
has to declare that five of the electors shall be
chosen by districts we cannot conceive
There is no law of Louisiana constituting
electoral districts. A contemporary remarks
that the law is silent as to whether the electors
shall be chosen by districts or by the State at
large. This is mistake. The law provides
for q concurrent election of electors; and this
is sufficiently explicit, when we take into con-
sideration that no electoral districts are con-
stituted. No one ever supposed that the law
meant anything else here than what it means
in all the other States. There is no shadow
or warrant Of authority for Gov. Warmoth's
action. Why for instance, does he say that
two electors shall be chosen for the State at
large, and one by each of the congressional
districts? He might as well say that all seven
shall be chosen by districts, and then proceed
TO constitute the districts himself He would
have just as much right to do the one thing as
the other.
But, after all, this proclamation is tacit
admission, on the part of the Radicals, of
the hopelessness of their cause in Louisiana.
If they thought that they could carry ma
jority throughout the State they would have
insisted on choosing the electors by general
ticket Knowing now that they will lose the
State, they propose to gobbleup stray vote or
two in some one or more ofthe congressional
districts. But, we think that, even in this.
they will be disappointed We believe that
with fair amount of energy, the Democrats
can icarry every congressional district in the
State. In this case the governors little
scheme would come to nought but it shows
how ready Radicalism is to violate law in order
to gain some temporary and even uncertain ad-
vantage. 1t seems as if in this case, the gov
ernor had made a strenuous effort to violate
the law rs openly and directly as possible
and it must be confessed that he has sue
ceeded.
twill be seen, by reference to the proclams-
ton, that the congressional districts are re-
arranged to correspond with the new law re-
Gently passed by the Legislature. Changes
are made in the two city districts as follows
To the First District, formerly composed of |
the Second and Third (municipal) Districts,
Except the eighth precinct Algiers, St Ber-
nard and Plaquemines) are added !St Tam
many, Washington, St Helena and Livingston.
To the Second District formerly composed of
the eighth precinct, the First (municipal) Dis
tnct and the Fourth District to Washington
avenue are added Jefferson, st. Charles, st.
1onn the Baptist St James, Lafourche and
ierreoonne' In this district representative
: to be elected to I'LL the vacancy caused by
The death of Hon. James Mann.
The presidents and marshals of clrhS that
contemplate joining in the procession and pre-
'entation tomorrow evening" are requested to
az "a |