The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1872-03-09
4 Remarkable Letter.

The following letter Of United States
Internal Revenue Assessor Hardy, to-.
Mr.. Mayfield, will show the manner
i'll which the Customhouse people pre-
pare conventions. 1T is, perhaps, with
out example in political chicancry and
fraud:
UNITED STATES INTERNAL. RlvESuE,
Assessors Office, Third District, Louisiana
Monroe, La, June y, 1871. }
DEAR MAHFIELD.-Thcre will be a
State convention called to assemble in
New Orleans sometime in August,
probably the twentieth or twenty
fourth. The call will be published
about the twcnth-ninth. Each parish
will be entitled to one delegate, and
when the convention assemblies there
will be warm work. The object Of call
ing the convention is to organize the
State Central Republican Committee.
Winn parish is Untitled to one delegate,
and l want you to be the delegate
from that parish. At the same time
I want you orsst1ize and
Richland parishes. / want to go from
either franklin or Richland but first,
! as to VIM parish. Find the State
and parish tax collector, and don't say
| II word to him about a convention, but
| get the names Of five OF six good, trust
| worthy and leading Republicans color
ed 1nen), feel around them, and make
it your business to get acquainted with
them. Before you leave the parish,
have yourself elected the delegate to
the convention from that parish. Send
the names of the five good, trttstWor-
| thy colOred men to me. They viii be
appointed on the parish executive COM
! mittee, and they must furnish your
! credentials, etc. The same thing must
be repeated in Franklin and Rich
land parishes. l want to go as alter
nate from Richland. Caldwell and
Catahoula are taken care Of. /
think you had better have Il. O. Par
ker appointed alternate from Franklin
johnson, Parker and Jones, collector
and deputy collectors, will in all prob
ability, be in the convention from this
district. l want you i'll without fail
There is no chance for John Hogan, of
this division, Scott, of the fourth di-
vision, Or Kinny, Of the third division,
to get in, and can tell you one thing
right here. No assistant assessor who
has not sufficient influence in some par
ish in his division to go to conventions,
State and district, has not sufficient
strength to retain his position.
You can judge how long the above
named gentlemen will retain their
present positions. Now, I want you,
to give this matter your first attention.
Don't say anything about the convcn-
ton to any one. If there is any prob
ability OF any one getting in ahead of It's
have the whole thing put up before
there is any chance for 4 slip. When
you take in Franklin and Richland,
put me in as alternate from either and
Parker in from the other. DON'T say
a word to Mr.. AleNandcr; and, if there
is q man in VIM by the name OF
George-Professo George he is called
keep shy Of him. I do not know how
you stand as to Governor Warmoth,
but.I may as we'll say frankly that John
Ray IS our man, and if you go to the
convention you have an opportunity to
do something for him. Keep all this
to yourself, but go to work and put
this thing through. Marvin will go
from Catahoule, yourself from Winn,
| Faulkner from Caldwell, Hardy from
Franklin (altcrnate), Parker from
| Richland, Morcy, John Ray and :,
colored man, from OuacNitn, Blan-
chard, Johnson and colorcd man from
MOrehouse, Bennett from Union, Green
from Jackson, Jones from Bienville
and Vaughan and Blackburn from
Claiborne. / can go from Union, but
| would rather go from Franklin OF
| ltlcNlillu. All nave TO say to YOU
is to stick to John Ray, who is your
friend. l Enow-dOn't let anything
leak out, or allow yourself to be bicti
by the trick of confidence Take Il
certain course. Go to that convention,
and l Will meet you there, and we Will
talk this thing up. Conllin will be
here in Il few days, and will, think,
advise a reorganization of the district.
1t may be thought eNpedient to dis
continue the first division. In that
case Ouachita will be added to your
division.
l am in communication, together
with johnson, with the chairman OF
the State Central Committee (Packard)
and this is the plan. We want every
thing fixed up, so that when the call
is issued there will be 10 delay. l do
not suppose anything is known about
the proposed convention in Winn or
even Catahoula.
Keep this letter and contents strictly
confidential, and let me know at once
how things stand, and the prospect for
the future. Yours, etc.,
WILLIAM II. II AliDN.
-,tl L,x