New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-12-12
DISPUTED uLAN.

Cno house, WlCQOuC 30 much rs asking
leave of that body, and credited him with
speech which be never delivered, has
turned its attention to the genial task of
instructing Governor Kellogg in the his
tory of Louisiana politics. The subject
of the lecture is the q,ad pro quo promised
Governor Warmoth for his able and ener-
getic support of the Fusion ticket in the
election of 1872 Our contemporary is
about as far out Of line in one case as the
other.
We are cot prepared to say that the un-
derstanding that Governor Warmoth was
to have the Senatorship was made known
to either the Picoyuae or to MIR. Ogden
perhaps it was not deemed important that
they should be consulted. But Messrs.
McEnery, Penn and the chairmen of the
several committees that formed the high
contracting parties when the vestments Of
poor Louisiana were being parceled out,
were made aware of the fact that the can
didates on the Fusion ticket for the General
Assembly were generally pledged to sup
port Governor Warmoth for the Office in
question. 1t is likely that those gentlemen
who We're not expected to have vote on
the subject were not consulted. But spe-
cial attention was given to securing a
proper Legislature for the purpose. The
supervisors of registration were charged
with this business, and written pledges to
carry out the contract were frequently
given. OF course, the Picayuoe and its
little handful Of reformers and tax resist
ers-last ditchers-were not informed of
these proceedings, as they were resorted
to as means Of fanking such as might
be disposed to bolt the track when the
crisis came. The first Fusion returning
board was friendly to Governor Warmoth.
Under their auspices the tabulated re-
turns were prepared and published
in the Times. Then followed the procla-
nation for an extra session. In the mean
time other parties and other agencies were
at work. The suit that was instituted in
the Circuit Court overthrow the whole
programme, and Warmoth was defeated,
not by the Democracy, not by the refusal
of members who had been elected for that
very purpose, to vote for him, but by the
success Of the rightful Legislature, chosen
by the people. Hence all the indignation.
A committee Of two hundred was formed
to set things to rights; collect money,
60 to Washington, and the like. The
Times, that expected to come in for some
thing handsome, raved itself into bank
rupcy; while the Picayu,ae, not being in
the secret, reserved its most stalwart
blows and poured out its bitterest indigna-
ton upon those who had contributed to
the defeat Of Beauregard for small city
Office.
The Legislature that was expected to
elect Governor Warmoth to the Senate
never met He counted among his
friends all the Senators who held over as
well as those returned by the Hatch
Wharton board. While he remained Gov
ernor he held the keys Of the situation,
and hence expected to finish up the whole
business at the extra session. Judge Du-
rells prompt and most proper action de-
feated the almost achieved object. The
legal House of Representatives impeached
the Governor, and he was forced from his
vantage ground. When he became weak
ened the little Democratic politicians be-
gan to proclaim that they were not par
ties to any arrangement with their great
champion. They had promised him
nothing and would not consent that he
should receive anything. But, unfortun-
ately for their prospects of doing anything
at all, they could not muster enough Sen
ators to make a quorum. The two lead
ing men in that body were Warmoth's
warm personal and political friends. But
there were not enough of them. So a
draft was made on the legal Senate for six
more friends Of the Governor, which,
with seating men here and there who had
never heard they were candidates even,
brought together the magical quorum.
But it was too late. The thing had gone
too far. After taking an infinite number |
of ballotings, the mask was finally thrown |
off and another man received the empty
that the Governor had %
CALAMITY struggled for.
In the face of all these transactions, the |
Picayu,ae now declares:
1t is known that Governor Warmoth
never did receive any promise Of political |
Or other advancement, either from the |
Democratic or Fusion parties, for any pur-
pose whatever.
To whom, pray, is such an astounding
negative so well known? No one pretends
hat the hosts of Fusiondom assembled in
mass and authorized their presiding Off
Ter to enter into a notarial contract of any
lind. The common herd had very little
o say about it. But the more numerous
'lement of Fusion sacrificed their candi-
late for Governor-Penn-wh accepted
he second place on the ticket, and at the
anne time insisted that their leader should
'ecome the chief of the new movement
nd receive the highest compliment in the
lift of the Legislature. The other con-
racting parties accepted the programme
Without protest, and Governor Warmoth
ntered actively into the canvass He pi-
oted the Fusion orators all over the State,
nd he and Sheridan succeeded in making
he campaign very brilliant one By their
lasterly oratory.
Did our friends the Democrats expect