New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-10-15
ENFW oR5F1Ns REPUB11oAN THURSDAY, OCTOBER a. 1874

the transient scandal of betrayed rights
would not disturb the tranquil rest OF
conscience at peace with the money mar
let.
In the meantime, when the purchaser
entered he might utterly destroy the polit-
ical power Of his antagonists. he might
fill every Office, and apply every dollar OF
patronage to the reward of his followers.
He might SO intimidate, degrade and dis
qualify his opponents, that any future po-
litical effort on their part would be USE
less.
Such things might be were the p1inci-
pie admitted that Office is personal
property which men may barter or abandon
without asking the assent Of the people
who conferred the Office.
The suavity Of the executive incumbent
is in every respect commendable. lie
entertains most incredible proposition.
It is to determine whether he be the
rightful occupant of the Office which he
has held against all the legal and illegal
efforts of his competitor to dislodge him.
1t is as if one meets you in the street and
proposes to leave to an agreed reference
whether the watch in your pocket is
yours? In such case you may lose a
watch and your good name, but as there
is nothing staked against the watch you
can be no better off by the decision in
your favor than you were before.
Mr. McEnery's proposition realizes that
purely hypothetical inquiry, "John, if l
had horse, how would you swap
The election of 1872 was conducted on
the Democratic side by perhaps one of the
most adroit commanders that ever stuffed
ballot box. He was employed for that
purpose with the heavy contingent fee OF
seat in the United States Senate.
The election disputed On both sides was
carried before two Supreme Courts and
argued, apparently, at great expense by
the parties claimant. The demand Of Mr..
McEnery was dismissed.
1t next appeared in petition TO Con-
gress wherein the claims Of contesting
Representatives involved a decision upon
the legality Of the executive contestants.
Pending this question the President
maintained the status in quo. precisely as
it had been made by the parties in ap'
peal to Congress. Tired Of the laws de-
lays, urged by the insatiate hunger Of his
followers, Mr.. McEnery determined to
try Q remedy outside Of the law. II
arose on the issue that the constitution
had guaranteed every citizen the right to
bear arms. There was an organized re-
sistance to certain policemen who came
as was charged-to deprive citizens o,
that right. This was an issue Of personal
right under the federal constitution and
would naturally have been asserted before
the federal courts, but this issue resulted
in the seizure Of the State offices and the
overthrow Of the State government.
MIR. McEnery, the contestant for execu
tive Office, has violated the terms o.
appeal and resorted to force to secure the
object. He has thus placed himself ir
fragrant default before Congress and be,
fore the world.
He has made his case even worse. He
has placed himself in technical insured
ton against the State, and in quasi
instruction against the United States.
Upon this statement we ask II the
stakes would be equal between the two
contestants?
The position Of the REPUBLICAN, as
stated in its last issue, is that no man has
such personal right on an Office as that
he can dispose Of it, and still less Of the
Offices to which others have been elected,
by any ex-oficial agreement to leave The
title TO these offices 60 the determination
Of arbiters unknown to the law. It is
therefore wholly unnecessary TO conside,
whether the people Of Louisiana are
to be governed by the choice Of
five select men or by their OWE
vote. As for the idea that any parties
have q right 70 take from Congress the
right 20 judge Of the election and returns
Of its own members, and commit the de.
cision Of the State government to the
President, it is SO novel that We decline
10 discuss il. If Congress should decline
to accede to the proposal. it might 60 on
to decide that the State government,
chosen by the President was not the lesiti-
mate government chosen by the people.
The President might therefore be placed
in the awkward attitude Of having to turn
out his own incumbent With this posi-.
ton announced by the President, 1t would
be impossible for him to act on the pro-
posed arbitration until Congress shall
have expressed its purpose and authorized
the executive to do SO.
SCHOOL FOB OUTLAWS.
The professional politicians have no use
or man except in street fights and cleo.
lions. In the interval these selfish en-
.,1oro~o I;co Tbor