The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1874-10-16

! D Su11Iu ~ QQaJF0vG@QX
LA Sandoz Eugene Bichard
Leonce saudoE Richard
] Dantin N Wilson
De1ean Eucher Lavergne
Alcee Depre Garland Peck
l L Hayes Victor Richard
A P Williams Homer Richard
+ DeLaRue J B Hill
G Mornhlnveg Jr John T Healey
Paul A GarrrIgues Joe N Roy
NJ G May.
II the facts stated above be true, Of which
KNOW nothing, l cordially endorse this mem o
rial. F. ]. Huudley.
When the seventeen elected Democrats called
upon the commissioners of election for their Ger
ti1cate of elcctiOn, these gentlemen immediate
~ signed 1t and handed it to them. The accu
racy Of the certificate was certified to by II
Hayes, President, and properly attested BY
Messrs. Williams and Thompson, secretaries o
the meeting holden on the 10Th. under who's,
auspices and supervision the election had beer
conducted. 1t was thus armed that the seven
teen Democratic delegates presented themselyel
to the convention on the 26th Of September
They had been fairly elected at an election heiC
strictly in accordance with the call OF the Parish
Committees. Accordingly when it was ascer
tanned that all effort would be made to unseat
them for reasons of the unfairness and unjust
meas OF which the mere perusal of the protee'
NS ~ UNIV IN any AhpItJullCSu 1llnQ ID6J
determined to resist. They knew no proposition
even looking to the election ola combined ticket
had been made by the White Leaguers OF Ope
Iousas; that the only effort made In that dlrec
ton by the White League was the presentation
OF a ticket selected by themselves, composed q
four Democrats and thirteen White Leaguers
that in Big Cane, Grand Coteaa, Washington
and Waxla, where the White Leaguers are in g
majority, the existence of the Democratic party
had been scarcely Recognized in the ward cleo
tons. III fine, they were fully aware that fusion
and combination, as understood by White Lea2
uCrs, meant combination and fusion whenever
they were hopGlcssly in q minority, and q solid
White League delegation whenever they were
In u majority, and as the Democrats felt satisfied
they were In a large majority in the parish, they
naturally enough determined to fight for fair
play Ill the convention. This was all they asked,
and this they were determined to have. For
this reason, when Mr.. E. T. Lewis proposed that
b emeeting should be called to order at II O'Clock,
not by the election OF a temporary President by
The convention, as liz always done In such cases.
Out by the two parish committees, he was i'm
nediately notified that he would be opposed
and that the Democrats would put in nomina'
ton the name OF DR.. James Ray AS temporary
chairman. When the hour Of II O'Clock arrived
accordingly c. B. Andrus nominated DIR. Ray
Tor temporary chairman. This led to an excited
debate at once between MI. Lewis and Mr..
Hudspeth, at the conclusion of which Mr.. Lewis
put Leroy g. Hazard, of Big Cane, in nomina-
tlon, and here Came the tug of war. Mr.. Lewis,
with protest III hand, commended that the seven
teen Democrats elected from the Opelousas
ward, as their seats were contested, should not
be allowed to vote in the election of 4 tempo
rary President OF the convention. To this, amid
such noise, turmoil and confusion as was never
heard IN st. Landry, the Democrats replied that
their certificate OF election gave them a prima
fac1e right to vote III the organization OF the
convention, and that their rights to their seats
was then to be passed upon by the committee
on credentials, OH the acceptance of which thew
must staud or fall. Finally DR.. Taylor and Lau-
rent Dupre, two Of the most prominent White
Lcaguers present, having taken this view Of the
question and addressed the convention, the
voting was proceeded with, and DR.. Raw de-
clarcd elected President pro tom. by a majority
of eleven votes, he receiving seventy-threc and
Hazard sixty-two. DR.. Ray having been de-
clared temporary chairman of the convention
proceeded to appoint the committee on creden-
lhdIct |VIloiSlluS VI ton mtutD6r5. hP. Lewis
again, with protest in hand, took the floor, and
TINS time read out the names of Objectionable
persons who had voted in the election of the
18th, prominent amongst whom we noticed the
names of Judge AdolpLe Garrigues, DR.. James
Ray, {. 3. Andrus and other lifelong, true and
tried Democrats, together with all the HIT Re-
publicans who had participated in the election
OF delegates. This led again TO great con
fusion. Finally the committee on crcden-
tials retired, and u recess was taken. After
several hours the committee returned the fol
lowing majority report, signedby nine members:
MAJORITY REPORT.
The committee on Credentials beg leave to
make the following report Upon the protest to
the election OF delegates on the 18th inst, for the
ward or Opel0usas, We find that the address was
made to the Democratic Party, the White League
Party, the Liberal Party. the Reform Party,
aud to all Others opposed to the Kellogg usurpa-
ton, and all embraced in their several above
mentioned parties, were urged to come for
ward and participate in the Convention 80
that there should be a full expression of the
popular will. In consideration of the grounds
assumed in the protest, and the amplitude given
to all who were opposed to the Kellogg usurpa-
ton, and in fact that the commissioners Of cleo
ton belonged to the party Of the contestants.
we feel no right to question the honesty and
fairness with which they allowed the votes OBJ
jected to to be polled. We, therefore, In short,
ltIlC VI buC tbIIlI1ltltG fbtlUR Iii IAN0T or fntR
report, and one against, submit it as our DELHI
crate opinion that the seventeen delegates re- |
ported to he elected by the commissioners of |
said election be maintained and entitled to their
seats.
Contest of the election of Upper PIaauemine.
The ward ia entitled TO six votes; It is the
Judgment OF the committee that each delegation
be entitled to three votes each.
On motion OF Mr.. John Fahey it was resolved |
that all the other Credentials be unanimously |
which was carried;
John Fahey Theodore Chacfere
j HI Overton Gordon
B Cuslman James D Israel
r II Thompson CB Andrus
MI. Beaudoin, who doubtless had determined
in advance to agree to nothing the committee
should do, submitted the following minority
Minority REPORT.
I, the undersigned, member of the committee
on credentials, beg leave to submit the follow
lng minority report on the ward election at Ope-
lousas
Resolved, That in lieu of a common report on
credentials of the Opelousas ward, / recommend
that eight from each ticket receiving the high
est vote be seated as delegates to represent this
ward, and that lots be drawn between the dele
30 chosen for the remaining delegates, and
the delegates 80 chosen by lot shall be him who
has received the highest vote on the winning
ticket. PIERRE Beaudoin
Before the committee had finished reading the
majority report, the convention was again in
he widest state Of confusion. About this time
Mr. KaTanagh moved for a recess of ten min
ties. This was carried. The White League del
went upstairs, 1he Democrats remained
1eloR. 1t was then announced that the follow
NJ propositions had been submitted, in order to
about harmony aid unity Of action,
liz: No nominations to be made for Sheriff.
Parish Judge, or Senator. The White Leap7,a