The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1874-08-12
the past eight or ten days over


;he Radical Convention.
The ELECTION FOR |, DELEGATES
was held on Saturday last, in this
,itysa there was a great hubh.sb.
Visited several of the polls Ana
FOUND Tie negroessin full possession,
wagering around talking big aha
punishng plenty Of whisky. Ofdke
oh be Joyful there was large
supply, and it flowed freely. A
friend relates that he saw one darkey-
sell his vote for twenty-five cents,
but he insisted on 'cash on the spot''
and got it. Carriages, hacks and
market wagons We're freely used to
take the voters to and from the polls.
Although there were several fights
only one
rs MURDER So
was committed. This occurred at
the Seventh Ward poll, where ne
gro named Allen Harris was stabbed
by another negro named Am. Du-
part. The blow was delivered with
such yindictiYe force that one of the
ribs was severed and the bone driven
into the flesh. Dupart was subse-
quently arrested and claims, of
course, that the stabbing was donein
self-defence.
THE CONVENTION
met on Wednesday in the spacious
parlors of the St. Louis Hotel, which
have been elegantly fitted up for the
use Of the House of Representatives.
1t is to be hoped that they furnish
no sample ofthe bodies to meet there
hereafter to make laws for our State.
It is a serious question by what right
they were accorded the privilege of
using this building, which is now
rented to the State, and the furniture
Of which belongs to the whole peo-
pie. Such uses of public buildings
was never known before the advent
to power Of the party now in posses
sion Of the State. The first days
sQUABBLE
was confined to the election of Dave
Young, a negro from Concordia, as
temporary chairman, and Charles A.
Bagnie, Vigers and Bodenhausen,
two negroes and white man, as
Secretaries. Boss Packard made q
speech congratulating the members
on their responsibility and intelh-
T gence. and Young made self-lauda
tory harangue over his election
!, The second days proceedings was
) interrupted by three hours inter
, mission, so that they really did not
5 get to work until three CLOCK. The
report Of the committee on cretlen-
tials, was adverse to- Pinchback's
;. supporters, although Pinch himself
e was admitted. Pinch made speech
n denoncing this action. and there was
a soon every evidence that q row was
e inevitable. In the midst of vote.
e which no one could hear, for the
t boots and yells of these respectable
d and intelligent representatives Of
e the people, as Packard had designa-
III ted them on the day previous, there
/. was cry Of
e. FIGHT! FIGHT!
a which proved to be a first class shin
ID dig, in which there was much whoop-
70 ing and yelling, but very little blood
,e shed. No such disgusting and dis
,e graceful scene was ever before enact
I'd ed in a body pretending to the dig
Re nifty ola convention representing the
Sc people of an independent State. The
fight began between Green and Jones
both negroes and both pretty full O
nd whiskey, as indeed were more thai
" two-thirds of the members. Pistols
!, a we're drawn, knives 6ourished ant
sn the furniture thrown around general
= ly, and the great wonder is that sew
rs eral were not killed. The polio
hs came in and endeavored tosstop tn
no melee but with poor success. Quie
oot was at last restored however, and a
no attempt made to continue the bus1
~ ness. But it was no 60, the, niger
.t- we're pretty full of whiskey an
Af wouldn't work, so they all adjourned
nj, The third day Of this Convention {
r. the models Of Radicalism, was som
,nv what better and more orderly th'
ret. the first. Many of the DELEGATE
ito looked somewhat the worse for Wea
dad the effects of thewhiskey still hinge
an ing about them. All they did no .
,ek ever towards business was to ele
Boss Packard, President Of the 20
yention. No one pretends to kno
be. what the wire pullers, intend DON
80. al +bot pinch's chauC