The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1874-10-09
nv SEARCH OF A CANDIDATE.

There are two Senatorial candidates
in the field from Calcasieu. Our neigh
Dor, the Courier, has strenuously insist
ed that that parish should have the next
Senator. The difficulty was about the
selection. The Courier, OF its friends,
wanted to make the selection; and Cal
casieu thought that was a privilege that
she only should enjoy. Calcasieu has
but one party-the Democratic party.
Last spring, the parish committee called
a convention to select a candidate for
State Senator. DR.. W. II. Kirkman was
unanimously chosen. After the white
league raid on the State Democracy and
the Democracy of this parish, a district
senatorial convention was called-that
one at Vermillionville. The parish com
mittee of Calcasieu declined or neglected
to call a parish convention, when a num-
Der of citizens called one-in the inter
est, it is supposed, of DR.. Kirkman's OPP
p~onent--to send delegates to the district
convention. It metal Lake Charles, on
the Goth ult., the same day of our i'm
mortal convention here. From the pro-
ceedings we extract the following p
On motion, it was resolved that the
choice of the Convention for a candidate
from this parish for the Tenth Senate
rial District be taken by the credentials
of the different wards which were repre-
sented. - @
The Chair appointed Messrs. H. w.
Hes and Louis Leveque to count the
votes, which resulted as follows 10 votes
for DIR. William H. Kirkman and1 10 votes
for George H. Wells, Esq. 81.
On motion of Louis Leveque, after
balloting, DIR. VIM. Fl. Kirkman was
unanimously declared the choice of the
parish of Calcasieu, as q candidate for
the 10th Senatorial District Of Louisiana
from this parish. iea.
The neutrality-suspicious. werepassed:
Be it resolved, that whereas the Dem
ocratic and Conservative parties of St.
Landry and Lafayette have pledged
themselves to support the candidate
elected by the Parish ofCalcasieu foPthe
State Senate at the nextfelection, and as
the people of Calcasieu in two conven-
tions have expressed their choice for
DR.. William III. Kirkman and rs we, this
Convention, look upon d call for a Dis
trict Convention at this late day ia cal
culated to defeat ourcandidate whoever
he might be.
Therefore be it resolved, that we de-
cline. sending delegates to a District
Convention from this parish, relying on
the faith OF their promise to support the
mar Of our choice as Senator from this
parish to represent the Tenth Senatorial
Gfatpict IN the State Senate.
So Calcasieu. in two conventions, has
expressed her choice for DR.. Kirkman,
and The scAite people of that parish posi-
lively declined to send delegates to the
district convention. The Democracy of
st. Landry declined to send delegates to
this district convention. The Demo-
cracy Of Lafayette declined to send
delegates to this convention; and the
only Democratic delegate that wal
present, (from Cameron,1 declined to
participate. And, ais the Lafayette Ad-
yertiser says, /" the whole thing was d
failure and OF no significance whatever,
except perhaps, as indicating the choice
of the white leaguers of st. Landry and
Lafayette We have it from good au-
thority that the white leaguers of this
parish are divided, and probably subdi-
vided on this question OF choice
1T has been generally understood that
Mr.. Wells was to be the candidate OF tile.
white leaguers for State senator; and
the policy ofswapping horses while eros
sing a stream has never been considered
q good one. But, III there il such q
thing us good-faith in politics, We do
not see how those who contended for a
Calcasieu candidate through the col
umns Of tie Courier, are to escape sup
porting MI. Wellsor, in case ofhis with
drawal, Dr. Kirkman. They are in d
n~redicament truly. Better that they
had let the convention business alone,
and voted as might suit them best with
ouf b fuss. In the effort to drive
others into their ranks, they have made
q naess.