New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-01-09
Statement of Northern Democrat. who
was Present at the Organization of the
House Of Representative ON the
fourth Of January.

| NEW ORLEANS, Lac JANUARY .. rs. ..
EDITOR REPUBLICANS:
! Having been called into this c.ion
the country upon business, and sOjOurnis
here tor the past month or more. l hav
very naturally taken o little Interest in til
approaching and past assembling of til
Legislature, and if any preferences existe
with my feelings they tended to the Den
ocratic side. On the morning Of the fourt
of January 1 accordingly went TO the Sta.
| House to witness the organization of th
House, without any bias or preference o
either side, and took my place where l coul
witness everything done. Not having see
q full statement of the events as they ira III
plred, | give it unbiased and unprecedented
for others to see who Is right or wrong.
About halfpast eleven o'clock the Demo
| cratic members came to the hall of tn
House OF Representatives from their caucu
| room and took their seats, and very 500
thereafter the Republican members cam
IN. few of thtm coir.s.::". 4 4 at tae time th
Democrats did, very little excitement es
! listing. nothing bu. general hum ot con
yersaticc going On.
At twelve O'clock precisely Mr.. t;gers
! the clerk of the old House of Represents
! tiyes, came on the stand with tie roll a
| certified to by the Secretary of State, witt
the names Of the members returned by tn
Returning Board, in accordance with th,
State law, and proceeded to call the roll
upon which l02 members answered to thei
names, fifty Democrats ana ftty-twO Re
pu5licans. The moment the Clierk ha(
finished calling the roll Mr.. Billier tDerro
craft moved that Mr.. L. A. Witt be MAJ
temporary chairman. The clerk promtsti,
refused to put the motion, as the statute
does Eot provide for temporary chair
man. In an instant the member who
made the motion put the vote, and
at the same instant before it was fairly
voted upon, and much less understood by
half of the members in the House. Mr.
Witt, who was sitting on the stepA of the
Speakers stand. sprang up aud ed nnbed
the gavel and rol out of the Clerks hands
and commenced Rammering at furious
rate on the desk. ling the House to order,
and declaring him temporary chairman.
and calling Colonel9owell, one of the Oldest
members in the House, to administer the
oath, which he (Lowell) refused to do in
such an illegal manner. Immediately fol-
lowing Mr.. Wiltz was Judge Houston with
book, who went through what purported
to be swearing him in as Temporary chair
man" amidst the greatest noise. confusion
and excitement. occasioned by the cries of
Mr.. Speaker" 'Mr. Chairman" ..Mr.
Speaker" from all parts of the One
OF the Democrats was recognized, notwith-
standing the fact that five or six Repub.
Ecans were on the hoor, and in the loudest
tones addressed the chairman for recogni.
ton, who made motion that the members
from Caddo and Grant parishes who had
been declared elected by the Democrats
committee be admitted to the floor of the
House and sworn in. TIE five members.
whose names were not on the roll as certi.
fled to by the Secretary of State, came
forward and were sworn in.
Colonel c. w. Lowell. former Speaker of
the House, succeeded in getting a recogni-
tiOn and entered his protest against the un.
lawful manner in which they were irving
to organize the House and brought forward
the statutes provided under an act passed
In 1877 tor organizing the Legislature. The
would be Speaker would not recognize it
but left the chair and addressed the House
in answer to Colonel Lowell. citing the
action of the Republicans in organizing the
Legislature in 1868, when the same motions
were made and acted upon as were now
made. Mr.. Mathews, of Teasas (Repub.
lical), desiring to rut Mr.. Witt on the
record as law-abiding member and citi.
zen, directly ssked him and demanded an
answer to his question. if he (Wiltz) was
lot willing to submit to the law which had
been enacted since 1868! Mr.. Witt refused
% answer the question. saying he would
lot argue the question then. After several
protests had been made and theswearipg il
" the five members, before the HOUSE
lad permanently organized, motion was !,
made by one OF the Democratic members
hat they proceed to elect a Speaker. Mr.,
Iowel again obtained the floor and un,n |
molten that they proceed in q legal man, |
er to elect a Speaker, made a lengthy
rotest upon the unlawful and hastv action
Mr. Wiltz In taking the chair. While he
as speaking, or supposed to have finished.
ne OF the Republican members made a
otion that Mr.. Lowell be made Speaker
the House, putting the question himself
was evidently carried, from the cries of
7e. and the call was made for Mr.. Lowell
take the chair. Mr.. Lowell continued
'eaklng, and said he had come into the
ouse for fair contest; that ne was not a
ndidate; that they had agreed upon a
an In their caucus, whom he should
pport, and that as his Howell's) name
ID been brought before the House in
o same unlawful manner as the
esent occupant of the chair had, he would
It allow his name to be so used. Upon
previous motion OF one of the Demo
attic members to proceed to the elec ton of
'eaker, Mr.. l.. A. Witt and ex Governor
aim were nominated. Upon call of the .
IL. tue Democrats only voting including
nve members previously sworn in, when |
Vovernor Hahn'S name was called, he | 6
sired the privilege of making a few re. ,
arks. The chairman thought the cour.
" should be granted him. Governor
mn. IN closing his remarks, protested ex. t
city against the course that had been ! q
rsued; that it was contrary to the pro.
cllned TO vote. The roll havin. been z
led by the acting clerk, Mr.. Witt was u
,lared TO have treceived fifty.tiye votes. !
vernon Hahn two: and blank one. &.
The acting clerk then declared Mr.. Wiitz a
cted; he (Wiltzi then thanked the House I,
tha honor conferred upon him, etc. A.. this y
,e the Republican members had nearly ! =.
wishdra wn, and Mr. Wiltz then ordered o
sergeant alarms to close the doors. and =
DIV no members to leave the floor of the n
use; instantly about dozen coats were a
med, and badges of sergeant-at arms +,
played, and large number stationed r,
mseives at the gate leading to the lobby. n
ille most OF the Republicans members f.
made their exit, others endeavored to -,
out, bat were stopped, which caused a
at dea! OF excitement. One Of the Re.
'llcans asked permission to leave, which &c
Witt refused. and again instructed the =,
geant- alarms not to permit them to :,
se. The Republican member and one Of Is
friends insisted upon going out. and OF
q collared by several ct the b,
allied sergeant alarms and drag. =.
from behind the desk into the '"
e, and one Of the sergeants-at-arns drew CO
revolver on him, and Immediately seeing | fiji
police had entered the lobby went back "a
ard the Speakers desk and gave his T.,
Diver to one Of the Democratic members ie'
ed at desk on the left of the Speakers I'll
I'd. During this excitement. and at the
, the police were coming in and en-.
voring TO quell the disturbance. mo.
was made by one of the Democratic
abers. that as General De Trobriand =,
in the building with a company of
ted States soldiers. that he be requested !u