The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-05-04
THE CONVICT VIM. s. CALHOUN.
a SAMPLE RADICAL CHIEFTAIN.

A SAMPLE RADICAL CHIEFTAIN.
When the roll of infamy OF the Radical
party of louisiana is made up, it will contain
many names conspicuous for their association
with crimes of various kinds, ranging from
the theft Of public furniture, through all the
catalogue Of swindling, stealing, bribery, false
returns, embezzlement, forgery, selling judg-
ments, judicial perjury, usurpation OF Office
to the GROWING infamy Of military invasion
of a legislative hall In this catalogue OF
political villainy, among scores of other
names, will appear that of VIM. S. Calhoun,
of the parish Of Grant, who was indicted be-
fore the Superior Criminal Court of this city,
arraigned April Goth for. first, forging an ac-
quittance and discharge for the payment of
money, and second, for publishing as true a
false, forged and counterfeited acquittance
and discharge for the payment Of money,
and on the LIST Of May found guilty on both
counts.
1t is Of minor consequence that the writing
forged was pretended satisfaction of a
Judgment which had been rendered against
the criminal by court in Grant, condemning
him to pay the sum of $4,000 in damages
for breach Of marriage promise to a colored
woman. The significant fact is that the cul-
prit had been the leader of the Radical party
in Grant and the surrounding parishes, an
instigator and ruling spirit in the scenes,
events and disturbances which ended in the
bloody tragedy Of Colfax Courthouse, on
Sunday, April Is, 1873.
His father, Meredith Calhoun, had once
owned about ten miles square of lands 'front.'
ing on Red River, and a gang of slaves
numbering several hundreds and known as
the worst negroes in the State, terror and a
nuisance to masters in all the surrou nding
country. Bsfore and during the war William
Calhoun, in the absence of his father, was agent
and superintendent of the large estates; after
the war he was still recognized by the negroes
as their counselor and chief, he having es-
poused the Republican party besides giving
other evidence Of his Partially to the negro
race. It was by Calhoun's influence that his
estates and some other lands were separated
from Rapides and Natchitoches parishes, and
erected into separate parish called Grant,
with Colfax the former central residence and
quarters as the parish site.
1t was exclusively by the votes of these
negroes. nine-tenths OF whom had been his
or his fathers slaves, that Calhoun was
elected member of the House of Repre-
sentatives where he was conspicuous in
every scheme Of corruption.
The debased character and villainous con-
duct of Calhoun were thoroughly known to
many Of his party friends, co-workers in po-
litical rascality and sharers in official pecu-
lation and plumber. He was a prominent
member of every ring or association of Rep
resentatives and Senators who pursued the
vocation of Legislators VIGOROUSLY and almost
openly for the purpose of selling their votes
and influence. He was one OF the heaviest
sharers in the profits of this nefarious prac-
tice, by which many fortunes were made and
the State damaged to the extent Of many
millions of dollars
The schemes of plumber were carried on
successfully, because the rings controlled
or constituted large majorities in both
branches, and with impunity because each
individual member had it in his power to ex-
pose all the rest, so that they pursued the
Radical law of " division and silence with as
much regularity as a corporate company fol-
lows any lawful business.
We, therefore, present Hon. William S.
Calhoun, long political chief in the
parish of Grant, long a member of
a corrupt Radical Legislature, long
prominent Radical manager, long the
cherished favorite counselor and agent of
large and wicked negro constituency, long
the political dictator and dispenser of offices
in Grant parish, the active and knowing
producer of the Colfax tragedy, and now
tried, proven and convicted felon. as a sam
pie Radical politician and otfice-holder Of
Louisiana yet, if it is any comfort to his
friends, we will add that he is no worse than
the average of the men in Office by whom our
State is and has long been afflicted. By
Calhoun as sample, the Radical chiefs of
Louisiana may be judged.
The SECRET OUT.-It is now definitely as
why Grant, after he found out that
oro,, L. 1900, r,h:~ok mould re m