The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1875-01-16


conservation was ilie scenes ~ bldod.
shed ihnt were liabio NJ occur m tlini
day, aid repeatedly heard threats ol
nssnssinatinR The governor, and regrets
expressed that lac was not killed on
Tie litli ~ September last alsOthfeata
~ Tie assassination ~ the republican
members Of the house IN order 10 Sc
cure the election " u democratic
speaker. also know Of the kldnal,-
ping of Mr.. Cousins, one OF the MEM
} hers elect to the legislature. General
Emory, upon the requlsition Of the
governor, stationed troops In the VI
entity OF the building.
Owing TO these precautions the leg
islature assembled In the state
house without any disturbance OF the
public peace. At IL o'clock A NJ,
Vigers, the clerk OF the last house Of
representatives, proceeded to call the
roll, AZ, according to law, he was en-
powered to do. One hundred and two
legally returned members answered to
their names. or this number fifty-two
were republicans and fifty democrats.
Before entering the house Mr.. l.. A.
Witt had been selected in caucus rs
the democratsc nominee for speaker
and Mr.. Michael Hahn as the repub-
lican nominee. Vigers had not yet
finished announcing the result, when
one of the members (Mr. Billican, Of
Lafourche), nominated Mr.. l.. A.
Wilt for temporary speaker.
Mr.. Vigers promptly declared the
motion out of order at the time, when
some one put the question and amid
the cheers from the democratic side of
the house Mr.. Wilt dashed on to the
rostrum, pushed aside ..Mr. Vigers,
seized the speakers chair and gavel
and declared himself speaker. A pro-
test against this arbitrary and unlawful
proceeding was promptly made by the
members Of the majority, but Wilt
paid no attention to these protests and
upon motion from some one on the
democratic side of the house, declared
one Irrelevant nominated and elected
clerk of the house. Mr.. T. at once
sprang forward and occupied the
clerks chair amidst the widest con-
fusion over the whole house.
Wilt then again, ON another nomi-
nation from the democratic side Of the
house, declared one Flood elected ser
geant-at-arms, and ordered that a GER
tain number of assistants be appoint.
ed. Instantly a large number of men
throughout the hall, who had been
admitted on various pretexts, such as
reporters and members friends and
spectators, turned down the lappels of
their coats, upon which were pinned
blue ribbon badges OH which We're
printed in golden letters the words,
assistant Sergeant-at arms" and the
assembly was in possession of the mi
nority and the white league of Lousi-
ana had made good Its threats OF seiz-
ing the house, many of the assistant
sergeant-arms being well known as
captains of the white league companys
in this city.
/ notwithstanding the suddenness of
this movement the leading republican
memb ers had not failed to protest
again and again against this revOlu-
tionary action of the minority but all
to no purpose, and many of the repub-
leans arose and left the house in a
body, together with the clerk, Mr..
Viger, who carried with him the orig
inal roll of the house as returned by
the secretary Of state. The excite
ment was now very great. The acting
speaker directed the sergeat-at-arms
to prevent egress or ingress of men,
bers or others. Several exciting scuf-
fies, in which knives and pistols were
drawn, took place and for few mo-
ments it seemed that bloodshed would
ensue.
AT this juncture Mr.. Dupree, demo-
cratic mem Der from the parish of Or
leans, moved that the military power of
general government be invoked to pre-.
serve the peace, and that commit
tee be appointed to wait upon General
De 1robriand, the commanding officer
of the United States troops stationed at
the state house, and request his assist
ance in clearing the lobby. The mo-
ton was adopted.
A committee of five, Of which MIR.
Dupree was made chairman, was sent
to wait upon General De Trobriand,
and soon returned with that officer
who was accompanied by two of his
staff officers.
As General De Trobriand walked
down to the speakers desk loud APP
plnuse burst from the democratic side
of the house. General De Trobriand
asked the acting speaker If 1t was not
possible for him to preserve order
without appealing to him, United
States army officer? Mr.. Wilt said 1t
was not, whereupon the general pro-
ceeded to the lobby and addressing
few words to the crowd peace was at
once restored. On motion of Mr.. Du-
pree, Wilt then, in the.name ofhthe
general assembly of the state of Louis
lana, thanked General De Trobriand
for his interference in behalf Of law
and order and the general withdrew.
The republicans had now generally |
withdrawn from the hall and united
In signing u petition to the governor,
stating their grievances and asking his
aid. which petition, signed by fifty
two legally returned members Of the
house, is i'm my possion.
Immediately subsequent to the ac-
ton of Wilt in ejecting the clerk OF
the old house, Mr.. Below moved that
two gentlemen from the parish of DE
Soto, one from VIM, one from Bien.
vile and one from Iberia, who had not |