The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1875-02-17
THE WHEELER PITFALL.

Louisiana has been rescued from a
great peril. Her people who have
endured with heroic fortitude so
many ills through protracted night
of dependency, could not afford now
to renounce their prospects of ulti-
mate and perfect relief for any pres
ent paltry gain. But the Wheeler
compromise could not have brought
any present or future gain. 1t was
an insiduous scheme, adroitly framed
to entrap men, who were despairing
of succor, into adoption and approval
of what a matured judgment would
have unsparingly condemned. 1t
pretended to be fruit, and it was only
bitter ashes.
What were its terms? The Con-
servative Representatives were to
submit their right to seats in the
Lower House to the Congressional
Committee who in advance declared
that we should have a majority, but
whether that majority should be less
than two, or more than twenty the
Committee would not undertake to
say before their award. The creden-
tials given to the Conservatives by
the Committee would not entitle them
absolutely to seats, but they were to
be referred to the Committee on Elec-
lions of Hahn's House "as at present
whose decision should
be final" Those Conservatives
whose claims were rejected by the
Committee on Elections of Hahn's
House were bound to abide by that
rejection, because an essential ingre
dent of the Wheeler plan was aprec-
edent promise to that effect. Those
Conservatives whose right to seats
was adjudged by the Congressional
Committee, and affirmed by the
Hahn's Committee on Elections
could then be qualified by taking the
oath administered by Speaker Hahn
There is not a syllable in the
Wheeler Compromise binding the
Hahn House "as at present constitu
ted'' to go into a new organization
but on the contrary the Legitimate
inference from the phrase above quo
ted is that it was not expected there
would be new organization. Mo-
was there any obligation on the part
of the Radical Committee on Elec
lions, appointed from the material al
Hahn's disposal, to ratify the aware
of the Congressional Committee in
it's entirety.
On the other hand the Wheeler
plan bristled with obligations of the
Conservatives. They were to prom
Use Internationally to abide by the
award of the Congressional Commit
tee, or rather so much of that aware
as should be ratified by the Hahn
Committee on Elections, and as an
indispensable preliminary to any ar
bitration they were to bind them.
selves not to attempt to call Kellogg
to account for past misdeeds, or te
overthrow his government. No men
tion is made of the Treasurer, mol
any engagement expressed or implied
on the part of the Committee to rec.
tify the outrage perpetrated upon us
by counting Mr.. Moncure out in the
face of five thousand majority in his
favor.
We prefer to forget that a compro
mise so pregnant with calamity was
ever adopted by majority of the
Conservative Caucus, and we RECORD
with satisfaction the fact that the
Rapides members voted against it,
1t was surrender of our position SC
long and CALAMITY held-a treaty O.
peace made when victory was almost
accomplished with an enemy who en-
ticed us into his lines by specious
promises, and who had given US am
pie reason to know that breach Of
faith was one of his favorite devices
Worse even than that, it was a con
donation of the crime of the 18th o.
January, and an admission that the
grave accusations we made against
the President and his military were
but an affectation, pretence made
for a purpose.
All this is true viewing it as ques
ton of right. AS question of poll
cy it was more Objectionable STILL
The execution of the Wheeler plar
would have removed from Grant,
shoulders the weight now depressing
him-would have withdrawn from
the wounded Republican party tn
q 49,