New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-07-14
FOURTEENTH OF SEPTEMBER THE SOLE
ISSUE,

FOURTEENTH OF SEPTEMBER THE SOLE
ISSUE.
In compliance with our promise we
come to the aid of the Conservatives by
exposing the tactics Of the White Leaguers.
Messrs. Penn, Wilt, and some other
moderate men are spoken Of favorably by
their conservative friends. It becomes
necessary that they should be taken oil
in the high Coushatta fashion; not by
rifle practice at their bodies, but by the
sixteen-shooter of scandal and SANDER.
We have heretofore noticed the assault OF
a "real believer" in the fourteenth OF
September upon Mr.. Penn; we have
shown the purpose to make the justifca-
ton, and, if necessary, the repetition Of
that revolution the issue in the present
campaign.
We find a similar communication in the
Bulletin signed "Citizen." 1t makes the
same argument against Mr.. Wilt. The
sole issue of executive qualification is
made to turn upon the question whether
a candidate did his duty on and after
the fourteenth of September. 1t is con-
ceded that Mr. Witt sis an honorable
gentleman. The fight is made against
him "wholly on political Z grounds. "
Then follow the charges. 1t is objected
"that he seeks the position" "This
| fact should condemn him." 1t has been
held in the case of Candidate Tilden
that this solicitation of Office even to the
extent Of invoking an advertising agency,
is no disqualification for Democratic sup
port. 1t is even intimated-
There are hundreds of more or lees lucra-
tive Offices at the disposal Of the Governor;
attached to some of these offices are extra
ordinary pay; if Governor has worked tor
his position, ninety nine chances in hun
dred he has promised these offices to those
who worked with and for him, and he can
not, in the nature of things, assist an i'm
pOveriehed people in their efforts to abolish
the offices or to reduce the pay.
That something of this sort has been
sometimes done is rendered probable by
the testimony taken in regard to the Dem
ocratic canvass of 1872. It may be well
to guard against it's recurrence.
.. Mr.. Wilt, in time when the hearts
of his people were racked with political
torture, when they were contending for the
life of the great underlying principles Of
liberty, to say nothing of their material
welfare, was triumphantly elected Mayor
of this great city.
At this crucial crisis =
Pinchback and asked their commissiOns-to
Pinchback. ,cho nerer ,ras GorernOr, and
,cas only the tool Of the conspirators'
And most fully was this act used against
us as q people when we afterward went to
Washington to ask to be freed from the
curse placed on us. Before the investigat-
ing committee Pinchback sat, and with i'm
measurable satisfaction testified that Mayor
wy: promptly recognized him as Governor
3. 1t is illogically complained that Mr..
Wilt did not 60 back on his own COM
mission sworn TO before Governor Pinch
back
History shows that Mayor Wil.z-to use
a can't phase-''turned the cold shoulder"
to the Governor and Legislature, and raised
money in our banks to sustain Kellogg's
army, the Metropolitan Police.
Well, really, now could he have been
expected, as the honorable gentleman"
he is considered to be, to have repudiated
his own authority. We admit he need
not have been expected ''to borrow
money from the banks" to sustain excl
logg's army" To this We expect the re-
ply of Mr.. Witt. It is true that if the
authority of Governor Pinchback had
been set aside Mayor Wilt might have
fallen with him. Mayor Witt came, how
ever, but too late to secure the confidence
of the White Leaguers. We are told that |
sat P. NJ. of the fourteenth the writer
of this tore himself from the bloody |
fray, in which he had, no doubt, per-
formed prodigies Of valor, and reported
At Lieutenant Governor PENIS head
quarters, and, by invitation and appoint |
ment, from that hour until the next morn
ing when the enemy was dispersed and the |
State in the hands of the legitimate author
tiles; again and again, in the trying and
anxious hours of that memorable day and !
night, did we hear the questions asked,
where are the Mayor and Council? Are
not our own city authorities with us!" But
never, until the agony was completely
over; never, until the State was in the
hands of Lieutenant Governor Penn and
the people, did Mayor Wilt appear. When
all nds OreI, then he 'ras ready to take the |
people by the hand and TO issue his proclama-
ton.
We never have heard, nor have we cared
to hear, any explanation of the absence of
the approving face of the Mayor in those
trying moments, but we do know that the
Mayor never appeared at headquarters
when his COuntenAnce would have been |
most grateful and encouraging.
Having been persistently expected at
Headquarters" all the time the nom
Eeasance of Mayor Wilt is established.
His proclamation was mere afterpiece,
! sort Of caveat that no one should take
his Office for want of conformity. The
of Governor Pinchback in
lorsed by Governor McEnery would have
been invulnerablc. This revolutionary
adviser prefe rs
To think that the Mayor was zoo weak to
master the difficulties before him. To &C
,Ord him the necessary strength of mind
md then find him guilty Of the political !
oily of pandering to Kellogg in order to
,.v,, the parish of Orleans, would be a poor
COMPLIMENT to a man W o asn!fes 10 the i
highest political position in this our great
,risis. And yet We can not afford weak or
Governor.
"Unsagacious" is good word, but is
wholly inapplicable. If any mayor and
administrators could have played their
cards with more sagacity than to secure
from all corners we can not