New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-06-10
A DEMOCRATIC INVESTIGATION.

A DEMOCRATIC INVESTIGATION.
That the aristocrats who may have
snaked themselves into the Democratic
party have met with serious resistance in
their plans Of reform has been intimated
in the recent proceedings of the Second
Ward Conservative Democratic Club.
This seems to have been the '.reorgani-
ton" of the club, which seems to have
consisted in the rather revolutionary act
of deposing the former officers and elect
ing and installing successors. The reso-
lutions indicate the causes of this reform
revolt. Not choosing to trust ourselves to
an explanation, we republish the resolu-
tons as copied from the Bulletin:
WHEREAS, John LsMonnier. president Of
this club, did, on the evening of the fifth
instant, in public address to meeting of
this club, solicit the power Of appointment
of the committees to conduct the reorgani-
cation of the club, pledging himself per-
sOnally to appoint persons satisfactory to
the whole body; and that this club did
thereup0n confer said power as q personal
trust upon him go to do; and
Whereas, Said John LeMonnier has failed
to appoint any committees, but has at
tempted to delegate said personal trust to
James w. Kennedy, the vice president, in
violation of his, LeMonnier's pledges and
duty, and without authority; and
Whereas, Said Kennedy has illegally and
without authority assumed to appoint these
committees of six each, eighteen in all, out
OF which, it is notorious, four Of the persons
named are not registered roters in the acard,
three others are non-residents of the tcard,
and three others hare been, acithi1s a short
time actire members of Republican clubs; and
Whereas, Said LeMOnnier has mp to this
date failed to have the registration books
and polls opened, as ordered by the parish
committee, thus allowing already one-half
of the time to elapse without giving the
voters Of the ward an opportunity to regis
ter; and
Whereas, Said LeMonnier refused to call
a meeting of the club to act upon said mat
ter, although reQue sted SO to do in writing
by the members of the club, as provided by
the constitutions;
Resolred. That John LeMonnier and
James w. Kennedy have thus ,ciufuAy and
corruptly prostitated their Offices to attain
personal ends, and have cOnspired to pre-
vent free expression of the Democratic
electors of the ward in the reorganization
Of this club, by an attempt, through their
appOinteee, TO manipulate the registration,
Is was VIGOROUSLY done by them in the
election for the last January convention.
Resolrcd That said John LeMonnier and
James w. Kennedy be now declared desti-
tuted of their offices Of president and vice
president of this club, and the same be de-
clared vacant, and that this club do now
proceed to elect president and vice presi-
dent, both pro tempOre, who shall act until
the club be re0rganized, in conformity to
the instructions of the parish committee.
We may note in conclusion that, where
as the club calls itself conservative
Democratic" the Bulletin scores a point
by calling the deposition of the officers
''a new Democratic club" thus claiming
additional party strength from the devel-
opment of party weakness. Really, if
such charges as we have italicized in the
resolutions can be predicated by the De-
mocracy of "the Democracy chastened
and purified, people at distance would
have curiosity to know what was the
capacity for political wrong of the original
Democracy unchastened and impure. We
may apprehend that the people, turning
from the Republican party to adopt De-
mocracy, may find themselves rather
worse off than before. If Democracy has
"lost it SAVIOR, wherewith shall it be
salted?" Democracy may be "thenceforth
good for nothing but to be cast out and to
be trodden under foot of men,"