The New Orleans Democrat. (New Orleans, La.) 1875-1876, 1876-04-11
THE ERA OF LAWLESSNESS.

There are several statements rs 10 The
real character and purpose Of the South
crn Republican Club to which public
attention has been very pointedly III
rccted by the recent bloody ARRAY at IT'S
place Of meeting. What amount %
truth and what Of error these state
ments contain Il il impossible just now
to say. The account given OF the
organization by the Bee u few days
since, and reproduced in the DEMOCRAT
Saturday, is accepted as true ny some
Of the members, we arc told. ana POSI-
lively denied by others. But, be this
rs it may, it Is an indisputablc
and very serious fact that most
Of the members Of the organlza-
ton, conspicuous in the late riot. are
officers OF the law appointed by Mr.
Kellogg. T.. ". Lcclcrc, who was acting
as president Of the club on the night o.
the fight. is Harbor Master; Leonard
Sowell, the secretary, is Master Warden
Of the Port Of New Orleans. Iucien
Adams is Judge Of the Fourth Municipal
Police Court Lucien Adams, Jr., who
died from wounds received in the fray,
was clerk OF this court Patrick Crcagh
Is Clerk Of tho First Municipal Police
Stanmeyer, II. G.. Stone, James Walsh,
Mike Corners and Nicholas Smith are
regular members Of the police. All
OF these parties seem to have been In
tho fightand to have been more or less
prominent in 1t. The association OF
many reckless and desperate men IN
the Southern Republican Club has led
some to the conclusion that 1t IS II
military organization, designed to rule
the politics OF tho city-if necessarily
violence and intimidation. How much
truth there may be in this theory Of the
purpose OF the organization we are I'M
able to determine. Nor is the question
very material, for IL its purpose
is to carry the elections by intimi-
dation, it has already proved an
abortion. We think it more probable
that the Southern Republican Club is an
organization of aspiring men, designed
to form a sort Of third party, with view
OF debating terms to either Of the other
parties by claiming to hold tho balance
OF power What most concern the city
slate, and worry deeply in this matter, is
that the police OF the city is SO largely
in the hands of violent and reckless
men, that judges and clerks Of our DO
lice courts, members Of the police, spc-
ciaI officers OF the courts, whose first
duty Is to preserve tho peace and pro
tect life and property, have engaged in
riot in which two men have probably
been killed and several wounded. We
assume that this was not q proper bust
ness for officers Of the police courts and
members OF the police force to be en-
gagged in, and it is sad commentary
upon the condition Of the times; sad
commentary upon our civilization.
It is not to be wondered ut
that murders and robberies frequently
occur when the police are engaged III
knocking each other in tho head instead
OF arresting lawbreakers; when tho
officers Of our police courts themselves
participate in bloody fights, and when
tho malefactors who are arrested and
convicted are pardoned by Kellogg.
This is n matter which touches the in
terests OF every peaceable citizen, and
should arouse the people to the neces-
sity Of organizing vigorously and
promptly for the purpose Of defeating q
government and party under whose
auspiccs this reign of violence has been
established.