New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-04-08

ago we had the Democracy charging that
certain men sought the leading offices OF
q club to secure precedence in such ap-
pointments as might follow successful
canvass. There was very commendabie
effort made by seeding minority to
procure the passage of what was called in
the DAYS of Oliver Cromwell "a self
DENYING ordinance" or an. engagement
that the members of Parliament should
be- personally disqualified to hold any
Office created by or filled by their legis-
lation. The club minority could not, we
believe, carry their proposition that the
presiding officer should not accept any
Office to which he might be appointed.
So this useful reform failed. Last week
there was a prominent Republican shot
by accident in the midst of club
wrangle.
We refer with caution to the unfor-
tunate fracas which occurred on Wednes-
day night at Mechanics Institute, because
we do not care to do injustice to either OF
the parties implicated. 1t may, however,
be safely said that at the meeting OF a
political club dispute upon an apparently
immaterial point involving, we believe the
official organization Of subordinate or
auxiliary political body an ARRAY oc-
Cured, in which several persons were
dangerously, if not desperately wounded.
There must, in all the cases referred to,
have been some object of great soiicitude
to justify such violence. mall ordinary
meetings there would be rules of order,
presiding authority to repress person
alities in debate, and an influence which,
respecting the good order and good name
of the association, would be employed to
avert or restrain acts of personal vio-
lence upon the floor of the meeting.
Here, however, we find general posses
sion and use of firearms, leading to the
belief either that very large proportion
of our people wear revolvers and knives
as other populations wear watches, or
that large part of that meeting came
prepared to pursue the capture Of salaries
by the usual modes of hunting, with Wes-
sons, Trant's and other improved arms Of
precision.
This mode Of procuring Office CORE
spends with that idea of armed suffrage
inculcated by the independent press: that
if voter could be inundated he was
prima facie unfit to vote. The same
standard of fitness for official service
would be established by the test of men,
bership furnished in the political hunt to
which we advert.
We may anticipate that the qualifca-
tons of being proof against the fire or
fright of such an executive session" as
that of Wednesday must enter into the
fitness of a presiding officer. When a
member may rise with Trant cooked in
his hand and blandly say, eff can get
the attention Of the Chair" the Chair
should confront him with an amiable
countenance, and raising \ navy six, re-
ply "The gentleman can proceed"
This mode of pursuing politics is shock
ing. It must be arrested. We are una
BILE to su ggest anything more practical
than that all persons entering a club
meeting shall be required on honor to
deposit their arms or be subjected to
search. This rule adopted by all clubs
would prevent such disgraceful scenes as
those to which we refer. Unless some
thing Of this sort shall be effected the
life insurance companies may be expect
ed to attach to their policies condition
that if the party insured shall join a
hunting club for the capture of Office the
policy shall be void.
Nooxy ono void y,,l oo riarra Charles