The New Orleans Democrat., 1876-07-13
HON. LOUIS A. WILTZ.
NEW ORLEANS, July IL, 1876.


the Bulletin to-day, is wanton and un-
provoked by any act OF Mr.. Witt.
unless it be that on account OF the high
estimate placed upon his public services
by his fellow citizens, and upon his ster-
ling qualities of head and heart, he has
been put forward by them as promi-
nent candidate before the Baton Rouge
Convention for the office Of Governor.
This studied and labored attempt at
detraction has been read with disgust
and Indignation by every fair-minded
citizen and the author of it will soon
see that it will have the opposite effect
OF what he intended. 1t will make
jealous partisans of lukewarm friends,
aud draw around Mr.. Wiltz men of
generous impulses, who have hitherto
been undecided in their choice among
the numerous candidacy for the Chief
Magistracy, and it will quicken the zeal
of his supporters to disappointment.
and rebuke a malignity that would drag
down their favorite in order to make
room for rival.
| do not propose to offer defense of
the administration Of Mr.. Wiltz as
Mayor of this city If such defense be
necessary, ii will be made by one who is
master of the subject in all its details.
and capable of vindicating the fidelity
OF Mayor Wiltz to the trust reposed in
him in manner to make Citizen
ashamed of his effort to detract from
the merits of Democratic magistrate
whom this city has delighted to honor.
1t suf1iceS my purpose to remark on
this point, that the events OF 1872, which
Citizen states in his own way in order
to vent his virulence against Mr.. Wiltz
and to disparage his fidelity, patriotism
and executive ability, were as well
lSn tf,f hs,n W ~
were to Citizen" and that the course
pursued by Mr.. Wiltz under those try
ing circumstances met the approval OF
u large majority of the substantial men
Of New Orleans, and that he has never
since lost his hold on public confidence,
as Is shown By his present unequalled
popularity. This simple fact is suffi-
cient refutation of Citizens" specified
aud elaborately enunciated censures.
And now that these events are past
and we are able to judge of the course
pursued by Mayor Wiltz in the light OF
experience, can any man not blinded by
passion or unreasoning zeal say that he
did not act wisely and for the best inter
est of the people who elected him to the
Mayoralty? Had he followed his pas
sion. instead of his reason, he might
| have abandoned his trust and turned
over the city government into the hands
of the appointees of Kellogg, leaving his
people to be plundered by spoilsmen.
Had he done this would he not have re-
ceived more curses than compliments
| from those, even, who now find it to
their interest to censure him for not
betraying his trust? Had he done so
would it have prevented the McEnery
Legislature from being dispersed and
Speaker Moncure from being cast into
| tApiSn h hn f Stntn
government Had he done 50 would it
have stayed the hand Of the grim tyrant
at Washington in his determination to
overthrow the government elected by
the people
On this point there may be, and
doubtless is, diversity of opinion and
sentiment among our people, but as to
the patriotic devotion Of Louis A. Wiltz
to his native State and to his native city,
and his hearty sympathy with the State
| Government which he had labored zeal
ously to elect, there can be and there is
no diversity of opinion among fair
minded men.
| Mr.. Wiltz has risen to merited dis
tinction and popularity by dint of his
native talent and unaided exertions.
He has preserved his reputation untar-
nished by any unworthy act He has
won his popularity in the city of his
birth, among q people who had known
him from his childhood. His high
character and unblemished name are
his only fortune, and are more valuable
than great riches. They will be guarded
and defended by his fellow w-ctizens as
public property, and any effort to dis
parage them in order to advance the
pretensions of a rival, will only make
the people rally to his support with
greater earnestness.
Let the rivalry among the aspirants
to the gubernatorial honors in the Dem
ocratic-C Conservative party In this State,
be generous and fraternal. They each
and all have right to aspire to that
high office, and to "seek" it by all
honorable means, the mawkish senti-
mentality of "Citizen to the contrary
Notwithstanding We have had no
President of the United States since
Washington but has sought the office,
and no Governor of any of the
did not "seek the office, and that
fact was never supposed by
any sensible man to disqualify
him for faithful discharge
OF his executive duties. The good book
admonishes us to ''seek the kingdom OF
heaven" which is a somewhat higher
station than that of the Governor of
Louisiana. II then it be true, as 'Citi-
zen" intimates, that Mr.. Wiltz is ''seek-
ing" this high office, it merely shows
that he is pursuing the only sensible
course to obtain 1t, as all Governors
have done who ever lived.
Let us not try to drag down one in
order to elevate another, but let each
and all go before the Baton Rouge Con
vention on their own merits, unsullied
and unassailed by the hand of envy.
Let us not indulge in the detrac-
tion or aspersion of the character Of any
Democratic or Conservative aspirant
to the favor Of the convention, for we
may rest assured that under the pressure
of imperative necessity the delegates of
the people from the whole State will
take good care to emulate the example
set by the st. Louis Convention, by Sc
lecting the ablest, purest and most eli
gible standard bearers to lead us in the
mighty struggle for the redemption of
the State this fall JUSvICE.