The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1876-08-30
THE CONVENTIONS.

CHS paItioiPatOu III ohS W co." o"0
ng comprising this Town and vicin-
ty last Saturday, There has been
10 Ward election since the war in
which so general an interest was
manifested, and we are glad to learn
The same spirit pervaded the whole
Parish. We now feel assured our
boast of last week, that this Parish
will elect the Democratic ticket by
one thousand majority, will be made
good. A considerable number Of
colored voters attended the Ward
meeting Saturday. All of them who
voted our ticket last election were
permitted to vote for delegates
The same rule was applied to the
whites.
The meeting opened stormily. -
Even careless observer must have
noted the indications of preparations
for a struggle. Quick movements
were made about the Hall, hurried
consultations, and at, the hour Of
eleven the mine was sprung. The
meeting was fast getting into wran-
gle that might have bred trouble,
when Judge Manning entered the
Hall and both contending factions
promptly seized on him and made
him Chairman. This satisfied eve
rybody and Immediately quiet was
restored and serenity. 1t is not say
ing too much that to the manner in
which he presided, and the judicial
impartiality and fairness maintained
by him, we owe escape from strug
gle that would have left chickering's
behind, Every one feels now that
no advantage was given to anybody,
or the partisans of anybody, and the
consequence is all are satisfied, a
good step to take as the first in a
campaign.
The Parish and District Conven-
tions assemble next Saturday and we
desire to impress upon those Bodies
the conviction that the nominations
of good men are more imperatively
needed now than ever before. Local
politics we all know affect the people
more sensibly than general politics,
The nomination of good men will ex.
cite zeal, produce harmony, Danish
discord, repress discomfort, and join
our whole party tremendously to.
gether. When did the Democracy
ever have more satisfactory ticket
than Tilden for President and Nj.
cholls for Governor? But what 8
commentary on Rapides will it be il
at this very time our Conventions
shall discard our best material and
pick up the worst.
Last week we clipped from the Pic.
ayune some admirable sentences on
the duty Of selecting "the best and
ablest men in the Stste' to aid Gen
eral Nichols in his administration,
and we print some of them again.
1t is true that no honest man of suffi-
cient ability to make himself useful as
Governor, a Legislator or a Judge,
can serve in either of these capacities
without pecuniary loss to himself
Those offices are not pecuniarily COM
pensating, except to political specula.
tors who sell their votes and betray the
public trust. 49,. --
Political spectators who sell their
votes and betray the public trust
could not get a nomination from a
Rapides Convention under any cir
cumstances. That class has never
been elected here except in the days
when the negroes and mulattoes had
their swing, but We want at this cri.
sis men above reproach and beyond
suspicion. The Picayune tells in
plain words what we do not want.
WE DO NOT WANT A LEGISLATURE PACK
ED WITH MEN WHO HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE
BY GOING THERE, NOR DO WE WANT A
BENCH OCCUPIED BY INDECENT LAWYERS,
WHO HAVE FAILED TO MAKE A LIVING IN
THE REGULAR PRACTICE OF THEIR PRO-
FESsION. lit E eg
If the rule is good one in New
Orleans, it it still better for the
country Parishes. Two Judges are
to be selected by the Conventions on
Saturday, one Senator and three Re-
representatives., besides all the minor
Offices. Shall it be said that our Pa.
IRISH and District has not material
to select from, or that having it, they
refuse to employ it2
>-~~~~~~~~->1~--~>-
GLAD.-We witnessed sight in
Alexandria on last Saturday, at the
Town Hall, which certainly made US
feel good, Economically happy, and
only fervently hope to see it played
over again on real election day in
November. We saw there gathered
in crowds, enthusiastic, working
crowds, men, good men, from every
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