New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-05-07

can do is to annul the wharf lease and
try to attend to the business they have
been engaged to do.
THE RETURNING BOARD AND THE RE-
VOLVING RIFLE.
We note an admirable anxiety among
our Republican friends throughout the
city and State to participate in the organ
ization Of the nominating convention.
We trust that they will in all cases hold
primary elections to determine who is the
| choice Of the voters, because candidate
without the united support of the party
is very much like a steamship without
fuel. He can not count much in a race.
| After those selections, made in the most
unexceptionable manner and with the
most unobjectionable candidates, there
| are some other considerations. Will the
| Coushatta Democracy allow any Republi-
can candidate in the country to go
| through the canvass alive? Will they
permit him to speak without inter-
| ruption or insult? Can he carry to
the polls the votes to which he is really
entitled? The Coushatta Democracy assert
that if a Republican is defeated at the
polls he will be elected by the Returning
Board. We have right to apprehend
that if Republican is elected be will be
picked of by Winchester rifle before his
credentials can be acted on by any board.
We apprehend that the only returning
board before which our candidates will
be presented will be the deal board upon
which their murdered remains will he ex-
posed.
If the past spirit of the Coushatta Dem
ocrats predominant in the coming election
and conduct the canvass, the most doleful
spectacle may be presented in the accept
ance Of Republican nominations. The
successful candidate may, like knight of
old, be shriven of his sins and notified
of forfeiture of his policy of life assur-
ance. He will be armed with all modern
Improvements of weapon, and defended,
it may be, by bullet-proof shirt Of mail.
It might not be am;ss that he should be
trained in the gymnasium to feats of
sleight, that he should be practised in
running, lodging and conc ealing himself.
he might be trained to Giro inspection of
scrutinizing every object which could
conceal the antagonist and assassin. A
course Of practice at the pistol gallery and
on horseback would be found useful, and
a knowledge Of natution or cunning would
prepare him for any of those many acct
dents Of flood or field to be anticipated in
the next campaign.
SO much for the bold candidate who
may decide to take the field. Other and
more prudent nominees, in response to
the honor, may say something like this:
Gentlemen of the Republican Conven-
toni have learned with deep dlsmay that
you have determined to confer upon me the
honor of leading our columns into the ap-
preaching fight. You will bear me witness,
gentlemen, that 80 far from having sought,
l have sedulously avoided this honor. l
have deemed that this cup should have
passed to more ambitious lips. Yet, gentle.
men, can not avoid accepting this
signal evidence of your confidence, or
this unanimous proof that / can be
better spared than any other man among
you. l am, gentlemen, resigned to the
apparent lot which you have assigned me.
/ will march upon the torlorn hope against
a stuffed ballot box and the reserved fire of
the Winchester rifie. Possibly, gentlemen,
l may survive both. You are aware that
all life assurance will be raised for the en-
suing six months upon all Republicans who
will take the extra life risk of a nomination.
You know the additional watchfulness and
loss Of rest, with the added cost of putting
myself and friends upon war footing. All
this must be done. AS nay personal pres
ence in this canvass would but exasperate
the Coushatta killers, you will appreciate the
propriety of d strict seeiuson upon my
part. If l appear in public l can not ex-
pect permission to speak. Any assembly of
our party would draw the fire of our an
tagonists. The ascertained fact of 10y
election would anticipate the Returning
Board by the verdict of the revolving rifle.
You will see, gentlemen, from this reason
ing, that the best and indeed only chance
for my success will be to withdraw from
the district. and conceal myself in some
distant spot, and in some peaceful COM
munity / shall appeal to the msgn animity
of my enemies that they will not have me
killed until my election may render it
necessary.
In accepting your nomination, gentle
men, shall communicate with your execu-
tive committee tho precise locality to
which | shall withdraw, and only ask,
gentlemen, that sou will telegraph me the
result. If defeated, l may return home
even under Coushatsa safe conduct; and
if elected, l may keep out of the way
until l shall have learned the fate Of the
Returning Board.
Something like this, we may imagine
will be the response of every prudent Re-
publican, in the event the Coushatta De-
mocracy shall put full ticket in the field
and organize their cohorts to meet the re-
ports of the Returning Board with the
report of the revolving rifle.
THE MERCHANTS EXCHANGE.
The Cotton Exchange has so demon