The New Orleans Democrat., 1876-07-19
hon. i. A. wILTz.

we reviewed the political course Of Hon.
+. A. Witz. and objected to him MS n
candidate for Governor. In your Issue
OF Sunday. 10th inst. n friend OF Mr.
Wilt defends him at great length in
your columns, and as the controversy
has been thus transferred. present you
a reionder to the defense Of A Legis-
lator."
In my review of Mr.. Wiltz / tried to
bp IA coneAse az possible. and 1t was u
difficult task. owing to the numerous
salient points which presented them
4 selves. aud the consequent difficulty ot
n abatention from extended comment.
q A Legislator" has opened up even u
j wider field. aud while l will endeavor
4 To meet fairly the more prominent fea"
/ lures of his argument. cannot be eh,
f,artpd to cover the whole ground
s,laborately without almost complete
ABSORPTION of YOUR issue. Even az u is,
were not the matter one OF absorbing
interest TO the community, ! should
hesitate long before presenting your
printers SO much copy.
Efrst-As to Mr.. Wiltz seeking the po-
sition. In giving our view OF the case
VIZ felt entirely competent TO predlct.
the defense made by a iHVtHtnters
Hia argument has oft been made before !.
ht,t with the political light OF thirty years
before us, during which time we claim
To have beens something more than u
mere deposition of votes, we respectfully
bag leave to reiterate that the man who
earnestly seeks Office to which is al
tached patronage, Ia necessarily under
obligations to bestow these Offices on
his assistants, and cannot give unstlnteu
aid to the abolshment OF unnecessary
Offices or the reduction Of eSorbtaDt
snlariee. This il sound political theory
which we have all our life seen reduced
to crushing practice,
SecondE'A Legislator says that
Mayor Wilt did not ask his commission
from Pinehbaek. but that Pinchbaek
rather asked him (Wiltzl to come and
get It. r, =. =
the matter is this: In taking commits.
sion from Pinchback the. Mayor and
Council officially recognized him bs
Governor of the State, when 1t was n
matter of the highest import that he
should have no such recognition.
But "a Legislator" tells US that Mayor
Witt went, pithout q commission. ana
gave poor Flanders just fire minutes
In which to abdicate.' And this deed
was accomplished SOLELY upon the dn-
thoritu Of the rotes ~ The Deopte who
had elected him" And we are also told
that il was fully a month after taking
Pinchback rendered the commission.
Now here IL just what we want TO ex-
pose. TO our mind it is Just one OF the
rlaring political faults of Mr.. Willz,
that he lacks answering consistency
n quality every day scoffed at by the
politician and his satellites. too little
valued by thousands Of unthinking
men. and yet utterly Indispensable in
the general character of the man who
-. xy bt
are to be ruled.
IL Mayor Wiltz could go to the City
Hall and drive Mayor Flanders out in
.fre minutes" by the watch. and then
10 on and govern the city (do official
ncts) for fully month ali scithoAt~a
t'Optinission---in the name OF common
sense and political consistency, what
did he want with Pinehback's ten
dered" commission? But IA Legislator"
argues: Had they refused TO take com
missions, all their acts would have been
held by the courts rs null and void, the
engine of city government would have
been stopped, !" etc. This is simply RI
diculous. Ii Mayor Wiltz was right in
driving Mayor Flanders out in five
minutes. !" and then governing the city
for fully month" and solely upon
the authority Of The rotes Of the people
how could it be necessary for him to
much less such an one us PinchbackP
But, as to the courts turning things
upside down as stated by "A Legisla-
tor" In case Mayor Wiltz had no COM
mission, will "A Legislator please give
us the law which says that acts of Mayor
and Council are null and void ii
these functionaries have no commits
sionsp Until he can show such law
his argument will no more "hold water"
than will q seive.
The difference between Mr. Wiltz and
his champion and ourself is this. We
believe thoroughly in that official com
sfhe authority Of the Uotes Of the people, +"
and we would die by 1t IL necessary to
the holding aloN of the banner Of that
people; "a Legislator" and Mr.. Wiltz
are willing to frighten Flanders for
.fre minsttes," and play Mayor for
"fully month, with the broad seal of
q peoples voice, but they stick this holy
emblem OF true Democracy behind
them when tool of political conspira-
tors, bastard, OF the bayonet. rattles
piece OF parchment before them and
tells them they must come and take 1t.
No man in this community applauded
the sire minutes" act Of Mayor Wiltz
more than we did. We hailed it as an
omen of the revival and the promised
great triumph OF that supreme, though
.unwritten law, the legally expressed aoiH
or the people, and we were indignant and
Inundated when we witnessed the con-
duct now undertaken to be sustained by
"A Legislator"
Looking at this matter, however,
through even the kind of political spec
tacles a Legislator" wears, it is clear
enough that the rattle of the parchment
by Pinchback was as perfect Trojan
horse as ever was attempted to be car
ried into the camp of the enemy. The
chuckling zeal with which the creature
testified at Washington shows this il |
nothing else did. And the Mayor and |
council not only admitted the horse
Into their premises, but, least the city |
|should not be taken, they crawled into
Ibis belly.
Third-We accused Mayor Wiltz of
turning the cold shoulder" to the
McEnery Government chosen by the
people. "a Legislator does not deny
bur charge. but recalls to mind the con-