The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1880-09-10
PREPARING TO CONTEST.

PREPARING TO CONTEST.
= The Sleepy Toms of the Republican
party in this congressional district
have been, for some time, gradually
inhaling new breath and showing
signs of recovery from the stupefaction
occasioned- by the election two years
ago. The gauzy prospect of the cleo
tion of Garfield suggests to the average
Republican the possibility of obtain
ing Federal Office, as in the case of
Packard, for example; or, in the event
Of the election of Radical majority
of congressmen-a very hazy per-
spective, to be sure-the certainty of
obtaining a seat in the House, whether
the claimant be able to slow, as cre-
dentials, anything more than mig
gardly minority Of qualified voters to
sustain his pretensions, as in the cases
of Sheldon, Sypher, Newsham and
Darrall, twelve years ago. There Is,
Likewise, the usual incentive felt to
keep tho old party alive, and to minis
ter to its enfeebled organism the usual
stimulants of circulars, lunar potions
of rebel oppression, freedom salve and
other choice medicamenta, warranted
to work "quick" In restoring lite.
The wounds which exist in the party
as a State organization do not clearly
appear to have materially affected the
fractional member of the 9Th district,
and that member Is now in n premon-
itory state of gyration which is finally
to end in q convention to assemble at
Delta on Thursday, tho 9TH of October,
next, when it is proposed to nominate
a candidate for congress from this dis
trict. Notices to this effect have gone
forth, and the TELEGRAPH supple
milton, based upon long and close OBJ
servation, that, in Republican con-
vention, there is never any apprecia-
bic waste of proxies. And don't let
any of the Sleepy Toms fool you about
that! Let your aspirations lead up to
the idea of having a convention of
bona Gde delegates, armed with genu-
inc credentials and backed by the It's
sues and fbres remaining of the party.
Before the proposed convention will
appear, as it were, for acceptance as
nearly every prominent Re-
publican in the district, we suppose;
but, more especially, VIC are told,
Judge Steele, Mr.. Matthew'S, "Gen-
eraP' Morey, colored lawyer of Con-
cordia named Bowlcs, and, in all
human probability, Dave Young, Cain
Sartain and Bill Murrell, as dark horses
anent tho bright sorrels. What the
prospects are for a race, we are not in
formed, but we hardly believe that a
Peruvian fruit barge exploded in the
immediate rear of the nominee could
start him into a cantcr, even, in this
district.
The reckoning probably is, that the
negro vote will be captured. Happily,
the times have changed, and the
darkey, after having gone through the
school of experience-the only one in
which it seemed for long time he
would learn, in spite of free schools
has come to view his situation in its
proper light. What seemed lifetime
in getting through his wool, more
readily percolated his stomach and his
back. His ideas of sudden wealth, his
of sshours of idleness,"
such as Lord Byron had, his ambitious
projects of rising to fame and fortune
upon the parsimonious and fabulous
donation of "fortyacresandamulc all
have passed into history as bewilder-
ing, demnition fictions. He is begin
ming to rise To-day, and hear the
matin songs of the twittering sparrow
md the delicious melody of the gray
,oose's day-dawn cackle. Old mas
cr's big corn pile and rolicking meat
hogs, old missus's neat suits of towels
md kersey came like spcctres to haunt
MS appetite and vision, in contrast
with the poverty and want which
,ame nearer every year to his cabin
lOor under Radical rule, and Il wise