The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1880-06-05
St. james Items.

st. james Items.
GENTLY, CONVENT p. o., May q, 1880.
EDITOR CHIEF:
st. james, as yon are aware, has stood
as the banner Republican parish of the
State since reconstruction SO far as tur-
bulence, noise and confusion are consid-
cred, but it is to-day surely the quietest
and most peaceful in the State. All the
tears, groans, threats, protestations and
lamentations Of oar few Grand Moguls
have died away, and the batfled Moguls
atoresaid-whose vaulting ambition for
spells o'erleapt itself-have settled down
i'll calm despair to contemplate the de-
mOralization which has overtaken the
Republican party Of this parish through
the corruption and outrage Of their lead
ership. How could different result be
expected, notwithstanding our 1900 Re
publican majority, when the party ma
| chinery has been controlled by such ig-
| noramusses as those who conducted the
last campaign-always ready to sell ont
to the highest bidder and to barter and
compromise, not with view to promo
ting the party success, but to advance
their personal interests. And there was
| none Of the traditional !" honor among
thieves " displayed by these men they
regarded each other with constant sus-
picion and distrilst, and no member of
the crew felt himself secure from betray-
al unless maintaining strict and con
tinual watch upon the movements of his
companions. With them fraud, deccp-
ton and trcachery were the rule aud
honorable conduct the very rare excep-
ton.
It can not bo wondered at that the
course of these incompetent and corrupt
men has driven hundreds Ut honest Re
publicans from the party ranks, reducing
the usual majority Of 1900 to one Of 600
at the last election !; and unless some I'M
expected reformation occurs very soon,
a Democratic victory III our parish at the
next election may be confidently proph-
esied, and that without any bulldozing
Or crooked manipulation Of ballots.
The ranks Of our Republican officials
are thinning out rapidly. Some have
bartered their positions for 4 pecuniary
consideration others have been intimi-
dated by Il threatened enforcement Of ar
ticles Ill and 1856 of the new constitu-
ton; and q number have failed in their
attempts to furnish the official bonds re-
qnirel by law. We have left only one
Republican Constable and a few Justices
| Of the Peace, and it is doubtful if more
than one or two Of tho latter could sur
vivc an application Of the provisions Of
article 1856
On the 18th inst, . remnant Of the
Republican parish committee met i'll tile
rear Of the Little Exchange to select del
cgates to the State convention. and the
proceedings were very similar to those
Of the sorehead convention held 1T Blue
Bucket Hall in your town. A quorum
had to be formed by scraping up proxies.
Henderson Bolding endeavorel to dispel
the gloom Of the occasion by making a
speech il which he lauded Miles, Dicker-
son, SHINES and Como and pitched into
Landry, Dngas and Shade. He painted
Judge Cheeyers as the savior Of the col
orcd people Of St. James, aud claimed
that he, Boiling, having elected Chez
yers Judge, was entitled to claim from
him all favors for lis party. The blath-
erskites Of our parish are like the those
Of Ascension they seek to ride into pop
ularity on the much abused shoulders of
Judge Chcevers. On motion Of Miles
the following delegation to the State
convention was chosen: Miles, SHINES,
Dickerson and Como. The committee
adjourned, probably to meet 10 more.
On the 14th inst, Hon. John A. Chez
vers arrived in our parish, accompanied
by his counsel, Judge James ID. Angus
tin, and assumed the bench Of the
Twenty Second Judicial District Court.
Court was opened by our meritorious
friend, Alfred I1aisauce, chief Deputy
Sheriff. The decree Of the Supreme Court
i'll the prohibition suit Of Chcevers u.s.
Dutt], together with the Judges COM
mission and oath Of Office, rules Of court
and an order fixing the terms Of court,
We're directed to be spread upon the min
utes. The Judge appointed Messrs. y. +.
NJ. Andersons Felix Dalnar6, Edward
Scanncll and Alfred Mire jury Commits
sioners-threc white aud one colored
The court was then adjourned to the
fourth Monday Of June, and the Judge
received the congratulations Of Il number
Of his st. James friends who CHANGED TO
he present.
The complimentary language applied
by the CHIEF to the new law firm com
posed Of Messrs. Il. n. Sims Of Ascension
and Joseph Evariste Poch6 of st. James
is cordially endorsed by the people Of
this parish. Both gentlemen are highly
esteemed here and their legal attain
mcnts will undoubtedly secure the firm
q large practice.
Mosquitoes and flies are as thick as tie
hair on your head, and all known contri-