The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1882-09-09
JUDGE BEAUTIES pnnon

81 print synopsis of the maia portion o
W the article, and make few additions
but preface our remarks with the declar
alton tl,~t we do not do this with view
Of reviving the prejudices and bitter
feelings of bygone years, nor yet of as
$ sailing the personal character Of Judge
Beattie. Our principal object is to de
monstrate that his recent unprovoked
e bolt and the attempt he is making to
defeat his own party are on Il par with
previous idiosyncrasies of his remarkable
. career, and that it i'll becomes :, man with
such vulnerable and inconsistent poit-
zeal record to set himself up as a dictator
OF party policy and demand that his
claims to preferment shall lie recognized
to the exclusion of those of men whose
political services and fealty have been
much greater and truer than his.
"Lafonrche Republican says that
. Judge Beattie was born July 4, 1887, on
; Jackson street in the town of Thibodaux
The date of his birth-independenc day
may account for his total Independence
from all party restraints, and the place
Jackson street-may have exercised some
influence in encouraging his "monu-
mental obstinacy." He is said to have
changed the spelling of his name from
Beatty to Beattie because he discovered
that a family of Northern people of the
same patronymic used the former orthog
raphy.
Becoming a STAKEHOLDER and imbued
with the opinions and prejntliccs of his
class, when the war broke out it was not
strange that he should promptly enter
the Confederate army to Fl ght for his CON
vlctlons and his slave property. At the
close of the conflict he returned home,
conquered, but nnreconstructe,l.
Through his efforts lodge of that de-
lectable order, the Knights of the White
Camelia, was established at Thibodaux,
and he was elected its chief In this ca
pacity he is said to have absolutely pro-
nonnced sentence Of death upon the
Republican Sheriff aud Clerk of Court
OF Lafourche, but modified it into d de-
cree Of Punishment upon being remon-
strated with by more liberal minded
Democrats.
In 1870 he was the Democratic nou,i
nee for State Senator from his district. and
claimed to have been elected by reason of
Republican split, though Mr.. II. L.
Swords OF Assumption received the Ger
tllicate 81 election. Judge Beattie went |
to New Orleans declaring that he would |
take his seat in the Senate Or make his
exclusion q personal matter with Gov
ernor Warmoth, bnt he didn't do either:
instead, he returned homo with a COM
mission as District Judge for new dis
trict manufactured fog the occasion.
Two years later he was elected District
Judge on the Democratic ticket and sub
saaue,,tiy wrots,s reillari< ali reater
s.. Iss,,. ',a,
cratic party.
He took part in the Republican cam
-pa!alu OF. 1876 in Lafourcbe, was chosen
president Of the parish convention,
turned cold shoulder to the men who
had fought him into the position and
conferred all his appointments and favors
Oh the opposing faction.
Nominated for Governor in 1879. he
consented to accept only on condition
that he be allowed to dictate the balance
OF the ticket and formulate the party
platform. This display of bossism was
so distasteful to many Republicans that
in number of parishes where 10 intimi-
dation was practiced he failed to poll
the Republican strength. j
In 1880 he bolted from the State col
venton and headed 4 contestiny deleea-
ton TO the National convention at
Chicago. Being refused recognition
there, he declined to submit to party
and kept his independent cleo l
toral ticket i'll the field until the election.
He also heads a pretended State commit !,
tee which bears his name, bnt a majority t
of its members have recognized the reg /
lllar committee z
Unanimously nominated for Congress-
man from this district the same year. =
Judge Beatt;e toolishly Withdrew after !
having accepted, and precipitated a bit
ter contest for the nomination that would
have split the party and prob I
lbly lost the district had the defeated I
,splrant been as Indifferent to harmony
iii, discipline as Judge Beattie has re- :;
'eatedly shown himself to he. !;
Ills more recent bolt is fresh in the t
minds of cur readers and we need not 8
ehearse it, but it may he characterized Z,
IS the weakest and worst break in that :,
direction he has yet made Strange in d
consistency. He wouldn't 90 to Con- il
,ress in 1850 when the party was united
II his support, but in 1882 he must either
% there himself Or prevent any other -
republican from going II
NACHEHlE ROAD CAsE.-The taking of :,
videlec in this interesting and pro cl
oneed ssit WAS concluded before the Sc
district Court in st. James parish on the
1tll Of August, and to the surprise Of
early everybody else. counsel agreed to hi
- ~.