Claiborne guardian., 1882-07-26
TO THE CITIZENS
OF the Finh COngres 10 NJ nj DIS
trict Of louisiana.
MONROF. Jnly Il, l--2.

puSItiUn hr nuw occupies.
A. an oppuurut of this distinguished
I gentleman, aud AN a.pirant fur the noini-
uatinn hr seeks, ] CONSIDER II not improper T
To follow his example in this respect, aud
Ia present the views Of ihnse who do not
dr>ir- his return ta CoRgIrss.
! The time seems To have passed when the
Office could seek the man. aud public npIn-
ion be permitted to select from political
asrirauis those who presented the most
! satisfactory qualifications and who were
best entitled to receive such houors a.
5 their respective parties ha, to confer. In
this District. especially since Gen. Kings
/ advent into politics. the canvass has, So
far as Ice il cnncerurd, heeu perpetual.
THE PRESENT CANVASS.
was actively opened 10y him, some time
since, thruugh n correspondence bnrrtn
: established ~ Washington City. by which
/ every newspaper in the District has been
. furuiShed weekly With Washington
Letter" purpnTting ia rmanaf- frnni i'm
pait tial suuIr--, in which letters he ha-
been advertised aud hItt-rrd to an extent
heretofore unknown in Louisiana poll
ties.
Had he seen fit to follow the traditions
ard nsagrs nf the party. and tn have rested
! bis claims to nomination on the merits
-
to the public opinion of his District. mn
biased hy outside pressure or influence.
,huuld have ahstain,1l from any action in
nv own behalf until Gen. Kings return,
and have trusted to a simple annonncc-
rnrnt nf my candidacy. b-lieVing the party
to whirh We both belong fully capable Of
selecting the indiS idnal a. if- Representa-
tive. best qualified To maintain the dign.
~ and honor Of the District il Washington
and most deserving of official prefer.
inrut.
Since. however, he has not hrsifafed To
us. the Influence he had acqnrrd over rh-
press. in an attempt tn fnrstall public
opinion b-furr | could he heard, by the
publication oflrtt-rS aud special 'i,pntch.
~ ga'ten Mp ~ his interest, il herame
proper and absolutely necessary that |
-hnnld appeal To my friends to nppnS.. rs
best they might the manifolt and power
fnl influences which had been set 10 work
in Gen. Kings inrrrrrt. For this have
no npongN to make II j. apparent that.
using Washington ~ his headquarters. hr
has for -iX weeks past been engaged most
rnrrrriically in urging his claims by every
poSsiil, mrau~.
This namif.st'r. which has appeared sim
u'iau""usly, -"ppn-", In every paper ~
the District is based To some extent upun
a mistaken and erroneous statement.
~ the very outset. Gen. King rndravnrs
10 produce the impression, 10y implication
# unt hy dIrrCt assertion, that his hr,t
nomination was
THRUST UPOS HIM,
aud that he undertook the hopeless and
dangerous task of carrying this District as
public duty and not ~ u matter of choice.
He say IN this connection: Soma If the
gentlemen now most anNions to snppnuf
me- might then have had the chaucr >o
far a. was cuucrturd, for the askiug"
This assertion II made over Gen. Kings
signature aud puhlI-hrd To the voters uf
thI- District. " hen il IL n notnrions fact
thar lInu. T.. l.. kidd of Jackson. Col
John :. Young of Claihorur. Judge r. B
Todd of Murrhnns'. aud Hon. l.. ' Reeves
ui frn~as-nii gentlemen of thstm gnishcd
ability. of long service in the party aud
ully identified with every interest of
Lnu,~iiua-wrrr candidates for the unml-
nation aud were laid aside for Gen. King
II il very true thar nrirhrr of these gentle.
men il now an a.r,r,Gt, hut il il rrasnu-
ahlr thar Gen. King would have yielded
I" .Indg" Montgomery, myself, or any 9th
rr candidst" what he drcliurd to- Weld tu
thr gentlemen namrhf We certainly
could have presented no struugrr claims
fer party support than they. and in point
nf intellectual ability they presented tn,
first tal,n in the District
The claims of thr~, gentlemen were then
igu"rrd-and whNf B,caIl--, while they
had an~taiutd frusI any active rfiur' IN
their own behalf. Gen. King had hy per.
snnal raura>s. unprecedented in Louisiana,
obtained the rldgr- and promises nf y
larg" numhrr "f gentlemen. who yielded
To his impnrfurity AID committed them
selves against their hotter inhyrmrnt
II il idle for Gen King ar bis fri"nds in
Nh" face nf lncoutrsfHhlr facts. to say that Ire
did not with extraordinary zeal, rurrgy and
pcrfiracirN. solicit aud iainI Tor tlr unni-
nation of lS7- The Matches D,mocrnt
first suggested his candidacy. Al an early
stage of the canvass. u mHes meeting H th-
Democracy of Cnncnrdia parish, held in
Nidala. refused 10 endorse him. aud he
came before the convention with the EN-
dur-~mrnt Of the executive committee of
that parish only.
The delegation from Trnsas parish hit
tcrly opposed hi. nomination. until nppo-
sitinn was u-rlrAs. Notwithstanding this.
he solicited III" nomination. aud was s-lrc.
ted. because uf his asserted aud snpro~ed
ability 10 control the colured vote uf rhr
River parishes hy hi- personal popularity
and iutinrucr with them.
The General saNs. confirming the para
gral'h referred Ia: at il easy ~ find IA
lrad-r in the primrose path of dsllianc-.
hnt in the rugged road We were then forced
to tread, tn br chosen ss rhe captain "f the
fnrlnru hope. aud tn win aud ware its laur.l-,
il II prizr higher than Won can ever again
bestow upon candidate for Congress-
IT'S NEWS
10 the people nfthi- District. that the can
vass of I-7- was n "fnrlnrn hope" The
Democratic patty. flushed with the success
Of 1915 III thr fnll t,lr of victory aud with
u perfect organization, looked for nothing
less than 10 elect its nominee, whoever hr
might hr; aud no enc az that time doubted
the succr-s uf The ticket. ~ WAS prnvcd hy
the rivalry nf opposing condidatcs for
the n"nrinnfi"n. Gen. King was elected