The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1882-05-06
nTEE RIGHT or CHOICE

placed III the held, ana assuming STATE
of facts which did not exist, our contem-
porary draws conclusions and evolves
philosophical views therefrom which arc
as incorrect and inaprlicable as the pre-
sumption upon which they are founded.
For instance, the Item says:
A select cotcrie of citizens met together
some time ago, and agreed among themselves
to support Mr.. David Israel, q very worthy
gentleman, the present incumbent, Tor May
or and as the same tine minated an 1nten |
ton to sit down upon any other pfesGmng
citizen who should dare to offer himself for |
the sutfrages Of the people
The writer Of this statement has either |
been misled by incorrect information or
has drawn upon his Imagination for his |
alleged facts. Mr.. Israel was brought
into the field as candidate for the
Mayoralty in precisely the same manner
that Mcssrs. Sullivan and Wilkinson !
claim to have been-by the solicitation
of friends representing all classes OF our
people. There was no intention on the
part Of these friends to crowd any other
candidate out who might choose to run,
or to endeavor to prevent any individual
from exercising the great American
prerogative Of seeking an Office. Inc
further statement that the friends OF
two other citizens-W- G. Wilkinson
late postmaster, and Mr.. J. J. Sullivan
we're dissatisfied with this close corpora
ton business, and declared their lnten-
ton to run their candidates anyhow" is
shown to be founded on false premises
by the fact that Mr.. Sullivan was in the
field long before either Of the other
candidates were announced or spoken OF,
and that Messrs. Wilkinson and Israel
were brought out almost simultaneously
1T would be difficult to decide, proba-
bly,, which of the two was first pro-
claimed candidate.
The Item proceeds to recount the hold
ing Of the mass-meeting to which the
claims Of all the candidates were sub
mitted, all pledged to abide by the result,
and a ticket selected headed by Mr..
Israel The fact that Mr.. Sullivan was
nominated for Secretary and that "Wil-
kinson was given nothing" is construed
as indicating a trade between the Israel
and Sullivan factions" which led the
Wilkinson men to withdraw and Hhold
convention Of their own" If the at
tempt was made to distinguish this inn
aginary convention from an assembled
coterie, we opine the task would be found
difficult one. 1t is easy to explain why
Sullivan was named for Secretary and
why Wilkinson might just as readily
have received that nomination if his
friends on the committee had adopted
the course Of the Sullivan representatives.
| There was no choice for Mayor on the
first ballot taken by the committee, and
on the second ballot the Sullivan repre-
| sentatiyes voted for Israel, while two OF
| the Wilkinson men voted for Sullivan.
Naturally the friends Of Israel felt CRATE
| full to the Sullivan men for assisting in
! the nomination Of their fav0rlte, and
there being little or no competition for
the SecretarysEip, that place ON the
| ticket was rendered to Mr.. Sullivan and
subsequently accepted. Had tbs Wlikln-
son men sided with the victorious faction
! and the Sullivan men opposed it, there
is every reason to suppose the nomina-
ton for Secretary would have been
offered to Mr.. Wilkinson. There was no
honorable excuse for that gentleman and
his friends to violate their voluntary
pledge in the manner they did, and the
unworthiness Of their complaint that
there was trade between the Sullivan
and Israel factions has been demonstrated
by their attempt to nominate Mr.. Sulli
van for Mayor and their declaration
that they would have been satisfied viii
his candidacy, but were unwilling tt
submit to that Of Mr.. Israel. This woult
seem to indicate that they did not g
/. with good faith into the arrangement
which they had cheerfully agreed to, i
not actually proposed, and that the.
hoped to effect a little trade which woal,
circumvent the "Israel-ites" and leav
those unfortunates out in the cold. AS
! local speaker has aptly said, the conduc
0 of the Wilkinson folks has been just a
childish as that of the boy who play
, marbles for keeps and refuses to give II
the stakes when beaten.
1 The Item correctly concludes that Their
1 is no political issue involved in the COZ,
d test, s. as there arc we'll known Repnbl
cans, as we'll as Democrats, supportin
9 both tickets; \" and we are quite willin
t to concur in its. opinion that the intel
ests of the town are not likely to sufft
from a multiplicity Of candidates, ,
} from the election Of either Israel or Wi
X kinson, but our familiarity with tue eli
+ cumstanees enables us to repndiate IL
u gratuitous assumption that if only OIL
Il of the opposing tickets was in the fiel
e luC people Wotiu nave no opt1oH ba\
O. '' to ratify and confirm the bargain of tt
= the small ring who succeeded i'll first o
cupying the position" There is no hol
II est foundation for such a slur, and i
l. use reflects more upon tho author Of Il
Islander than those it is aimed at.
= Finally, the Item processes not to kno
l. why the CHIEF leans to the Israel sit
\ of the controversy, and seems to regr
/, the separate nomination OF Wilkinson
: yet our contemporary acknowledges TIL
J. most of its information relative to Il
e formation Of the two tickets was o
", t:lined from our columns. 1t is presum
\" BILE, then, that the Item writer must ha'
j. read our statement that