The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1883-10-20
A CAMPAIGN ISLANDER.
Another Wenk nnd Futile Al.
tempt 10 Hniurc Gov.
McEncFy.
A COMPLETE AND OVERWHELMING REFr
TATION OF THE CHARGE.


From the Times Democrat
The following communication to the
editor Of the Bugle Call was published
| in the Picayune Of Sunday morning:
EDITOR BuGLE CALI. The Timc.-Demo-
/ crat OF October !, 1883. rcproduces Nh article
/ from the Baton Rouge Capitulian-Ad vocate
headed VIII the Combination Bolt?" ! sec
no better way of answering our friend JAS
/ tremski than by putting TO him the very per
tlnent counter question, ran ttC adBliHiStTa-
ton GH8Lrrr
a fer of the anti-administration Democrats
who, like myself, are of 4 rather skeptica
turn of mind, refuse to accept without better
proof the position Of martyr and of injured
innocence which the administration organs
throughout the state have ingeniOuslv crea-
/ ted to order for the special benefit of the
present incumbent Of the TubernatOrial chair
Of the State of Louisiana.
These organs seem, with singular unanim-
| lty, TO have united upon the following line
of defense 10 clear Gov. Sam D. McEnery OF
all responsibility in the damuing frauds which
have characterized the administration of the
State Land Registers office under his ap-
pointee, James g. Richardson
They all claim: !. That the land contract.
j under cover OF which these frauds were per
petratcd, was an act Of Gov Wiltz's admin
IstTatiOn. for which Coy. McEnery was clear
~ not responsible. .. That James Il. Rich
ardsOn's appointment being based upon the
recommendation of some Of the best men in
the state, again clears him of any responsi-
bllity A. to the frauds committed by him.
II we were TO ahartablv accept tbs above
premises, without lnstitutug any further in
quiry into the true inwardutss OF these alJ-
parently very plausible propositions, We could
undoubtedly reach no other conclusions
But al We happen to have been told a thing
or two on this, TO the voters Of Louisiana,
very important subject, We propose, were IT
only 10 yindieate the memory of the late GOV
Wit: TO let the people have the facts as we
hold them from what We believe to be first
class authority.
When Coy. Wilt signed the land contract
with er d" .j'ne GOV. John McEnery he hap
pened 10 have placed at the head of the land
office gentleman whose recognized integ-
rity and capacity rendered the preparation
OF any fraud an impOssiblity.
1t is a fact susceptible of proof that John
McEncry attempted, under the tenure of Of
fee OF james g. Richardson's predecessor
the very peculiar transactions which be man
aged under GOV. Sam McEnerys appointec
to consummate.
The land contract then, with Coy Wiltz's
appointcc in office, had not worked any in
jury to the state. although attempts in that d.
TectiO,l hGR been repeatedly made but happily
frustrated. We consequently think that all
tair-mtnded men will agree with us that the
reputation Of our lamented young governor
cannot be contaminated by this cowardly at
tempt to blacken his memory.
Having disposed of the first count let us
now look into the inner facts connected with
James q. Richardson's appointment to the
then very important position of State Land
Register
When the State Land Office was removed
to Baton Rouge the gentleman al the head Of
this Office by appointment from Gov Witt,
bpiDu a IN Df faI IN nd a If M,
Orleans, was unwilling to move TO the new
capital OF the state, and in consequence ten
dered his resignation as State Land Register.
This resignation was carried in person to
GOV. Sam Mcknery, who, exhibiting several
applications for the position thus made va
cant asked the gentleman's opinion upon
the qualifications of the different applicants.
The opinion then expressed was TO the effect
that his knowledge of the capacity and integ-
rity of several of the applicants would war
rant him in fully ipdorsing them for the posi-
ton, but as he happened to see among them
the name of one particular individual whom
he kRGiO to be dishonest he would specially ask
the governor not to appoint him.
The man whom Gov. Sam D. MCEnery was
so urgently requested not TO appoint was
James G. Richardson.
Called upon for proof the late incumbent
of the State Land office produced for Gov.
McEneryis inspection two land warrants
issued by him to said James G. Richardson |
the dates, figures, etc, of which had been
altered and forged over his signature by this
honest applicant The detection of the forge
ries was made by State Auditor Allen Jnmel, /
who hialself brought the forged warrants back
to the Land Registers office. I
Now, when in the face of such an accuse
ton, fully backed by unrefutable evidence,
We lind that Gov McEnery appoints said
James g. Richardson, the former partner in
the land business of his brother John, to the
FNaNa - -. A
is only after said appointee has acquired full
control over the workings Of the State Land
office that John McEnery succeeds in con-
snmmating his previously attempted peculiar
land ecrip transactions, can any sane man
raise this second plea Of confidence abused
IN favor Of the present governor and wonld
be candidate for re-eleetiOnf
We're we maliciously inclined We would be
tempted under the circumstances to quote
the old adage, Birds of a feather flock to-
gether,"
State Auditor ALen Jumel and Assistant
Secretary of state Arroyo, being in Baton
Rouge, can furnish our friend Jastremski
with the full details of the above alleged
facts
In conclusion, we will say to the Baton
Rouge capitolian-Advoeate, in the words Of
Milton
These shifts refuted, answer thine appel
lantf APoLYoN
Gov, s. d McEnery arrived in the
city Saturday evening, having accepted
an invitation Of Capt Grant, of the
Mississippi Valley road, to make the
trial trip over that fond from Baton
Rouge A representative of the Times
Democrat called upon the governor at
the st Charles Hotel, in respect to the
above communication. The governor
made fine FallayEiyn attainment