St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1883-08-25
BE JUST.

4 49, A1Nss@S f'SiAtASe
canvasses, Ike the one just inaugu
rated In this State for the nomina
ton for Governor, is generally *
loose and unjust statements. Thi.
tendency should be sedulouslv re
sisted. Outside of that sensitiv,
regard for the truthful statement o
facts which every conscientious edi
tor should and does possess, is tn,
other reason, tina. the candidate
who may be maligned, or about
whom mis-statemeats may be made
may secure the nomination sough,
for, and as such he entitled to and
receive the support of the party
paper.
We are led to this thought by
the course of one'or two papers i'll
tue State, who have persistently
maligned and misrepresented the
present Governor, the Hon. Samuel
d. McEnery, who is now before the
people as a candidate fer the nomi-
nation for the position he now fills.
These papers periodically break out
into fierce denunciatiou of him
and what are their charges Care
fully scan and anaIyze them, and
one is inevitably brought to this
conclusion: that in all Of Gov. Me-
Enery's official career, no act of his
is found subject for criticism or
denunciaticn, except the fact that
he is brother of John McEnery,
with whom, by virtue of an act of
the Legislature of this State, the
late Gov. L. A. Wilt made and ell
tered into certain contract for the
recovery of certain lands claimed by
this State from the United States.
Look into the matter in whatever
light you will; read carefully all that
has been written upon the subject;
closely examine and weigh ali the
charges that have been made, and
it resolves itself into that. This
contract has been in existence for
three years. 1t has been subject to
the scrutiny of two or three ses-
sions Of the Legislature. Opera
tons under it have been forming a
record al this time, and yet not un-
til this late day is it ascertaiEed
that the contract is fraudulent or
nullity. Yet, admitting ttat i. IS
fraudulent OF a nullity, what con-
nection has Gov. SicEnery been
shown to have had with it? Liter
ally none whatever, EXCEPT to. DIS
mand peremptorily the resignation
OF O man who had abused his conf
dence and prostituted his Office to
private interest. Could he go far
tier, except. perhaps, to prosecute
that displaced official on his bond
for malfeasance III of1ice-if NAL
feasance could be legally shown, of
which no evidence has yet been pro-
duced? If that contract with John
McEnery is fraudulent, is Governor
McEnery the one to SO declare and
decide? Certainly not. 1. is a,
matter for judicial Interpretation
and judgment, not for Executive
interference. Whatever is done
under that contract contract
which has been matter of public
record and of public operation for
the past three years-which has
been subject of Legislative in
spection for several sessions, is legal
until that contract has been pro-
nounced by the proper Judicial
ipoperative or illegal.
The inception of this judicial in
vestigation belongs not to Cover
nor McEnerE, and yet, because he
has not taken this extra judicial
step, he has been malianed and de-
If this is all his enemies
can bring against his official career,
his cause will never suffer from
their attacks.
Tot tho canvass he nrosanute1