The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1884-05-10
OUR NEW ORLEANS LETTER.


/ -4---4----
Lesson of the Recent City Election--Nurs-
ing the Debt Amend1pent = How are
| Election Frauds TO bePunished?- ?-Deeeat
of MIR. Farrar-The Knights of Pythias. =
| Capt. Eads and the Great Eastern.
New ORLEANS. May 2. 1884.
| The morning after the election the Times
Denocrat, very pointedly said that the peo-
pie of this city had very plainly expressed
| their unwillingness to experiment in re-
form which disclosed no valid ground Of
complaint and set forth no Ineligible
scheme of remedy. Your correspondent
heartily endorses every word Of this. The
leaders of the Citizens Parish and the In
dependent Democracythe latter being a
shadow Of the former were vehement in
denunciation Of general abuses, but failed
to definitely itemize those abuses. They
tried to overturn regular Democratic nom-
nations by the use Of general platitudes.
There was not single mass meeting called
to arouse Citizen Democrats to the support
of their ticket, and the challenge of the
Regulars for a joint discussion of the issues
was declined. Everybody said the Citizens
wanted to reform, but what they proposed
to reform, or where they were going to be-
gin it, no one pretended to say. There was
something so autocratic and exclusive in
the Citizens movement that it failed to
reach the better judgments Of many sound
municipal reformers, and what was mere
serious, it did not take root among the
working classes and humble voters. John
Fitzpatrick and Pat Meallie are well known
and possess the confidence of the latter
class, and there can be no reasonable doubt
that they we're elected by a majority of bal
lots honestly cast.
Your correspondent, however, is very far
from saying that New Orleans has en-
joyed an honest count Of the ballots as
they were cast. The Republican State tick
ct received large percentage of the white
vote, and nearly all of the celored, beside
which the published results of the count
are mere burlesque. Col. John A. Ste
yenson probably received three times as
many votes as were set down to his credit,
at low estimate. The State debt amend
ment seems to have been the carefully
nursed issue before which all others were
sacrificed. 1t is impossible to keep down the
suspicion that the slight majority it OBJ
tanned in the State is due to the arduous
labors Of returning officers. The vote OF
the city was carefully held until the coun-
try parishes were heard from, it is asserted,
in order to make assurance doubly sure,
and the holders of State bonds happy.
There is no Disgusting the fact that al
though Mayor Guillotte and his colleagues
entered upon the duties of their various
Offices under peaceful skies, and amid q |
lull following stormy passions, there is
likely to be some formidable method of |
protest made before the expiration of his
term Of office. The auastion Of contest in
the courts has been discussed, but aban-
doned, it is said because the laws and courts
are totally incompetent to deal with proved
election frauds recorded by lawful State |
officers. Then what method can be taken
to punish the ring? That is leading ques-
ton, to be answered in the future, we are
told.
Hon. E. Il. Farrar was defeated by the
Republican candidate for the Senate in the |
first district, Mr.. F. Guichard. Mr.. Farrar |
was serviceable stump speaker for the reg
nlar ticket, and is chagrined because his
friends did not do better by him. As the
General Assembly will be almost unani-
mously Democratic, and Mr.. Guichard is
! Negro. the way seems clear, through
contest, to make amends for the unfortu- |
nate oversight on election day.
The Knights of Pythias came here in gay
uniforms, to accept the hospitalities of our
people, and they saw and heard many
,hings. 1t was too bad the Governor did |
not have a constitutional amendment in |
lis pocket to postpone the election few
lays. The Knights were grateful for hos
received fine impressions about
our commercial out look, but thought Louis
anians were :" hell on elections" to use
he phrase of broad d-shouldered Indianian.
Capt. Eads' visit and announcement of
leep water at the jetties, revived the inter-
,st in the proposed attempt to bring the
Great Eastern up to our wharves about Ex-
position time. 1t is thought it would even
ilence the editor of the Cincinnati CONNER
.ial- Gazette, who does not look upon the
cities with favor, If this feat could be
accomplished.
More anon, GENERAL OBSERVER.
------------e-o4N~-es--
In recent lecture DR.. p. II. Carpenter
# Eton College mentioned the case of
Greenland as an illustration of the manner
n which the earth's history is read from fos-
ills, those remains of by-gone life which
n the middle ages we're regarded as "sports
# Nature" Fossils of four climates, all
warmer than the present icy one, are found
q thatcountry. Remains of the oak and
he maple tell us that the climate was once
cry similar to that of England to-day, and
he coal, found lower down, shows that
approaching tropical heat pre-
allied at an earlier period. The fossils of
ertain sea creatures appear on the land,
nd proved that Greenland once lay be-
leath the sea and its water was temperate,
7hile the coral, obtained still lower down,
must have grown when the waters were
till warmer. /
No other preparation SO concentrates and
ombines od-purifyng. vitahzing, enriching
lila. Quality should be considered when max
1g comparisons.
The time required for the formation of