The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1885-05-25
TWO HISTORIC CONTESTS
FOR UNITED STATES SENATOR.
Louisiana aud Illinois the Battle Ground.
Pierre Souls's Rise and Fall In the
Good Old Creole Days 4"
shelved by SlIden.

1t has been stated upon the authority
OF Edward Mcpherson, and no better au-
thority could be found upon matters DO.
litical, that the Thirty-fourth general
assembly, as originally constituted, was
absolutely without parallel in Ameri-
can history. That every member OF a
legislative body should have been the
nominee OF one or the other OF the two
great parties, was of itself remarkable
fact, out that the division should have
been a tie was the most notable feature
| OF the case. The death of the late Mr.
Shaw and the election of Representa-
tive Weaver broke the tie and presented
condition very unusual. There were
close elections in the old times, and one
Of these IL is well to recall.
The case referred TO occurred, not bv
| special but by general election, in Lou
isiana, in the year lS47, when the legis-
lature of that state mad on Joint ballot a
wing majority OF two, and the duty de
VOWED upon IL to elect successor to
Senator Johnson.
Slidell, Of Mason and Slldell fame,
was the candidate of his party-ths
democracy. A man OF great wealth. II
was thought that hs would be able 10
secure enough whig support to pull
through. In the hope OF onsettiug that,
the wings nominated Duncan &. Kenner,
who IS still alive, and who, by the way
came as near being elected to the senate
q year ago rs man could and miss il,
MIR. kenner was then, as now, very
rich. The contest was very close and
exciting. Each man had his enemies i'm
his own party MIR. Slidoll so far made
his point rs 10 gain two whig support
ers, not, 70 was claimed, by direct
bribery, only by the 'Judicious" uGe of
/ money. But there was one creole mem.
| Der OF his own party who Obstnately
refused TO support him, and cast
his solitary ballot for Pierre Soule, a
PiodmontoSe by birth, the pet of
the creole populstiOn, Finally an Irish
wing planter WAS won over To the sun
port OF SOule. That was IN tho days of
know. nottingham, and this cline old
Irish gentleman" conceived the idea
That a naturalized citizen, even II OF the
opposite party, was moro to his liking
IMAM native citizen, especially as the
knoW-nothing strength was largely
drawn from the Wing party. Then a
creole Wing was found who would do
the same Both pledged themselves in
writing to vote Tor SOule at the next
~.
This pl dye was swiftly circulated
among the Democrats, and they ali 10 q
man swung into line for the brilliant
Frenchman, and both Sldell and Ken
ner were left in the lurch.
This was for the short term, and Sonia
was reelected in 1919 for the fu u term,
Mr.. Soule did not finish out this term.
The astute Slidell secured from Presi-
dent Pierce his appointment as minis.
ter to Spain, and he accepted, aattered
into the idea that he could achieve
greatness by negotiating a purchase of
Cuba. In that he signally failed, hut
when he returned 10 this country he
found Slidell securely occupying the
seat in the senate which he had bean
wheedled into resigning. 1t was tho
old fable OF the fox and the crow yeri-
lied. The senatorial cheese had been
cropped, and that practically was the
end OF poor Pierre Soule, who, it may
DC observed, was the last representative
IN the senate of sold creole days.ii-
Inter Ocean.