The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1885-08-08
~ .GTB8ON GROTp.


Il Then 0. States, in speaking of tn,
claim made BY the %Gibson group Il
the name of Reform Democracy, seeml
10. question the appropriateness oftht
assumption, and wants other proof
thar the scramble for Office which they
have been making ever since the in
auguration of AFR. Cleveland as Pres.
ident.
/ The States intimates that mp to this
time the 'tgroup' has not been heard
of as moving in any work that BELTS
an "Arnly Of Salvation, . and the only
skirmish they have had was for Office,
and the only battle they have won was
fought IN Washington in aterrible
scramble for the Federal patronage in
this State.
In commenting on the charges that
have been made against the chief of
the Reformers, our able contemporary
takes occasion TO refer to the CORE
spoHdence whielrpassed betweenJudge
Gayarre and Senator Gibson, in which
the Senator "took very high and
proper views of the duties of Senators
and Representatives in relation to
Federal appointments; views so high
that, had he adhered to them he would
have won from the public the sur
name of the Reformer.' Bot the POI
litiesl atmosphere has for some time
been thick with rumors of schemes,
and promises, and wire-pullings, and
juggleries, and pledges made and
broken, as cxigencies required, that,
if true, reveal a system Of Office
brokerage on the part of the reform
Senator that would stagger the ere
dnlity of the greatest chiefs of the
Ring and that suggest for the fac
ton, Of which the Senator is the idol,
almost, any other title than that of
Reform Democracy" i
There are also other charges, says
the States, ''that the chief of the Re
form faction will be required to clear
away before be can hold that high and |
mighty title against al ehallengers. |
For instance, to two gentlemen of this |
city, one of them Col. Charles Z. Raj
ley, the Reform Senator gave a most !
solemn and positive promise that he
could have them appointed to the |
Office of Appraiser How be could have
them appointed it is difficult to under
stand, but that he positively promised
both, and sent both home with his
blessings, and then had Mr., Bouny,
whom he had promised to place in the
postoflice, appointed is unquestionably
true"
With the above facts staring us in
the face We cannot see how an honest
public can recognize Mr. Gibson as a
of reform in political
affairs. The very action of this so
called reform element in our State in
the distribution of Federal patronage,
which has been accorded them by
President Cleveland through want of
knowledge no doubt of the real situa-
ton of affairs in our State, has shown
a collision with the enemies of true
Democracy. The first step taken by
Mr.. Gibson was TO have Mr.. KernO-
chan, free lance Democrat, who used
bis influence aud his money to defeat
a Democratic candidate for Congress,
appointed to the Naval office, not
the protest of his col
league, Senator Enstis, and a large
number of prominent men of the party.
The "Reformers'" stock in trade
seems TO cons st in yillifying the pres
ent State Administration, and we are
sorry to say that it seems to us that
Mr. Cleveland takes for granted that all
they say against the McEnery govern
ment and every one connected with it,
is true, and cautiously avoids distri-
buting the Federal offices in Louisiana
To any but those endorsed by Mr.. Glib
sons group of patriots, whose sole
aim is to return the Reform Senator
to the Senate.
If the honesty and integrity of every /
man who does not affiliate with the
Reformers is to be questioned, and
debarred from holding Office, we most |
emphatically say that Mr.. Cleveland |
will soon find out that he has placed |
the bottom rail on top, and that Mr.
Gibson's Reform branch Of the go-as-
Democracy is but drop in
the bucket when compared 10 those
who went to the polls and helped make
him President.
In seems as though the happy fam
lily composed Of the Reform Democ-
raey of Louisiana, familisrly called