The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-01-02
A Solitary Ilorseman Who Brought Thirteen
Hundred Alligator Votes and Placed Them
Where They Did the Most Good.
Senator Malone Tells What Disfran.
chisement Has Done in the South.
j. B. McCullagh Reiterates His Charges
Against st. John and Expresses Mild
Anxiety To Be Sued for Libel.
FOUTELIEU's DEFEAT.
The True History of tile Alligator Votes from
Bayou Pigeon Precinct.

Inc true history OF tile Alligator Otes from
Bayou Pigeon Precinct.
Special to the indianapolis Journal.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 1.-Some very racy mar
rations are given here of election methods ia
portions of the South To-day the Journal cor
respondent was given two or three that are ex-
ceedingy thrilling William Pitt Kellogg's defeat
in the Third congressional district of Louisiana,
| was told, was preceded aud foreshadowed by
an exhibition of campaign hocus-pocus in the
spring local elections in his district The CEN
test on that occasion was over the judgeship, and
the territory involved formed part of Dir. Kel-
logg's district In fact it included the most POI
tent and reliable Republican stronghold thereof.
The parishes of Iberia and St Martin are thckly
populated creole regions, and present the
spectacle-rare in the South--of a white COM
munity almost evenly divided on party ques-
TONS
In that bucolc neighborhood the Republicans
are just AS respectable, just as wealthy, just ne
ready to fight as tho Democrats; and, with the
negroes thrown in, they are great deal more
numerous. Iberia and st. Martin, because of
the reproach and the despair of the dominant
party of the State, regularly and unblushingly
piled up Republican majorities at every recur-
ring election. Bulldozing wouldn't work. be-
cause the creole Republican was quite as nimble
with mis- shotgun as the creole Democrat.
Ostracism possessed no terrors, for the Repuh-
icaus had as good society as the Democrats.
Ballot-box stulfng did not commend itself as q
salubrious pastiIne, with cloud of Cadien cpw-e
boys looking on aud spelling for skirmish.
Yet something had 10 be done The
local Democrats were losing caste Party
leaders in. the heavy negro parishes
further north, such as Tensas and Madison lin
General j. Floyd Kings district -where with
only few hundred white Democrats against
more thousands Of coiored Republicans, they
smilngly landed their ticket every time by 1900
to 3 500 majority-party leaders in those gifted
localities began to point the finger of scorn at
recreants tame and meansprited enough to
submit to mere numerical superiority. The
brethren from iberia and st. Martin came TO be
treated as poor and not wholly reputable rela-
tons. AT party feasts they were seated below
the salt. Generally they quoted law upon the
market, and were sad and disp;cable in c0nse-
quence.
When the spring OF 1884 rolled around, and
the contest for the judgeship came on, the
Democratic leaders resolved to make bold
stroke for victory. The Republican candidate
was Fouteleu, already incumbeut-a man
of good standing and family, of
established personal courage, and of the
most pronounced popularity. The Democratic
candidate was Cafes who, In the days of Re-
publican supremacy had been a fervent Repub-
lican, but who changed his politics when the
State changed it's administration Outside Of
}Iao Ioo bad cot,, fha iob
being credited Gates with half a chance His
opponent was the stronger in every way, and he
was backed by a majority who couldn't De
bullied or cajoled by any of their known
methods.
Election day came, and, as everybody ex-
pected, the Republicans arose man and
voted for Fontelieu Late In the afternoon the
POLLS were closed, and then the count began.
By 0 o'clock every box included in the election
proclamation had been foot up, snd crestfalen
Democrat mot in the secret) sent to New Or
leans the despairing message, ''Foutelieu wins
by eight hundred"
1t was at this juncture that the trap was
sprung and the transformation scene was
brought on. While tho Democrats were beat
ing their breasts over another crushing down
fall, and the Republicans were painting the bar
rooms red with wassail, solitary horseman
might have been seen eanterng down the st.
Martinsyille road and making his way to election
headquarters. He was an untutored child of
the Attakapas, and he smelt of catfish; but he sat
upon his mustang proudly, for, gripped in his
snewy arm, he held a ballotbox, not down mon
the published programme, yet one which fitted
the situation like gante de suede.
He had come from tho bowling swamp, somo
thirty miles away to the northeast-from Bayou
Pigeon-the loneliest and most desolate part
thereof Bayou Pigeon is ono of a network Of
streams which cut into thousand islands that
vast uninhabited territory known as the Atcha
falaya swamp 1t is territory peopled only by
alligators. 1t is annually submerged from four
to twenty feet by the surplus escaping waters of
the Mississippi. During the fall and early win
ter the lumbermen set up their camps and cut
timber in great quantities In the spring, when
the overflow takes place, they go back and Aoat
out their RATS TO the saw mills Of the Teche At
the time of the election referred to the whole
Bayou Pigeon country was under water. AT the
best OF times it is about as desirable for resi-
bence and about as denseiy populated as tho
Florida Everglades. Yet this simple, unosten-
tatious Cadien hung his pony to a swinging limb
and, enrerfng to the Democratic managers, dis
closed box which he had brought that night
from Bayou Pigeon. and which contained the
vote Of that thriving and populous precinct.
Alone he ''thrid the bosky mazes of the swamp"
sometimes by pirogue down the Pigeons hurry
ing stream, sometimes on foot, and last upon the
stolen plug without. But he had come, and
with him victory. For in that box, so hardly
borne by food and field, were found thirteen
hundred honest Democratic votes--no less. no